[X] The Path Less Travelled By

[Mysteryfaith]

Title: The Path Less Travelled By
Author: Mysteryfaith
Chapters: ?
Pairing: Lion x Dove x Tiger
Summary:

Two paths diverged in a yellow wood... Dovepaw has a decision - a decision that will change her life forever, no matter what she does next. Two cats love her - the noble Lionblaze, her mentor and a warrior of her own Clan, or the brave Tigerheart, her best friend and the kindest cat she knows. Both are competing for her heart, but only one can win her affection... how can she decide?

Editor: ?
Cover: ?

First Notes: The poem by Robert Frost inspired this piece. This is set halfway through the Fourth Apprentice [no plot spoilers, but could be some name spoilers.]
Last Notes: ?

[Mysteryfaith]

prologue

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

I'm sorry, StarClan. Tonight there was a tragedy - a complete, horrible tragedy - and the consequences that came from it can never be reversed. A mother has lost a son tonight, and for that I am sorry, but I am more remorseful for the life that has been lost. My love.

One day, my kits will be apprentices like I am today, and they'll learn from someone what happened tonight. They'll be brave and strong like their father - I'm sure of it. They'll fight for their Clan with a ferocious loyalty similar to his own, and they'll have boundless energy like him. But now he's gone, and they'll never know how much their father loved them.

As I've said before, I'm sorry. There's little I can do now to save myself - I can only live as he lived, and stay strong for my kits' sakes. Even if my Clan hates me now for what I've done - they'll all know by dawn, I'm sure - I have to stay with them so that my children can be warriors. I owe it to him.

When I reach you, StarClan, you will probably hate me too - in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if your loathing is clear now. But know this: I loved both of them, and cared little about anything else while I was with them. Love goes even above the warrior code, and I'm sure plenty of warriors in StarClan know that. So I did what I had to do for my heart; now those deeds are done.

And that has made all the difference.

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[Mysteryfaith]

chapter one

Dovepaw felt sick to her stomach as she watched Lionblaze fiercely lash out at the badger, snarling viciously. The huge black-and-white creature roared, and lunged at his head, making Dovepaw wish she wasn't being held back in the bushes by Brightheart.

Beside Lionblaze, Cloudtail was clutching the badger's tail and ripping tufts of fur from it. The huge beast whirled around, throwing the white warrior into the bushes where he landed with a painful crunch. Lionblaze narrowed his eyes, and - with a glance towards the bushes to check that his patrol was still safely hidden there - leapt on to the badger's back, ripping at the soft flesh there.

The battle raged on like this, and with every blow that just missed Lionblaze's body Dovepaw felt her stomach twist. This is agony!, she mewed to herself, gasping as her mentor flew a mouse-tail away from where the badger thrust his huge, talon-like claws.

Lionblaze darted into the bushes where Cloudtail had fallen, tugging him to his feet by the scruff of his neck and quickly checking he wasn't hurt before throwing himself at the monster again. Dovepaw wanted to scream at her mentor, it's alright! You don't have to fight it any more!

Cloudtail limped towards the badger, a steely determination glittering in his blue eyes. He glanced at Lionblaze, and Dovepaw felt them exchange a silent thought. Both of the warriors nodded, and then shot to the correct positions. While Cloudtail lunged for the badger's hind leg, gripping it with unsheathed claws, Lionblaze leapt on to its back, clawing at its neck and growling threateningly.

The badger whined, furiously threw both warriors away, and darted into the bushes. From underneath the oak tree where it had made its nest, two tiny shapes clambered out. The terrified badger cubs scampered away to their mother, who was already lumbering for the WindClan border.

Cloudtail triumphantly swiped his claws through the air, and Lionblaze purred proudly. He turned to the bush, and nodded a signal; Dovepaw flew out and sprinted to her mentor, sniffing him all over.

"Are you hurt?" she demanded, checking for wounds. Now she was nine moons old - and she'd met with her mentor's brother Jayfeather enough to know how to scent wounds on a cat's body. Lionblaze stank of badger, but apart from that he seemed completely unhurt.

The same couldn't be said for Cloudtail. "Sprained shoulder," Brightheart reported, having carefully checked her mate for injuries. "Plus a few scratches here and there." Licking down a few stray hairs on the tom's muddy pelt, she began to purr, and added, "You did well."

Lionblaze nodded his thanks to the she-cat, and waited for Cloudtail to slowly regain his balance and lean against her to return to camp. "You go on," he meowed to the cats, who were pausing before going back home. "The patrol's nearly over anyway, so Dovepaw and I will just check the rest of the WindClan border."

Brightheart nodded, and together she and Cloudtail disappeared into the bushes. Now alone with her mentor, Dovepaw beamed at the tom. "That was fantastic!" she blurted out, her eyes wide with awe. "Are you sure you aren't hurt?"

Lionblaze purred, and swept his tail around his apprentice. "The prophecy says that I can't get hurt in battle, remember?" He gave her a comforting lick on the head. "Now, let's finish this patrol."

The rest of their check-up on the WindClan border consisted of Dovepaw animatedly recalling her mentor's battle with the badger - excluding her fear that he would come out injured, of course. Each time her mentor came to asking her what she was feeling in the bush, she would stumble, and just reply, "Brightheart was too eager to join Cloudtail for me to notice, I suppose."

Soon they were at the Ancient Oak, where Lionblaze paused. "Dovepaw," he meowed, turning to face his apprentice, "how good are you at climbing?" The playful shimmer of competition twinkled in his eyes; easily picking up on it, Dovepaw grinned.

"Better than you!" she chirped, racing away to the oak's trunk. She was swiftly followed by her mentor, who lunged for the first branch and missed. She laughed as he had to scramble up the trunk whilst she raced up through the branches, enjoying the feeling of the wind flowing through her fur. This is perfect! she thought to herself.

Lionblaze seemed to fly past her, catapulting himself from branch to branch with thick muscles rippling beneath his glossy pelt. Dovepaw had to pause for a moment to admire them; so beautifully toned, they pulsed like a well-oiled machine as the tom launched himself towards the top of the tree.

Dovepaw spotted a thick branch above her, and she lunged for it. Her claws scraped the rough bark, and she gave a triumphant grunt - this branch was the top of the trunk. She struggled for a grip, and heard Lionblaze gasp beneath her. He quickly raced up the few branches he had left to go, and stood on the wobbly branch beneath her.

"Dovepaw!" he meowed softly, watching as panic quickly set into her mind. I can't get up! she wailed inwardly. I'm going to fall! "Don't worry. I'm going to help you down. Just -"

Before the tom could finish, the claws of her left paw fell loose from their grips, and her limb fell down to her side so she was just clinging to the tallest tree of the whole lake with just four claws.

Lionblaze's breath caught in his throat, and he bunched up his muscles, ready to leap to her rescue. "Hold on!" he urged his appretice, fixing his gaze on her and preparing himself to jump. He focused on her scruff; If she can just move a little to the right...

It was too late. Dovepaw's other limb fell, and she was left plummeting to the ground, unable to hold on to another branch as she hit bough after bough of tough, bruising wood. "Help me!" she screeched as she fell, feeling a sharp, stabbing pain in her tail.

Lionblaze wasted no time in throwing himself after her. He flew down branch after branch, barely thinking about anything but reaching his apprentice before she hit the ground. As he watched her fall, he found himself running past scraps of fur and tiny drops of blood. She's getting hurt, he wailed in despair, and I can't stop it!

At last he was level with her. Now there was less than half the tree left for them to go down - soon the frosty ground would greet them, and it would be too late for him to save her. He lunged forwards, and gripped the trunk, sliding down the sap-covered bark for a moment before skidding to a halt. Dovepaw tumbled off yet another branch, scraping her flesh against its tough, knobbly skin, and slumped against the one below it, unable to stop herself from slowly sliding down.

Lionblaze leapt on to her side of the branches, and let himself fall until he reached Dovepaw. Flying past her in the air, he quickly thrust out his paw, luckily catching her by the belly and dragging her down with him. They plummeted towards the ground, and Lionblaze wrapped himself around his apprentice protectively, ready for the landing.

A sickening thump echoed around the clearing, and Lionblaze ground. The fall had been more painful than he'd imagined - but what was more important than his pain was Dovepaw. He quickly scrambled to his paws, ignoring the small cuts all along his pelt, and glanced down at the she-cat, grimacing.

"Dovepaw?" he meowed tenderly, prodding her softly with one outstretched paw. "Dovepaw, can you hear me? I'm going to get Jayfeather, alright? You just... you just stay here." He could hardly bear leaving her like this, but he had to go find help; casting one last longing glance at her, he rushed into the bushes, feeling blood oozing out of his pads.

---

"You're very lucky that Lionblaze came so quickly, Dovepaw. If he hadn't blocked your fall to the ground, you would've died."

Everything was a haze apart from Jayfeather's sharp, scolding voice. Colours all blurred into eachother, and the pain she felt all over her was simply an ache now. All she could remember was falling, falling, falling...

A second voice cut into Jayfeather's lecture. "Are you alright?" This was the concerned tone of his brother and Dovepaw's mentor, Lionblaze. He sounded as if he was stood just behind his brother. Dovepaw frowned, then stopped after feeling a curt twinge of pain on her forehead. So he saved me after all...

She heard retreating pawsteps, then Jayfeather's voice, thick with annoyance: "I need to go find herbs in the forest, but look after her." The pawsteps slowly faded as the medicine cat left her and her mentor alone.

Dovepaw winced, ready for another lecture on how irresponsible she'd been, on how stupid she was to try to race her mentor. However, the only thing she recieved was a warm, relieved lick on the ear.

"I was so worried!" Lionblaze blurted out. "I thought you weren't going to make it." He gave her another lick, and Dovepaw felt his gaze hot on her pelt. "Never do that to me again."

"Trust me, I won't." Dovepaw's voice sounded and felt like rough gravel in her throat. She coughed, immensely parched. She heard the clack-clack of claws as Lionblaze hurried away to fetch some water.

So hot. The lake drying up had made the days feel so much warmer - she was boiling in her thick fur. When her mentor returned, he was clasping a ball of soaked moss. The water that dripped from it tasted bitter and muddy; this is all we get, StarClan? she shouted inwardly.

At last the haze began to clear, and she saw a fuzzy Lionblaze dragging away a lump of stiff brown - moss, she corrected herself. Blinking a few times, most of the haze cleared, leaving just a few dark spots on her vision.

She saw Lionblaze trotting back towards her, sitting by her brittle nest. "You've been here for three sunrises," he meowed, frowning at her. "I never should've let you climb that tree."

Dovepaw shook her head. "It's not your fault, Lionblaze." Her voice felt a little better, but she saw a spark of worry in her mentor's eyes when it cracked. "No one could've known that I would fall from the Ancient Oak."

Lionblaze shook his head, and winced. "Dovepaw, this is my fault. Don't blame yourself." His ears twitched as he heard someone padding past the den. When the pawsteps disappeared into the entrance tunnel, he relaxed his tense muscles, and let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, he opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it again, and settled into a more comfortable sitting position.

"What have I missed?" Dovepaw meowed, glancing at her mentor. A sharp claw of pain hit her leg, and she squealed with agony, quickly silencing herself before the golden tom could notice. "When was the Gathering?"

"It's tomorrow night - and you certainly aren't going." Lionblaze's voice was stern but gentle. "You're still recovering, and you can't leave the camp until you can run again."

Dovepaw snorted her defiance. "Then I'll recover overnight," she meowed, now pleading for his acceptance. "Please, Lionblaze! Ivypaw is going, and this will be her first Gathering. I can't just let her go alone!"

Lionblaze shook his head. "Ivypaw will be fine by herself - besides, you don't need to go to the Gathering as an apprentice. All you need to do is get better." He pressed his flank against her nest, and Dovepaw felt the heat seep through the stiff twigs.

"Thanks, Lionblaze, but I will go to the Gathering." Dovepaw was adamant. "Oh, and next time we're out training I will beat you up that tree."

Lionblaze smiled, and got up silently. He padded to the door, and looked back, winking at his apprentice. "Sure, Dovepaw," he meowed before strolling out into the hot sunlight of the camp. "Sure."

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[Mysteryfaith]

chapter two

"May StarClan light your paths. The Gathering is now over!"

Dawnpelt sighed and turned to her brothers in the darkness. Around her, ShadowClan began to shuffle to its paws, ready to leave and return to the camp. It felt as if this Gathering had gone so quickly - normally she would feel tired by this time in the evening, but now, she was as energetic as a ferocious fox.

Beside her, Tigerheart shook his head. "I hope Dovepaw's alright," he meowed, concern flooding his voice. Their friend in ThunderClan had injured herself, according to Firestar, and was currently recovering with her mentor, Lionblaze. Neither of them were present at the Gathering.

Dawnpelt nodded. "She fell from the Ancient Oak, I heard." She pictured the huge tree in her mind; it was one of the tallest trees in the forest, and apparently the apprentice had fallen right from the top. Maybe she'll recover completely, like Cinderheart, she thought, hope and doubt filling her thoughts.

Beside Tigerheart, Flametail got up and shook himself. "I have to help Littlecloud organise the supplies," he meowed, picking his way through the crowds as he spotted his elderly mentor. "Sorry," he added before rushing away, tail flowing behind him.

The leaders began to climb down from the tree, and Tigerheart squinted to see Firestar share a quick word with Blackstar before descending to the ground. Both leaders nodded to eachother, and then parted; at least our Clans are somewhat friendly, he thought, grateful for the noble ThunderClan as an ally.

"Tigerheart!" Dawnpelt called, now a few fox-tails away. "Come on - ShadowClan is leaving." She wound her way through the cats, hoping that her brother would follow her. As she disappeared into a flow of their Clan's warriors, he glanced around him; it almost felt empty without Dovepaw and her mentor here. They were good friends, and Lionblaze had helped him with his troubles more than once.

"Tigerheart!" Dawnpelt's shout was more of a whisper now that she was so far away. He whirled around to see his sister reaching the end of the slippery log that led away from the island, leaving with the rest of his Clan. Oh, no! They were leaving without him, and Russetfur would shred his ears if she knew...

"Psst, Tigerheart!" As he was sprinting through the crowd, he heard a tiny voice whispering his name. "Over here!"

From the base of a great hollow maple tree came two blazing green eyes, staring directly at him. At first he tried ignore them - after all, he had to catch up with his Clan - but then he heard the whispers becoming more urgent. You have to go back.

Reluctantly turning around, he trotted towards the hollow maple tree, and peered through the large crack by the roots. "What?" he hissed, annoyance flooding through him. "I have to go!"

"Quickly, get in!" the voice pleaded him. Those green eyes... he should recognise them, but they were slipping out of his memory like slimy fish. As he contemplated getting in with this strange cat, he thought about his Clan - slowly getting away, both of his siblings now probably aware of his absence and begging him silently to hurry up.

"I can't," Tigerheart meowed, backing away. "My Clan's leaving, and Russetfur's going to notice pretty soon." He grimaced; last time someone was late from a Gathering she'd made him hunt all night. So was the ways of his Clan - they were punctual and proud of it.

"I will be quick," the trunk cat promised. "Your Clan won't know a thing - just get in!" Looking around him, Tigerheart realised that most of the cats had gone now - he could get in and at least hide until they'd all gone, or be humiliated by a warrior from another allegiance.

Growling with frustration, he squeezed through the gap and felt soft fur pressing against his own. The scent of ShadowClan whirled around him, and he knew that this cat was one of his own Clan - but who was it? The name was on the tip of his tongue, those startling green eyes on the brink of his memory...

"I have a message for you," the trunk cat meowed. In the safety of the trunk, Tigerheart recognised that this cat was female. Female, green eyes... Why couldn't he think of anyone who'd want to see him in private? He could only think of his sister, Dawnpelt - but she'd already left with their Clan...

"A message from StarClan." When he heard the words, Tigerheart's head snapped up. His eyes widened; never before had he recieved a message from his ancestors! Now he was glad he'd entered the trunk - perhaps there was a prophecy all about him...

"What is it?" Tigerheart asked, lowering his voice to a whisper like the she-cat's. He turned, but could see nothing in the deep black shadows of the tree. Gazing out into the moonlight of the clearing, he noticed Firestar leading his Clan away - the last to leave. As ThunderClan warriors spilled on to the shores, he felt a heavy lump in his belly. Dovepaw wasn't with them.

"Let me show you." The mysterious she-cat's voice held a smile, and her eyes turned to the clearing. Tigerheart focused his vision there, but all he saw was an empty island, with a few clouds reflecting the fast-approaching light of dawn on the horizon. What could she mean?

It wasn't long before he found out - in the darkness, a shining figure appeared, fading into its surroundings slowly. The figure was a beautiful she-cat with sparkling blue eyes, facing the large announcing tree. Tigerheart saw her profile, only seeing the right side of her flank, but still he understood that this lithe she-cat was from StarClan - the miniature comets in her pelt told him so.

"Hello?" Tigerheart called out, only to feel a scolding tail whip his pelt. The she-cat in the clearing obviously didn't hear him - or didn't know he was there at all. She stayed perfectly still, staring up at the tree where the leaders had once stood, with the warm breeze hardly disrupting her fur at all.

Another cat faded in - a broad-shouldered tabby tom, with eyes of sparkling amber. Tigerheart watched as the two cats touched noses, their eyes bright with affection now. Who are these cats? he thought, puzzled by this strange message from StarClan.

"Listen, Tigerheart." The trunk cat implored him to strain his hearing - the cats in the clearing were whispering to eachother. "Listen to the words of StarClan!"

Tigerheart struggled to hear what they were saying, but picked up a few strands of the conversation. Their words were tinged with regret and sorrow. Even in StarClan they worry, he thought, sad to see two cats so indulged in their troubles even when they were no longer with the cats of the lake.

"Oakheart," the she-cat murmured to the tom. "We are being watched." The cat seemed completely calm, although her sadness was still clear. She leaned forwards, and touched his shoulder with her fur in a sign of friendliness. "Greet our guests."

The tabby tom turned slowly to his left to see the tree where Tigerheart and the trunk cat were hiding. Tigerheart felt the tom's eyes pierce his pelt, and knew that although it was pitch-black in this tree he could see them as clearly as if it were day.

"Come out, guests," the tom meowed softly, not bothering to raise his voice so they could hear him properly. "Join us in this clearing, and witness our love."

Love? With a jult, Tigerheart remembered everything - these two cats must be Oakheart and Bluestar! He carefully crept out of the tree, and approached the couple with caution - this was a message, he remembered, and messages from StarClan were never this clear. Something was wrong.

Tigerheart realised the trunk cat wasn't following him, even though she was invited to be the cats' 'guest.' She truly does want to hide herself, he thought, almost sympathetic for the secretive she-cat. Maybe she hides herself in ShadowClan so no one will recognise her when she delivers prophecies for StarClan.

"You can see us now, Tigerheart - but when we lived, no one saw us." Bluestar's words held warning in them. "We were different, and their hearts had no capacity for variety. But you, Tigerheart, will be like us - you are destined to be different."

Tigerheart shook his head and closed his eyes, now even more confused. "I don't understand," he meowed, shuffling his paws. "I can see you, yes, but surely others saw you too? You couldn't have been invisible... unless you had powers." The shock of the meaning of this message hit him like a lightning bolt.

"One gem will stand on the hill," Oakheart meowed, his voice now loud and forboding. "When this jewel splits into three, all havoc will break loose, and the Clans will never again be the same!" He thrust his head forwards so his nose was nearly touching Tigerheart's. "Heed our warning, Tigerheart - this gem must not fall into the wrong paws!"

"I understand!" Tigerheart's eyes shimmered with glory. "I will have the power of StarClan - thank you!" He was no longer afraid as he celebrated on the deserted island, not even looking back to see if the trunk cat was still in the hollow maple tree. "You can trust me, Oakheart - I won't let either of you down!"

---

Tigerheart excitedly prodded his sister's flank, barely able to contain his ecstasy. The she-cat grumbled; she rolled over, frowning, and flicked his paw away. He poked her again, and she slowly opened one eye.

"What?" she whispered furiously. "Some cats are trying to sleep here, Tigerheart - this had better be important." She noticed how uncontrollably happy he was, and sat up. "Did something happen?"

"I had the most wonderful dream!" the tom meowed, forgetting that other cats were in the warriors' den with them. From somewhere near the back of the den, a warrior growled a sleepy threat at him, and he whispered a hurried apology before beckoning his sister out of the den.

In the hazy morning light, Dawnpelt's cream fur looked almost ginger, and Tigerheart paused as she settled down in an uncomfortable crouch. "What is it?" she asked him curtly; I've lost enough sleep from the Gathering, she thought angrily, wishing her brother could just leave his news until sunhigh.

"I had a dream that StarClan gave me powers!" he mewed, eyes wide and bright with joy. "I don't know what they would be, but there was this strange trunk cat who never showed her face, and two StarClan warriors showed themselves to me on the island!"

Dawnpelt frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about," she sighed sleepily, "but I'm sure it can wait until I'm ready to get up. Good night, Tigerheart." She nodded him farewell, and turned tail to return to her nest.

"No, you need to hear this! You'll love it," Tigerheart implored, his tail swishing with happiness. "I can't sleep when I've just had that dream. Bluestar and Oakheart were there, and so were you and Flametail." He purred, and added: "It felt so real."

Dawnpelt frowned. "I think the excitement of the Gathering's got to you," she muttered, squinting at him in the foggy greenleaf sun. "Just a mixture of lack of sleep and bewilderment. Come on, back to your nest - we can only sleep a little longer before we have to get up again."

Tigerheart was about to give in to his sister's complaints and go to sleep, before pausing, one paw in the air. "Hang on," he meowed slowly. "The excitement of the Gathering? But I didn't go," he mewed, seeing confusion spark in his sister's eyes - something probably reflected in his own. "I stayed here, remember?"

"No," Dawnpelt insisted. "Blackstar said you could come at the last minute. Then we travelled to the island, witnessed what could well have been the most uneventful Gathering of all time, and you didn't come back until nearly dawn." She shook her head scoldingly at him. "Russetfur was furious, but when you came back you looked dead on your paws, so she didn't punish you."

Tigerheart's joy faltered. "Are... are you sure I went? Because in my dream you all left the island with me." Did I go to that Gathering? No... maybe... I can't remember... "And Flametail left with Littlecloud to -"

"Organise the supplies," Dawnpelt finished. "You were at that Gathering, Tigerheart, I'm sure of it. Now please can I sleep? I have to go out for some battle training with Tawnypelt in the morning - Russetfur thinks I'm 'falling behind.' As if!" She tutted angrily.

Tigerheart shook his head - Dawnpelt snorted furiously at her brother's refusal - and winced. "So... so my dream was real. I-I really have powers!" His eyes lit up again, and his tail was swishing more than ever. "I'm special! We're all special, Dawnpelt!"

His sister nodded drowsily, and backed away. "Sure we are," she meowed, barely listening to him anymore. She disappeared within the depths of the den within heartbeats, but Tigerheart stayed outside in the warm air.

I have powers. Tigerheart grinned to himself, and for a moment he just bathed in the glory of his discovery. This wasn't a silly dream - I really am special. Now he just needed to find out what his powers were.

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[Mysteryfaith]

chapter three

Dovepaw couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She padded silently through the forest, listening intently for anything suspicious. In the background, a few birds sang in their nests, tucked safely into the boughs of the frosty trees that surrounded her.

She tasted the air around her, and scented a squirrel a little way away; she extended her hearing a little, and picked up the faint clicks as the creature picked away at the shell of an acorn. Squinting, she tried to spot the prey through the bushes, but felt immediately unnerved by the hidden presence that haunted her. Who's watching me? she thought, peering around but seeing nothing.

Finally ignoring the feeling, she paced forwards until she could see the prey tapping at the acorn hungrily. Tail low and lashing quietly, she dropped into a hunter's crouch, and stretched her senses through the fortunately long grass so that her hearing swathed the squirrel. It squeaked occassionally, but had no apparent idea that she was there. Good.

Pouncing, she landed with a small thump on top of the squirrel. It squirmed for a moment, but she bent down and nipped the back of its neck, silencing it. Purring with pride, she took her weight from it, and tenderly picked it up by its shoulders, careful not to damage it. This prey would go to the elders.

The second before the next event happened, Dovepaw was overwhelmed by a sense of unsettlement. A faint scent whirled around her - too weak to be recognised - and she heard a tiny, barely audible woosh as something heavy fell to the ground around her.

A dark tabby warrior landed with a quiet thump before her, and for a moment she blinked in shock; that shape was familiar... tabby pelt, glowing amber eyes, ShadowClan scent. Tigerheart!

"Hello, Dovepaw." He sounded older than when he last had, two moons ago. Of course, she'd missed the last Gathering - but she hadn't missed that much, had she? Puzzled for a moment, she could only frown at the large warrior. Now he looked more like a leader than a young cat - proud stance, glistening eyes, claws half-unsheathed in case of emergencies.

"No greeting?" Tigerheart seemed... cold. Something's changed, she thought, examining him thoroughly. His voice sounded mocking as he questioned her hesitation. "Am I not welcome in ThunderClan?"

Dovepaw shook her head, brow still furrowed. "Of course you are," she meowed, her voice a little higher than usual. She was almost scared of this new Tigerheart - intimidated by his over-confident ways. This is a rival Clan's territory, after all. He shouldn't be so relaxed. "Should I get Firestar? Is Tawnypelt here?"

Tigerheart laughed - a loud, strange laugh that boomed over the forest - and shook his head. "No, there's no need to get your leader - and Tawnypelt hasn't come with me." He took a step closer to her, leaving just a fox tail and a half between them. "I've come to see you."

Dovepaw's whiskers twitched with surprise. "Me? Alright - should I fetch Lionblaze? I'm sure he'd like to see you." A twinge of pain hit her shoulder - it was only a quarter-moon since she'd fallen from the tree, and she'd quickly recovered, stunning Jayfeather with her speed. She still couldn't run properly, though.

Tigerheart seemed irritated for a moment, then shook it off. "No - I've told you, I'm here to see you, and you alone." He took another step forth, making it just a fox tail between them. "I missed you at the Gathering."

Dovepaw nodded, growing increasingly more suspicious of this tom. Sure, it was Tigerheart, but something had definitely altered him - he was normally fun and bouncy, but now he was serious and surprisingly mocking. He was also incredibly muscular - for a normally small warrior like him, it would've looked awkward, outweighing his long legs, but now he'd bulked up so he looked like a senior tom.

"I fell from the Ancient Oak," she meowed, her voice growing more and more quiet. "Lionblaze stayed with me for the whole quarter-moon I was injured." She blinked at him warmly; maybe kindness will bring his old self back. "I've only just recovered, so I can't walk as far as the ShadowClan border..." She glanced around: she was almost on the WindClan border now, scenting the tempting taste of rabbit drifting down from the moors.

Tigerheart wrinkled his nose a little when he heard Lionblaze's name - did they fight? Dovepaw wondered. When she mentioned how her mentor had stayed beside her whilst she was ill, his tail lashed with anger. "You don't need to walk me to the border," he meowed loudly, his voice very nearly a growl. "I'm staying."

Dovepaw's eyes widened. "...Staying? In ThunderClan?"

"No, not in ThunderClan. I'm staying with you." His mood seemed to lighten slightly, but then darkened once more - not with anger, but with a perverted sense of pride. "I'll be returning to ShadowClan later for extra training."

"But you're a warrior." Dovepaw