{ secret hideaway } open

[Deleted]

Mintkit said nothing, she just nodded at what Turtle had to say, and waited for Thornfrost to continue the story.

[Thornfrost]

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Turtlekit's shock was unsurprising, and Thornfrost found himself smiling at his expression. Now if only he'd offered to tell that story of that romance. It surely would have been complicated and full of pain, but at least that one had a happy ending. He felt that a shock that big deserved at least a little explanation though. "We were both in love with the same she-cat," he explained patiently. "But after many seasons of fighting, we realized that we had come to love each other instead."

Turtlekit's question was a fair one. There had been great confusion, fear and outrage when Cloudclan made their demands. The spirits that they had worshiped for so long were asking them to die, and it went against everything the clan cats stood for. "They can, but I don't think they enjoyed it either," he assured Turtlekit. "But you'll have to wait and hear the story for yourself to know the ending."

He settled himself more comfortably, flicking out his tail to circle Mintkit and Turtlekit. "The next day the eight tributes were called. But there was something strange. Instead of Silverstripe, there was Ibiswing and Cloudbreeze from Rockclan. Now both she-cats were incredibly sad, as they were mates and knew that it was likely they would both die." His tone was hushed, respectful as he spoke of the eight heroic cats. "The first round began with the tributes being forced to run from a large wolf named Orthak. He hounded them, driving the cats across a busy thunderpath."

"As they ran Tuftpaw called to her friend Cherryleaf, and the Treeclan cats remained close together. Ibiswing was the first to reach the Thunderpath, but she made it across. Behind her, Falconwing tripped, his paw caught on a tree root." The tom paused, his expression troubled, eyes bright. "But then Crimsonsky was there, helping his clanmate. 'I can't leave you', he said, and helped the tom to keep running. They both made it across safely. Willowbreeze and Cloudbreeze were next, and they too were safe. That left only the Treeclan cats running behind."

The next part always made him sad and Thornfrost leaned in close. "They ran together, best friends since a young age. Tuftpaw grew confused and Cherryleaf raced ahead, not noticing in her panic that her friend had fallen behind. Out of the darkness a monster appeared, it's eyes bright, taller than some trees. Tuftpaw screamed, but there was nowhere to run. She was hit, and lay on the thunderpath dying as the other eight tributes gathered around her. Cherryleaf cried over her friend, and in her last moments, Tuftpaw was named Tuftfeather by the remaining warriors, so that she could enter Cloudclan a hero."

He leaned back and took a breath. "The first trial was over."

MADE BY VEL OF GS