Reap What You Sow [Birdchaser/Fawnshine]

((OOC: Set sometime after Addictive Poison))

Old habits, it seemed, were impossible to get rid of. With no moonstone to take apprentices to, and no duties to a clan to take care of, Beechfang still found herself an early riser. She had taken to roaming twolegplace, mostly for food, but also in the increasingly vain hopes that she might find Primroselight or Muddythorn or Hollyshine somewhere in the twisted maze of thunderpaths and brick. With Bloodstrike's recent capture by twolegs, her motivation had only increased. She couldn't imagine any of those clanmates - former clanmates - going with twolegs willingly. Especially not Bloodstrike. And who knew what twolegs would do? It wasn't like any of the Skyclanners were sweet, clawless kittypets. Not even Primroselight, and she had been the best of them. Certainly not Bloodstrike, who had thrown himself at dogs and foxes and all manner of predators with reckless abandon.

And so she searched. It was better than moping in the depths of the abandoned nest she had claimed for herself, at least. Better than reflecting on all that had been said and done and lost over the seasons.

It was easier to lose track of time while wandering, Beechfang had figured out. Easy to lose herself in the labyrinth that was twolegplace, even. But always her paws seemed to return to more familiar ground eventually. Skyclan was no longer her home, but she still felt a lingering sense of loyalty... And the chance of seeing her family was enough to keep the she-cat lurking near the borders when she knew Skyclan patrols walked beside the long fence that stretched along the edge of the forest. The scarred she-cat leapt onto the wooden structure, yellow-green eye straying toward the greenery beyond. The forest that was no longer hers.

Movement in the trees caught her attention quickly, and Beechfang stood calmly enough, claws gripping the edge of the fence to prevent herself from bounding headlong into the trees, though her pricked ears and twitching tail betrayed her hope to see family once again.

Almost the heartbeat Briarthorn had called her name, Birdchaser had piled more work onto herself. Extra patrols, keeping as close an eye on their borders as was possible for one cat, bringing in as much prey as she could without disappearing from the Clan for a moon. And watching her Clanmates, too; monitoring them, making sure they were doing well. A few short days wasn't nearly long enough for her to register a change, if there had been any, but it made her feel like she was doing something. Though, there was one thing she'd noticed- No. She wouldn't dwell on it, even as her paws carried her into the territory. In pursuit. Dovefrost had been gone, seemingly vanished over night. Like a wolf running down a rabbit, she stomped out of camp with her nose to the earth, ears angled forward. Maybe he had just wanted to take some time to himself, to... process. But it'd been far too long; he should have returned to camp long ago. Or he left to look for mom. As much as she wanted to see Beechfang again, if that was the case, she would drag Dovefrost back to camp by his tail. The least he could have done was say something, or bring another cat with him. What if- The she-cat dashed the thought away immediately with a quiet hiss. She wouldn't even think to entertain something having happened to him.

Birdchaser shook her head as she scaled the trees, maneuvering gingerly through the branches. The responsibility she'd been given was a heavy one, and she couldn't help but let her mind drift back to RiverClan's invasion of their camp... But her father was nothing like Beechfang. He wouldn't have wandered to that border, looking for revenge. The river was a nonstarter. Moving expertly between the trees, she ventured closer to Twolegplace. If he had gone anywhere, surely it would have been here. Preparing to rejoin the earth, the large she-cat hopped down onto the lower branches, sizing up the distance between herself and the earth, when a flash of fur caught her attention. Ears lowering, she ducked between the leaves, and pulled herself as close to the end of the branch as she could without risking it snapping under her weight. Were rogues becoming so bold as to hover right on the fence line? Green eyes narrowed as the warrior scanned the fence, and the shock that hit her was almost enough to knock her from her perch. A grin split her maw, and for a moment, her worries were forgotten.

"Beechfang! You've come awfully close to territory that it is no longer yours." The roar exploded from the shroud of leaves, fierce and accusative. In the next instant, Birdchaser had dropped to the earth, landing in front of the fence with a heavy thud. "Did I scare you? I hope so." She was still grinning, mischief lighting her eyes. "Don't worry, I'm not going to run you off. I'm glad I found you, though. I was actually-" her expression twisted and fell, ears lowering. As badly as she wanted to, she'd always been terrible at hiding her emotions. She wore everything openly on her pelt. Voice softer, "I was actually looking for you... kind of. Well, I wasn't, but I'm glad I found you. It's- I'll explain in a second." Clambering up the fence, she wobbled slightly before steadying, looking sideways at the scarred tabby before turning her attention towards the crumbling Twolegplace beyond. No immediate sign of him there, either. "I- I will. In a second. But mom, what are you doing here? You look like you're waiting for something- someone." Hope brightened her features for a moment. Maybe she was right, and her parents had plans to meet here. "Oh, and- I'm glad you're here. For... a lot of reasons. But I'm glad you're here. I missed you." She fidgeted, glancing between Beechfang and the Twolegplace. Her energy was all over the place- mischievous enthusiasm, anxious twitching, sputtered babbling. Her fluffy tail flicked back and forth, restless.

Beechfang's ears dipped slightly at Birdpaw's accusatory roar. For a moment, it was easy to think that her daughter could've changed her mind, and not wanted anything to do with a confessed codebreaker. Almost immediately however, the gray and white tabby had dispelled the notion, and Beechfang couldn't help breaking into a grin.

"Scary, I almost turned and ran." Her whiskers twitched, "I'm glad Skyclan's borders are still kept up with." She purred. The rumble in her chest faded as Birdpaw went on, however. She was like Beechfang, with her emotions worn on her pelt. An honest cat with little to hide. Signs of distress were clear as day, and just as worrying to her mother. "What's wrong, Birdpaw?" When she'd left the clan her kits had all been apprentices... It hadn't been that long ago, but she did wonder if any of them had earned their warrior names yet.

"I hoped I would run into Dovefrost, or you or your siblings, actually." She admitted, "Just- Just to check in, see how you all were doing." She missed her kits, missed her mate. Kithood dreams of a family that had been shattered early on, not that Beechfang had ever cared for the rules stating she couldn't make a family of her own. But now she truly had one, and it had been her own actions that destroyed it. Not Sagelight's prophecy, not the will of Starclan, but her own. Like a fool.

Beechfang was pleased at her brave introduction, but just as quickly as the pride soothed her temper, the way the silver tabby addressed her made Birdchaser wilt. She'd forgotten, Beechfang hadn't been there for her ceremony. For either of them. "It's Birdchaser, now," she corrected softly, rocking against the fence. "And–" And I'm deputy now, and you've missed so much, and have you really been gone that long? Stars, this shouldn't have happened. The pale she-cat shook her head, another sigh escaping her.

So Beechfang was waiting for them... but she hadn't made any plans. And from what it sounded like, she hadn't seen Dovefrost recently, either. The horrible ideas resurfaced again, making the deputy's hackles rise, but she forced her fur flat with an adamant huff. The last time she'd seen him, her father hadn't looked well. Surely, he was just clearing his head. An extended walk, maybe. "I'm here on... uhm, official business. Looking for Dovefrost. Mom, I'm–" She wanted to take the moment to share her promotion with Beechfang before she had to admit to her father's disappearance, but the sound of pawsteps made her ears perk to attention. Turning away from the cold stone of Twolegplace, Birdchaser watched as a slight she-cat emerged from the brush. Was that... ThunderClan's medicine cat? Her eyes narrowed, flicking from the newcomer to her mother, and back again. With her, the she-cat carried the earthy yet sweet scent of herbs. A medicine cat indeed. A nosy one, at that– apparently she had been eavesdropping, and saw fit to intrude on their conversation. Excuses of needing catmint, but she immediately dug into the subject of Dovefrost. What right did this cat have, to waltz forward and ask after her father? As if she had been the least of his recent concerns.

Twisting to leap off the fence and onto the forest floor, Birdchaser fixed her attention on Fawnshine, pale gaze hard and unwelcoming. Any of her politer, more anxious qualities she'd been willing to bare in front of her mother dissipated in a heartbeat, like dew burning off with the sun. Shoulders squared, she lifted her chin, and when she spoke her mew was deep with authority. "SkyClan holds no claim over Twolegplace... so, as much as I would like to, I can't excuse you from this conversation. The fence isn't especially private." Her tail flicked back and forth, agitated. "Since I can't excuse you, I might as well answer. This time, at least. As far as you need to be concerned, Dovefrost is fine." Birdchaser's voice lowered as she said it, and she turned slightly away. She'd always been a horrible liar. In an attempt to hide herself, the deputy tipped her head to the side– maybe a bit dramatically –and pressed, "What business do you have with him, anyhow? I believe you said you were here to collect herbs, and I'm afraid that isn't his station anymore."

Birdchaser. Her kits were growing up and becoming warriors, and Beechfang hadn't even known. "Congratulations!" She purred, determined to not let the anxiety and regret she felt show. "I'm proud of you," She was, really, but it was yet another reminder. Birdchaser continued to speak, and any joy she'd felt at hearing she was now a warrior turned to ash on her tongue with her next words.

"I haven't seen him, no. Has something happened?" The burst of anxiety Birdchaser's words had brought her made her claws flex, digging into the fence harshly. The strong scent of herbs drifted on the wind, and a vaguely familiar voice called up to the pair of she-cats. Birdchaser twisted, leaping down and padding toward the tortoiseshell, who beneath the herbs carried the scent of Thunderclan. Beechfang hesitated. She wasn't a part of Skyclan anymore, and rightfully had no place inserting herself into any conversation involving another clan's medicine cat at all. And yet, she'd asked about her mate, who Beechfang was reasonably certain must've been her mentor at one point, as well. She would've known Dovefrost, though Beechfang couldn't have imagined she would be thrilled that her mentor had left for another clan, much less for the ragged, murder-confessed exile she had become.

"I believe we met briefly at the gathering-" Briarthorn's kitting, to be precise, "-though I don't recall your name." The Thunderclanner had jumped in to help when she didn't need to, something Beechfang could respect. "If you are going to search for herbs among the twoleg gardens, I won't bother you." Maybe... Maybe she'd keep an eye on the medicine cat. The gardens were full of strange kittypets and sometimes dogs. Usually small, yappy things that fled from a hiss and a swat to the nose, but there were plenty of other things in twolegplace that weren't so easily swayed.

Birdchaser's eyes never left Fawnshine, though her tail did flick in Beechfang's direction at the sound of her mother's voice again. So they knew each other, and the ThunderClanner was pleasant enough that Beechfang regarded her with some sense of pleasantry. The deputy closed her eyes, a heavy sigh leaving her– until Fawnshine mentioned something that made her eyes open again, wide now, ears swiveled forward. "You've caught his scent recently?" Nevermind the fact that Dovefrost had been her mentor, or that the medicine cat was staring right at the family he had left for. There was a chance she was speaking generally, or in some sort of odd metaphor... but if Fawnshine knew anything about him, it would be valuable information.

Glancing between Beechfang to the medicine cat and back again, Birdchaser paused for a long moment before collecting herself to speak again. With reluctance painfully evident in her mew, "Since it sounds like you've caught wind of him recently, I'll be honest with you– both of you. I haven't seen Dovefrost in some time; a few suns, at least. At first I assumed he had gone on a walk, but it's been far too long for that to be the case. And if it is, as his family, I have every intention of dragging Dovefrost back to SkyClan by his ears. I do not want to assume the worst, but–" it had been a fight to keep the nerves out of her voice, but here, the panic came clear, "it is hard not to. Dovefrost js a capable warrior, and I am confident that he can defend himself. I am equally confident that he would not abandon his home nor his family so suddenly." She left it at that, head shaking slowly side to side. Truly, none of this was Fawnshine's business– she should have run the scrawny little cat off as soon as she'd arrived. But she needed something. Tail flicking, Birdchaser stepped closer to Beechfang, shifting nervously on her paws. "For now, if you believe you can be of help to us, you are welcome to join us in searching for him. If you do not think you can contribute, then continue on into Twolegplace. I do not want idle paws on this patrol."

Dipping her head, Birdchaser lowered her voice to whisper to Beechfang, "I'm sorry I couldn't– didn't tell you personally. There's... there's a lot I still have to tell you, and- but–" hard green eyes flicked towards Fawnshine once more, before focusing on her mother again, "it'll have to wait. I'm sorry, again." With that aside, the deputy lifted her head and turned away from them both, padding closer to the fenceline. "Decide now if you want to follow us. I'm going to begin looking for him properly now, so make your choice soon. Consider this an extension of good faith." Was that her treaty to make? Shrugging, Birdchaser padded forth, ears low and nose to the ground.

"For us, yes." Beechfang answered Fawnshine softly, a hint of bittersweet warmth in her words as her gaze turned toward her daughter. "Dovefrost went a long time without an apprentice. He seems to have trained you well." From what Beechfang had seen at the gathering, Thunderclan was in capable paws at least. Still, she had little doubt that Dovefrost's departure had affected the clan, too.

Beechfang's claws flexed at Birdchaser's words, tail lashing once more in silent frustration. Dovefrost, she was absolutely certain, wouldn't abandon his family. He'd loved his kits more than anything, and even loved Beechfang, though sometimes the silver tabby wondered what she had done to deserve such. "Dovefrost would never abandon you. Not willingly." She voiced the thought with grim conviction, a frown tugging at her expression. Just as no Skyclanner would willingly abandon family either. Primroselight, Dawnfeather, Muddythorn and Hollyshine... Bloodstrike. Spottedstar abandoned us, Wolfcall, too. And Birdsong. The ugly thought rose unbidden, and Beechfang shook her head, determined to ignore it. It stirred in her a sense of dread and foreboding, however. She didn't think Dovefrost would, no. That left another option, one she really, really didn't like. One Birdchaser seemed to recognize was an option, as well. Beechfang could tell her daughter worried, and knew that neither of them wanted that suspicion to be true.

Her claws dug painfully into the fence.

"If he were still on Skyclan territory, or had headed toward Thunderclan, both clans have vigilant warriors. He would've been found easily enough." And there wouldn't have been a need to search far. But he hadn't been found, and Fawnshine had said his scent was faint.

They would find Dovefrost, gathering herbs in one of the twoleg gardens, not a hair out of place. Beechfang was sure of it, she told herself. Maybe if she repeated the thought it would make it so.

As if Starclan would ever reward her for being optimistic.

"It couldn't be helped," She mewed in response to Birdchaser's quiet apology. "We'll have time to talk, promise." She had her own news to share, too, though it wasn't exactly happy news either. Still, the clan deserved to know. She would tell Birdchaser later, not in front of a relative stranger who truly didn't have a need to know that bit of business. Dovefrost, at least, concerned his former apprentice to more of an extent Bloodstrike's whereabouts would.

"Stay within earshot. The rogues aren't as bold as they used to be, but dogs and twolegs have no such redeeming qualities." The warning was more for Birdchaser, but if Fawnshine took heed of it, that was fine by Beechfang. She leapt from the fence, landing heavily on the ground. Her jaws parted as she inhaled, trying desperately to catch Dovefrost's scent. She hadn't come across him on her way to the border, but perhaps she just hadn't been in the right area.

Both her mother's warning and her sympathies were lost on Birdchaser, the large she-cat set on the path before her. Though, Fawnshine earned distant attention from her; the little medicine cat had tracked Dovefrost here. Had he gone back to ThunderClan for something? Maybe he'd just missed whatever friends or family he'd left behind... but even that, he wouldn't without talking to someone. And how Fawnshine had managed that anyhow bewildered her– everything here just smelled like damp earth, wet leaves and mud and treebark and prey and none of it smelled like Dovefrost. Had her father just vanished into thin air? Or perhaps he'd burrowed underground like a hare, waiting out his days. Or been swallowed whole by a fox. Or mauled by rogues. Or dogs. Or taken by twolegs. Or–

Birdchaser hissed, springing up onto the fence. It would give her a better vantage point, she'd say, but in truth she just wanted to feel closer to her mother. She was grown now, and partway responsible for SkyClan's well-being, but that didn't stop her from wanting to crawl under Beechfang's chest fluff like a kit and hide there forever. Maybe this never would have happened, had RiverClan not descended upon them... her attention lifted from Twolegplace, gazing distantly out into the woods beyond. Somewhere past there, RiverClan lay sheltered on their island home.

Claws flexed, gouging the wood. Were they determined to take everything from her?

The not-yet familiar voice of Fawnshine made the deputy's ears twitch. So she was actually useful, and Dovefrost's scent hadn't been entirely washed away. Creeping across the fence to loom over the medicine cat, Birdchaser breathed in deep, and– and Fawnshine was right. That was Dovefrost. So close to Twolegplace, off of either Clan's territory? Maybe he'd come on his own herb hunting expedition. But that couldn't be the case. It'd been so long. Too long. "Good find," she muttered begrudgingly, continuing on down the fence. They would find him, alive and well.

His scent steadily got stronger– a good sign. But with it, so did ThunderClan's. That, she was willing to blame on the closeness of the territory, or the little flea of a cat that had joined them. What she couldn't swallow, though, was the stale scent of blood. Compared to the others, it was so muted Birdchaser almost thought she'd imagined it. Still, it made her hackles bristle. "Be careful. I don't think there are friends nearby." She mewed, looking down at Fawnshine for a long moment before pressing on. The fence wobbled against her heavy steps.

Stray fur caught her attention– pure white, like her father's. No, not like– it was her father's. Dovefrost was near. Or his body is, a traitorous thought hissed, and the deputy recoiled against it, shoving down the fenceline with ears pinned low. The blood-scent grew, and then there he was. Like he'd never been gone at all.

Large frame crumpled against the earth, shoved haphazardly against the fence. They'd found him! Was he sleeping? What an odd spot. He had to be, because he couldn't be...

"Dovefrost!" Birdchaser called down, glee in her voice. He didn't twitch. Patrolmates forgotten, the pale she-cat leapt down from the fence and rushed over to her father's side. He reeked of old, dried blood, and he was so still. "Dovefrost? Dad, it's me, Birdchaser. You can get up now. I won't tell anyone you left." She breathed, flattening herself to the earth and inching closer. He was alive in there, he had to be. Just tired, or maybe something had hit his head, and he needed help. She wasn't ready to let him go, too. "It's okay, Dad, just– just stand up, it's okay. You can come home, we're all there still, it's okay." Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, hot and stinging. Dovefrost still wasn't responding. With a rattling breath, Birdchaser squeezed her eyes shut and moved to press her head under his forelegs, to the soft down of his chest, his neck.

This close, buried into his fur, she could smell ThunderClan. Not just around them, but clinging to Dovefrost's pelt; and not just from a walk through the territory. Had someone been with him, when he'd been left like this? And the blood, too, it's metallic stench engulfed her, and Dovefrost felt so cold... the deputy opened her eyes, blinking against his fur.

And in a heartbeat, she kicked backwards, tail lashing wildly and a horrid shriek rising out of her chest. Dovefrost's throat had been torn out entirely. Just– gone. Gone. He'd been killed. Murdered. Someone had found her father and killed him and now he was dead and gone and–

Still screaming, Birdchaser whipped around. In the heat of her pain, Beechfang's presence had been entirely forgotten. Instead, the deputy zeroed in on Fawnshine: small, slight, trained in the arts of healing. And ThunderClan. Green eyes blazed with rage and anguish, misty with the tears that now ran freely through her cheek fur. "He's dead! Did you know about this? Did you put him here? Or did you just find him, and go looking for the first two cats that would entertain you in looking for him?" As she wailed her grief, Birdchaser marched closer to the medicine cat, claws leaving marks in the earth where she tread until they were only a whisker away from each other. This close, she could see the way her breath stirred the smaller cat's fur.

Voice lowering into a hiccuping growl, "My– my father is laying beside Twolegplace, with his throat torn open and– and I know he had no enemies in SkyClan, and I can smell ThunderClan on his fur, and–" She stopped for a moment, eyes narrowing into hard, hateful slits. "Don't ever let me find out you had a paw in this." The threat in her voice was weakened by the effort she had to put into choking back sobs. But now that she was decidedly done speaking, she let the tears come freely; and when she turned to return to Dovefrost's side, the sight of him started another round of horrible shrieking. Noises that a cat never should have made.

She would see to it that whoever did had their pelt ripped off, though. Crouching low, she pressed her muzzle into Dovefrost's shoulder, wailing into his fur.

Birdchaser leapt back up to the fence, and Beechfang's tail flicked, brushing gently against her daughter's flank, a small gesture of comfort. Fawnshine's words were troubling, how had a lone cat managed to track scent so far? It wasn't something Beechfang could've managed with such a faint trail. Aether's trail had been relatively fresh when Beechfang had tracked him past highstones, not more than a few hours old rather than how faint Dovefrost's trail currently was. She shoved the thought of the former loner from her mind, they had parted ways immediately upon leaving Skyclan territory, but he was likely already back in Skyclan. She tried to ignore the bitter envy she'd felt at that, what was the difference between her and one of Dawnhawk's wretched spawn? Why should she be denied her place among her clan, her family?

Refocusing, Beechfang silently prowled after the young medicine cat and her daughter, sharp gaze sweeping over the area in the hopes of seeing a flash of familiar white fur, as well as to keep an eye out for anything else that might hinder or help their search. Fawnshine's words made her ears swivel in the medicine cat's direction. Beechfang said nothing, simply nodded. She quickened her pace to fall into step next to Fawnshine. Dovefrost. How had she missed his scent among the strangeness that was twolegplace? Here, the cats were the odd ones out, especially those that smelled of pine and forest and home.

"There are no friends in twolegplace, my child." Beechfang responded softly to Birdchaser, eye narrowing at her words. Beechfang's hackles lifted, lip curling into a snarl at the faint scent that slowly grew stronger as she followed after her, the meaning of her daughter's words becoming clear. "Blood." And no, it wasn't her father. Beechfang's heart sank. "Cat's blood." Rogue, or her mate? If there was any good left in Starclan, it wouldn't be Dovefrost's.

Spotting white fur, Beechfang picked up her pace, skidding to a stop as her eye landed on an unmoving form. Maybe, she thought, if she were younger and didn't know what death looked like, she might have thought Dovefrost was asleep. But the pose was wrong, unnatural. And his fur was stained. Not with bits of herbs and leaves. Red, glistening black in the sunlight, at his neck and throat, having flowed where gravity took it.

There was no good in Starclan. There never had been. Beechfang's chest tightened painfully as she rushed forward, a hard knot in her throat making speech nearly impossible.

"Birdchaser, he's-" The smell of blood, and more than that, death, was almost overpowering to the former medicine cat's trained senses. Birdchaser had bounded forward heedlessly, denial lacing every word. Beechfang stumbled, breath hitching as her vision blurred and she pressed her face against Dovefrost's fur.

Did the stars have to take everything from her? Was this her punishment, to stumble upon the bodies of her loved ones, to watch them suffer and die or disappear? Beechfang inhaled, hardly paying attention to the start of Birdchaser's tirade in her own grief.

"-Thunderclan on his fur-" Beechfang's head snapped up, staring daggers at her makeshift patrolmates through hazy vision. She inhaled a shaky breath, lips twisting into a snarl as she confirmed Birdchaser's words for herself. Beechfang stood slowly, head bowed and shoulders hunched as she spoke. "You would have a better chance placing the scent than I." Beechfang straightened as she spoke to Fawnshine, tone hard as the stone that made up the thunderpath. "Find who did it." Or Beechfang would find them. Anger burned in her chest as she glanced back at Dovefrost's body. His body. Murdered. By a Thunderclanner.