The Lights have Dimmed (Closed)

Dusk settled around the forest. The silent silhouettes of blue tinted shadows seemed to ripple over the river. Crossing the large expanse of WindClan’s blustering moors, to reach the forest shelter that she could once consider home.

Except… not anymore. Her heart ached with what she had lost. A painful pang of longing as she padded towards the bushes. Her calico pelt flashing in the moonlight for a moment as she delicately stepped her way in, using her skills from ThunderClan to remain largely undetected as she made her way over the flowing river.

Pricklebush and Beartooth… the pair wouldn’t want to see her. She knew that. It hurt to realise the two toms that had been there for her all her life suddenly weren’t. It was like drifting in an endless void… one that was so vast, it seemed almost impossible to cross. As if she was floating there, aimless. Without an anchor.

The only sibling that didn’t hate her, was Hailpaw. Her sister hadn’t been in camp. She didn’t know… and Ridgelight had been at the barn for a couple nights, the scent of milk long gone beneath that of hay and a foreign cat.

She stopped short near the RiverClan camp. It was unlikely she’d be welcomed. Her last adventures here had ended miserably, and Scorchclaw was unlikely to be kind. She padded forward slowly towards the edge of the water that surrounded the camp, before slowly wading in, eventually making it to the reed barrier on the other side. Her ears flattened as she realised she couldn’t go any further. The scent of RiverClan hung in the air like the most potent of flowers. If she disrupted it, they would know… but her sister was there.

Hailpaw was there, and the last thing she wanted to do… the only thing she could do, to make any sort of peace, was to say good-bye.

As night slowly took over the forest and it's surroundings, Dappleshine had been enjoying a pawful of quiet moments. Her daughter had already fallen asleep, dreaming peacefully of whatever it was exactly that little kits dreamt about. She had watched her daughter sleeping peacefully before she carefully extracted herself, moving to sit outside as the night creatures emerged from their dens. It was so peaceful, and as she stepped out of the camp towards the dirt place, she was shocked and surprised to see another cat there, almost completely hidden in the shadows of the setting sun. Dropping low instinctively, Dappleshine hissed under her breath. "State your business, intruder, or I will not hesitate to chase you away from here immediately." She had a clan, and most importantly, her daughter, to protect just on the other side of the clan's protective walls.

A riverclan she-cat emerged from the reeds as Ridgelight was contemplating how to get her message. It almost felt perfect, except for her reaction. The she-cat’s reflexive lowering told Ridgelight what was expected, and she backed away with a shake of her head. Hazel eyes down towards the ground.

“Please… I Don’t want to fight.” She explained, her voice felt dry and scratchy as tears began to well in her eyes. This was it. She would either get to see her sister… or be run off before she ever had the chance. Her eyes looked up at Dappleshine’s sorrowfully. “I-I’m leaving the forest… and… I just want to say good-bye to Hailpaw.” She confessed earnestly. “T-This is the only place I can, and I just...” she paused, tears breaking her words as her heart broke in her chest.

After this, there really would be no place in the forest for her. At all.
“Please” her voice dropped to a whisper as she lowered herself fully to the ground. Letting Dappleshine know she had full advantage if they did fight.

Dappleshine hesitated as the she-cat lowered herself toward the ground, and looked her over. She blinked before straightening up, standing tall again, and cast a look over her shoulder. Looking back when she was sure there was no one around, Dappleshine took a step closer and hissed under her breath. "....Go to the dirtplace behind the camp. Make sure that you stay concealed. You're too close to camp, someone is sure to spot you if you stay here. Hailpaw isn't allowed out of camp, even with an escort, so I'll have to try to get her to use the dirtplace. So long as you promise to go there and immediately leave after your business is done, I'll try to bring Hailpaw." Something about the cat before her made her heart twinge a little, and she couldn't just leave her to stand at the edge of camp... But she wanted to help as well. Besides, Hailpaw had been working hard, and surely this was someone she knew.

Once she got confirmation from the mysterious she-cat, she padded back into camp and made her way to where Hailpaw was, giving her a small smile. "Hey, Hailpaw. I found a thorn in one of the neighboring nests, would you come help me with a new one? I'm still having some trouble stretching too far."

At the sound of an unexpected voice, Hailpaw started. The yellow gaze that had been staring blankly into space jerked up, settling on the more-or-less familiar visage of a particular young warrior. It took a moment for the words to sink in, but when they had, she simply nodded her head. "Oh. Yeah." Did she really have any other choice? It was her duty to serve this foreign clan for as long as she was imprisoned here. Still, the way Dappleshine spoke almost made it sound as if she did. The gray-furred she-cat was a somewhat troubling one. In the brief time that she had been allowed of her den, Hailpaw had already come to know her as a kind-hearted cat. That kindness was like honey that seemed to sweeten the hostility that others showed towards her, but the apprentice herself was uncertain whether she really preferred that honey. Dappleshine made her more uncomfortable than any enemy that she had faced in battle thus far. Getting to her paws, she followed after the warrior.

The past few days had been filled with work. Her duties in the camp were simple enough; if she had been in her own camp, they would be hardly anything to blink at. But being in RiverClan camp changed things somewhat. That persisting feeling of being an outsider, a prisoner, was forever haunting her. She had killed one of their own, and she was at their mercy now. A cat needed nerves of steel to be able to bear that constant pressure. Even so, what was truly unbearable to her, however, was having no way of knowing what was going on in ThunderClan camp. For all she knew, she would never see Ridgelight again. And what about the rest of her family members? Ever since the flood, Hailpaw had been estranged from her siblings; whether the distance had been self-imposed or mutual, she had spoken little more than a word to them. Pricklebush and Gladepaw had been the only exceptions, and even with them, there had been an uncomfortable twinge in her heart whenever she faced them. The thought of losing another family member while she was trapped on this island threatened to drive her insane. One by one, they were slipping away from her, and there was nothing she could do. Masking the anxiety and fear from her guards, she had thrown herself into work. Anything, even drudgery, was better than the fruitless time she had spent in the cramped little den, with nothing to do but think. When her paws were moving, her thoughts did not have to.

A small smile crossed her face as Hailpaw got up after a moment. The queen tried to sympathize with the ThunderClan stranger, she hadn't known Icepaw or what had happened all those moons ago. So she had decided to give the white-coated she-cat the benefit of the doubt, Magpiepaw had taught her that cats could change in the blink of an eye. As she lead the way back to the nursery, she was relieved to see that most of the warriors and all of the apprentices were already in bed, and once the entered the nursery she scanned for some bedding. Picking the vacant nest beside her own, where Dacekit was sleeping peacefully, she turned back to Hailpaw.

"Here, it's in this one. Could you go throw it out in the Dirtplace? I can get some more moss myself." Her eyes grew a little more serious and she leaned in closer as Hailpaw took the moss from her, her new barely a whisper that didn't pass beyond their ears. "There is someone who wishes to speak with you. I'll buy you what time I can, but please don't take too long.... And I'm begging you, don't run. Don't tell anyone about this either, okay?" She stepped back, a worried expression on her face. Had she made the right choice in letting this meeting happen? She didn't even know who that she-cat was. For the first time, it crossed her mind that maybe it was that warrior that had been exiled, what was her name again? It was too late now to change her mind though, so she merely stepped by Hailpaw, her tail brushing her shoulder as she went to fetch new moss. What the apprentice decided to do at this point was up to her. Raising her voice to a normal level, she spoke once she was past the she-cat. "Oh, make sure you take your time and really get that thorny moss tucked away in the Dirtplace, that way no one manages to step on it. Thanks, Hailpaw!" There. Now any of the warriors that were still awake would know what was going on, and that should hopefully buy Hailpaw some time. With any luck, all would end well.

Ridgelight nodded seriously to Dappleshine’s words, ducking back into the reeds and wading in near silence towards where the dirtplace was indicated. The stench helped her to find it. It reeked of RiverClan discards and fish bones. Her muzzle curled back in disgust, but she slowly managed to push past it and into the reeds beyond.

Where she waited, then saw her sister’s pale coat. The sight of Hailpaw sent pain into Ridgelight’s chest. It tightened painfully to know that she would no longer see her sister after this brief, disgusting visit… but… she had to say goodbye. She waited in silence until Hailpaw was just past her before whispering out from the reeds.
“Hailpaw!” She called softly, keeping her voice muted from the ears of cats potentially near the entrance of the dirtplace. “Hailpaw… StarClan… I’m… I’m so sorry.” She paused, lowering her head as her hazel eyes stared woefully into the reeds.

“I… I was told I don’t have much time… Hailpaw… I was… I was… exiled.” The words left her mouth in a pained whimper. She could barely make herself say them.

Receiving Dappleshine's instructions with a nod, Hailpaw uttered a simple "All right." The task was an easy one that could likely be completed without much effort. She leaned forward to examine the nest that the queen had pointed out. With only the fading traces of sunlight at the den's entrance, thick shadows had emerged from their hiding places and now curled themselves tightly about the den's inhabitants. The heavens had blessed her species with night vision, but it was not quite enough to make out the finer details of the moss. As she put her nose to the nest, the warm scent of milk tickled her whiskers; it was tangled up in the harsher, fishy taste of RiverClan, but still noticeable. Some things never changed, no matter the clan... She began to gather up the moss, carefully pulling it free to reveal the bare reed frame beneath.

Dappleshine leaned forward. At the words so softly spoken that they barely stirred the fur lining her ears' interiors, Hailpaw stiffened up. It was good fortune that most of the den was sound asleep. For a moment, shock passed over her features. She was able to successfully mask it, but not without a struggle. Who would want to speak with her? It could not be Pricklebush, for her brother had no need to resort to such methods if he wanted to see her. The answer came almost immediately, and her breath caught in her throat as she realized who it was most likely to be. Her heart began to pound. Ridgelight. Can it be you? The tangle of emotions that seized her heart in that moment seemed to pull forth a whirlwind of thoughts, one that pulsed and writhed beneath her skin. It took all the strength she had to hold it back. On tottering steps, she headed for the exit, moss clamped tightly in her jaws. When her paws had crossed the threshold and had stepped into the last rays of sunlight, she paused for a look back at Dappleshine. One swift,  slight flick of her tail―it was a signal of her gratitude, a secret that only the two of them understood. And then Hailpaw headed for the dirtplace.

For once, she was grateful for the young warrior's kindness.

RiverClan's dirtplace was just as foul-smelling as ThunderClan's. As off-putting as the nature of the place was, it was essential for every camp. Hailpaw had no trouble entering the dirtplace; it did not so much as elicit a glance from her guards. Once behind the reed barrier that partitioned that section of the island off, she cast a wary glance about. There was no cat in sight, likely because of the late hour. Still, she had to hurry. The breeze brought Ridgelight's soft cry to her, and she perked up her ears immediately. She had been right. Oh, for the stars' sake, she had been right. In a moment's span, she was pressed up against the reed barrier, her yellow eyes seeking the familiar visage on the other side. How long had it been since she had last looked into her sister's eyes? As always, the regret was like a disease eating away at her. But their time was limited; there were only so many things she could say. She took a deep breath, swallowing the torrent of apologies that had risen up. "Ridgelight!" Her voice was shaky, thick with all the emotions she expressed with that name alone. She blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Don't leave me. Please, not you too. What did you even do?"

Her sister was right there. They were standing barely a tail-length apart. Within that space, however, an impossible gulf gaped. More than the physical barrier of reeds, it was the gulf that their Code dictated. Its depths were pitch black with the horrifying nature of the crime that Ridgelight had commited, and neither sibling would ever cross that gulf.

The sound of Hailpaw’s voice… Ridgelight felt some of her pain ease at it. Despite the fact that she would be leaving her sister. Leaving the forest, her home… the least she could do was say goodbye. It was hard though. As Hailpaw begged her not to leave… to know what she had done.

The word must have spread about her exile. It was an unsurprising development as she nosed in closer to her sister despite the stench of foul RiverClan odours.
“I… I made a mistake.” She confessed, thinking about the kits. What she had done, or rather, what she hadn’t done. How helpless they were… how they needed her. Above everything else… they needed their mother… and she had let them down.

“I… Hailpaw. Don’t be mad at ThunderClan… it was… I need to leave. I have to see more than this forest. ” She implored her sister softly, looking back at the water with her nose crinkled in discomfort before she turned back. “I’ll always think of you and Pricklebush… please… don’t forget me.” She pleaded, before the sound of reeds cracking drew her attention. Immediately, the she-cat fled into the water with a louder than intended splash that could easily have drawn a RiverClan cat’s attention. Her pale calico pelt easy to spot in the dark as she fled into the trees.

"Mistake" could have meant so many things. "Ridgelight―wait!" As the pale calico turned to leave, Hailpaw cried out after her. The true meaning of this meeting sunk in like a kick to the gut. The two of them would never see each other again. She jammed a paw through the gap in the reeds, reaching out for her sister. It was no use; she failed to catch hold of Ridgelight. The former warrior of ThunderClan slipped like water from her paws, and Hailpaw felt her stomach plummet at that moment. There was no time for any more words, for the crackling of reeds underpaw signaled the arrival of another cat. Ridgelight vanished from sight, her departure soon followed by loud splashing. Hailpaw held her breath, frozen behind the dirtplace barrier. She recognized the scent of the newcomer, and the thought of what it meant for her sister caused seldom-felt terror to rise. How fast could Ridgelight run, with the RiverClan deputy chasing after her? Oh, StarClan... For what was perhaps the first time in her life, she begged the ancestors. There was nothing else she could do now. They had seen it fit to separate her path from her sister's, even when she had already lost Beepaw and Blizzardshine. Protect Ridgelight. In her place, I promise I'll be a good warrior. I won't ever cause my family grief again. I'll leave a blameless enough life to make up for the crimes I've already committed, and I'll do my best to make up for hers. So please, please, please don't abandon Ridgelight. A sudden desperate spark seemed to enter Hailpaw's yellow eyes, and she struck viciously at the reeds. The only thing the action accomplished was causing a resounding rustle loud enough to alert her guards. The apprentice gritted her teeth, her gaze falling to her paws. If she escaped now, she would only trouble Pricklebush.

---

The noisy splashes of inexperienced paws making their way through water was the first hint of something off. Scorchclaw pricked up his tufted ears, a frown twisting his maw. Was someone leaving the camp at this time of day? The last patrol had just returned a while ago. With all the recent happenings, it was not safe to be out and about in the darkness, especially when one was alone. Whether driven by concern or some deeper instinct, the large tabby headed towards the stream to investigate.

The second hint came by way of the breeze. With a change in the wind direction, an unfamiliar scent suddenly came drifting to Scorchclaw. It had no particular distinction to it when compared to the unique clan scents, but if there was one thing he immediately knew, it was that this was no RiverClan scent. Immediately, his guard was up. Who had dared to trespass so close to the island camp? What had they done, in the cover of the darkness? He caught a glimpse of pale fur vanishing into the forest on the opposite side of the stream. There was no room for hesitation. The thought of calling for backup was swiftly shoved to the back of his mind. Scorchclaw's long, powerful legs propelled swiftly through the water. The RiverClan physique was not particularly made for running, but a well-built warrior could always make do somehow. Bit by bit, he began to gain on the stranger. There was one advantage he had―this was his territory, and he knew it like the back of his own paw.

"Wait!" Moments after the cry left his mouth, he pounced. His unsheathed claws made contact with fur and flesh, and he tackled the intruder to the ground. Blood spattered forth. "What do you think you are doing on RiverClan lands?" He hissed savagely, once the cat had squirmed around to face him. The shadows playing across the wet plains obscured the finer details of Ridgelight's face, and recognition did not sink in at once for him.

For a moment, Ridgelight thought she had gotten away with it. She darted through the trees as her chest heaved in exertion and sorrow at what she was leaving behind. Soft sobs obscuring the sound of the large tabby coming up behind her until it was too late. Her head turned just in time to see him pouncing directly at her. Breath fleeing her lungs as she was pinned helplessly below him.

Hazel eyes stared fearfully into Scorchclaw’s green ones. One of two cats she knew she couldn’t have run into, yet here he was. She swallowed nervously as he spoke. Confused for a moment, but perhaps the mud had messed with her scent enough that she’d be okay… she just had to play it well.

“I-I’m sorry! I got lost on the way to the barn… I saw a cat on the island and just wanted to ask for directions...” She whimpered piteously. It was hard seeing those eyes so angry… she remembered adventuring onto sunningrocks as a kit. Getting under his paws and sneaking into RiverClan and Shadowclan territories as an apprentice. Now, she had to utilize that knowledge.

She knew there was a gorse bush not far. The mud on her pelt squished and rubbed off a bit as she kicked out with her back paws in a distinctively warrior move. Feeling his claws rake her shoulders as she shoved with all her strength and scrambled away, pelt fluffed.
“It’s alright! I’m going now… bye Scorchclaw… I’m sorry.” She called back, before turning and running.

There was a certain familiarity to the stranger that Scorchclaw could not quite place. Her dark eyes flashed up at him with a frightened glow. Her scent was strange, not really resembling anything he had smelled before, yet somehow it pulled at his memories. He tightened his hold, feeling his claws dig deeper into flesh. Droplets of blood welled up and stained his paws. When she spoke, recognition finally clicked into place―a she-kit from moons ago, who had since grown into a full cat. Ridgelight! Her words swept past him, lies he barely paid any attention to now that he knew who she was. The alarm bells rang in Scorchclaw's head. In a flash, everything made sense to him. ThunderClan's medicine cat had delivered a warning just days ago. Why would an exiled ThunderClan warrior travel all the way into RiverClan territory? For one reason, and one reason only. RiverClan had Hailpaw, and Ridgelight must have come in hopes of seeing her sister one last time.

The smaller cat kicked out with her hind legs, striking Scorchclaw's underbelly. A grunt escaped the deputy, and his hold lightened briefly. In that space of time, Ridgelight had torn herself free. Her words made no sense to Scorchclaw, but if he had his way, they would not be parting words. The move she had used on him only made him more certain than he had been before. She was no rogue or loner, but a warrior. The fact that she even knew his name further proved it. "If you think you can escape, Ridgelight," He snarled, lunging forward, "you are mistaken!" His jaws closed like a vice around her slender tail. She struggled, but he held his ground forcefully. The taste of copper subsequently filled his mouth. Bracing his paws firmly against the ground, he used his full body weight to haul her backwards a tail-length or so. A pop rang out―a sound that was at once unnatural and unnerving.

She yowled as Scorchclaw’s teeth sank into her tail. Claws digging into the dirt as she refused to fight back any further, the situation would only get worse if she did. Still, her claws raked into dirt as the larger and stronger tom pulled her back. A sudden, painful jolt causing her to break her peace as she swung back to slash her claws at the tom’s face in the hopes that he would let go. Her tail in agony as she managed to get it free.

“Stop Scorchclaw! I don’t want to fight, I just want to leave.” Her hazel eyes tearing up as she glanced once into Scorchclaw’s blue ones before she turned and bolted back into the woods. Her heart pounding in fear as she worried that Scorchclaw would never let her go. That he would keep following her, that she may very well die under a cat’s claws before she got to the freedom she yearned for once.

The freedom that was now her life and prison. It was ironic really. Her thoughts wondered if she should stop. If she should let Scorchclaw catch her, and end it. But there was still so much to see! She just had no one to share it with. Her pace faltered, leaping strides becoming shorter until she was simply stopped. The border of RiverClan laying just before her paws. She’d never see her sister or family again. It was knowledge she thought she had come to terms with.