.:LightningClan - Have a Little Faith:.

The shriek echoed throughout the new camp in a way Daisymask would have never expected for such an open territory. And, as she surely should have most definitely expected, a number of cats came rushing for her – Voltagewish, as always, the head of the pack.

“Daisy!” the tom called out. “Daisy, what’s wrong?”

Daisymask whipped her head around to see him properly, her small frame shaking in fright but eyes truly alert. She took in a little breath and replied, “Shale is not allowed in here in any circumstances, and I swear to StarClan if you let her past –”

“What? Dais –”

“– I will do something that I will surely regret later, and –”

“Dais…”

“– and… and…”

Voltagewish nudged his mate’s side comfortingly, flicking his tail to let his clanmates know there was no emergency. Some left with a laugh, others with a disgruntled huff. Daisymask hardly seemed to hear them, instead placing her focus on the tom beside her. “What happened?” he asked gently. “You really had us worried for a bit there…”

She avoided eye contact, her tail slicing through the air. “There, uh… there’s a giant spider in the den…”

Her mate blinked. “Is that it?” He huffed a laugh and licked her flank. “You sure do make me laugh sometimes, beautiful.”

Daisymask stomped her feet. “I’m not joking. You need to get it out before Shale can see it. It won’t be good for the kits, I’m certain.”

With another laugh, the male warrior stood dutifully and moved into the den, searching around to humour his mate, only pausing when he spotted a spider the size of his face staring him down. He gulped. “Okay, yeah. That is one big spider, admittedly.”

The she-cat peeked over his shoulder before recoiling. “StarClan, I freaking told you. Please get rid of it before I have a heart attack.”

Voltage’s mouth made a thin line. “Maybe we should let Littlestar know first and he can suggest what to do…” he mused. “I’m pretty sure if I started a showdown with this thing, it’d win.”

She pulled a face and conceded. “Look, as long as it’s gone before Shale’s back from her walk, I don’t really care.”





“StarClan above, it was how big!?”

Daisymask exaggerated a disgusted look as Voltagewish continued to explain. “Huge; like, bigger than you! I’m pretty sure it had been trying to attack poor li’l Dais before I stepped in. Ain’t nobody gon’ mess with this warrior, even if it was a big-ass spider.”

Daisy snorted. “Okay, mister. You tell yourself that.”

Shalestep bumped into her side in a friendly manner, muttering under the tom’s continued rambles, “Gee, he sure is chipper today, isn't he?”

“Mm, the knight in shining armour sure is up for a good round of exaggeration.” Daisymask rolled her eyes. “I think that since we’ve found this place, it’s been a whole lot of clan work and not so much… well, us work, if that makes sense? Like,” she paused as she searched for the words, “hasn’t been able to do much for either you and I, y’know?”

Shale nodded. “Yeah, I getcha. He’ll get his mojo back soon, I’m sure.”

Daisy exhaled sharply. “I sure hope so.”

“…and then it just freaking launched at me! I’m nearly certain I would’ve died if it wasn’t for Shadowfire. You’ve found yourself a keeper there, Shale.”

The she-cat in question stopped short. “Yeah,” she laughed, “no. We’re just friends. And even if I wanted it to be more – which I’m not saying, by the way; I’ve got you two to look after first – I doubt he’d want the same. He treats me the same as he treats any of you guys. Like a friend.”

The couple both supressed a laugh, sharing a look, before Daisy replied, “If you insist.”

“I do, very much so.”

They fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to move, their mouths open ever-so-slightly to allow the extra hidden scents of the new territory to wash over them. Daisy scrunched up her nose in irritation, muttering the occasional “Ugh, catnip. I’m so done with that stuff” and “Why do new places always smell so weird? Ew”, rousing a small chuckle from both the warrior and queen travelling with her.

It didn’t take long for Voltagewish to break the silence, ever the talker. “What’s it like having four kits in you, Shale? Can you feel them squirming all the time?” Daisy hit him with her tail, but he pressed on. “Like, how weird is it?”

Shalestep laughed and exchanged glances with her friends. “It’s really hard to describe. Fireflyspark did say that I’m handling it all pretty well for a first-time queen though, so I suppose that’s a bonus.”

“Great!” he responded. “Yeah, that’s…” Voltagewish trailed off, looking somewhere in the distance. “That’s super great, Shale… but so is that sparrow that I can smell.” He turned, flashing the two she-cats a smile, and continued, “I’ll be back shortly. Don’t wait up,” before disappearing.

The brown queen rubbed against her remaining friend’s side. “I guess that makes you my protector now.”

Daisymask scoffed teasingly. “And not even a word of thanks. How inconsiderate.”





“R… Rowan? Princess, is that you?”

The she-cat in question hardly seemed to hear Ashstorm’s call, staying perfectly still on her perch atop the Lightningtree’s lookout. She was focused on the sky above; on the sunset over the new camp bringing new stars into the new sky. Focused on the new and unfamiliar environment that Ash supposed was now their home.

With the smallest of sighs, he jumped up to join her, the flick of her tail the only indication that she had noticed his arrival. He looked to the sky with her, trying his hardest to find his constellations – anything to make him feel less lost than he was. It all seemed so useless.

Unable to stay silent for long with his thoughts plaguing his mind, he blurted out, “Rowan, what in the name of StarClan is going on?”

Her breathing stopped momentarily, so quickly that he almost didn’t notice it, but she didn’t turn to face him. “Nothing. I’m just… exhausted, that’s all.”

“And that’s the biggest load of fox dung I’ve ever heard.” He pressed his head into his mate’s shoulder, and she stirred slightly, moving to accommodate for his added weight. “Really, please. Tell me. I want to help you, and… I don’t care what that means I have to do.” With another sigh, he added, “I love you, princess.”

He didn’t see it, but he could feel her frowning. “What happened to your stars, baby?” she whispered quietly. “They’re all disappearing, and I feel like we’re losing everything we used to have with them – camp, our own kits…” She took a shaky breath, a sound that rattled through Ash’s body as painfully as a spark of flame. He hated seeing her in this way. “What if… what if our kits end up like Dune, or Boulder? I just… I couldn’t do it all again.”

Ash’s heart sunk. Oh.

“I…” he began. “Well, for one, our kits are warriors now –”

Rowanflight snorted. “StarClan, you’re thick.”

Whatever he had been thinking previously evaporated from his mind. “Wait, I… What?”

“After two litters already, I really shouldn’t have to spell it out for you, mousebrain.”

She returned her gaze to the sky as the cogs turned in his brain.

“Rowanflight, I swear to f–”