Then

Wind ripped across the moor like frightened prey, flattening Stormshade's striped fur against his muscular frame.

He could feel someone glaring at him from the elder's den, and he shuddered. How can she see me? He thought, casting a glance towards the dark structure. Isn't Cloudstar blind?

It had been two days since ThunderClan's failed invasion. Galetrot was poking at the prey heap, Leopardheart pressed against his flank. A crude splint was attached to his twisted hind leg. Meanwhile, Mintfur, the Clan Medicine Cat, was trotting into camp with a fresh bundle of poppy seeds.

Stormshade gave Mintfur a nod; the tom returned it.

"Stormshade!" A she-cat's voice was raised above the murmur of camp. Mouseleap came trotting to Stormshade's side, eyes wide. "Stormshade, I need your help."

Stormshade's eyes narrowed as he turned to look at his former mate. Then his gaze softened, and for a moment, however brief, he could feel something deep within his chest melt. "What is it?" He inquired, voice suddenly gentle.

"Cloudstar," Mouseleap murmured. She looked away, ears flattening. "Her eyes hurt."

Stormshade recoiled, and the warmth in his chest gave way to solid ice. "You want me to help your mother?" He shook his head, and shouldered past her. "No! Forget it."

"Please!" She stared at him with wide, imploring eyes.

Stormshade paused, eyes rolling as he turned back to her, and growled, "Your mother was horrible to me, Mouseleap. Absolutely horrible." He stopped, opening his jaws to speak again, but he hesitated.

"Stormshade," Mouseleap mewed, "I love you." She took a step towards him, her once-brilliant green eyes dull.

"I love you too." Stormshade sighed. He turned away, trying to avoid those green eyes. "But that never mattered. Mouseleap, I was always there for you. I did everything you asked of me." He shook out his pelt, and his voice grew lower, more determined. "But for your mother, nothing was good enough."

Mouseleap padded to his side, brushing her flank against his. "Stormshade," she murmured, "No one was good enough, not for her. It wasn't personal."

Stormshade looked away from her with a snort.

"StarClan," Mouseleap exclaimed, "Don't you ever think of anyone except for yourself?"

"I do, Mouseleap!" Stormshade snapped to attention, staring back at her. Voice soft, he continued, "I think... I think about you all the time. I think about what we could've been. Every single day." Just then, an image of Beestream flashed through his mind, and he added, "But I've found someone else."

"Stormshade!" Mouseleap pleaded. "An old cat is in pain! Forget the past and... do what's right!"

Stormshade stared back at her, jaws open to make a response. The ice in his chest shattered -- his heart with it -- and he meowed softly, "I always did what was right for you. Time and again, I ignored the past, but I cannot do that any longer. There comes a time where doing what is right no longer feels right. Mouseleap, I can't do this anymore." He blinked at her, the anger in his eyes beginning to die out. Mouseleap continued to stare at him, searching his gaze as if she hoped he was lying.

Then

"To be honest," Swiftleap mewed, "I'm not even really sure where she got this idea."

Stormshade pondered his friend's words for a few moments as the pair descended into the tunnel entrance. It was relatively far from the ThunderClan border. The first half of it had been stabilized, its walls packed with mud and now dried clay, thanks to the fine work of Shaleflame and Brambleblaze.

"What, the tunnel idea?" Stormshade's whiskers twitched uneasily as he bent to peer into its foreboding entrance.

"The poison," Swiftleap responded. He followed his friend's gaze. "How could ThunderClan be poisoning us? None of it makes sense. It just seems like--" he broke off. Stormshade stepped into the tunnel. Swiftleap had left an uncomfortable silence in the air.

"Like what?"

"Like..." Swifleap's face was wrinkled as he struggled to put his words respectfully. "She's just trying to start a war." Swiftleap ducked inside after him, and Stormshade stepped aside to give room. He added, "...And I don't like it."

Stormshade mulled the words over as they trekked ever deeper into the tunnels. He could feel cold earth brushing against his fur, and the sound of dripping water echoed ominously in the darkness. At long last, he mewed, "Cloudstar was always a fighter. It was an admirable thing. But then, after the--" His words caught in his mouth. The occurrence he was thinking of had been a forbidden subject for seasons, and to even try to utter it seemed unnatural.

Swiftleap's eyes widened, shining in the darkness. "You don't think--"

"She wasn't always like this," Stormshade interjected. "It broke her, and I guess she does what she does to protect what she has left." He felt a pang in his chest as an image of Mouseleap flashed through his mind, and he added, "Perhaps ThunderClan is a threat in her mind."

"StarClan," Swiftleap breathed. "How did we end up with a leader like her?"

They sharply turned left, then, after a few moments, back to the right. Swiftleap's fur stood on end, and a rabbit could be heard scuffling in the distance, as if it knew something bad was about to happen and wished to escape.

And yet the two toms walked, padding warily through the tunnels with their ear-tips brushing against the mud-streaked ceiling.

"Oof!" Swiftleap stumbled back, blinking. He lifted a paw to rub at his nose. "That's the wall!"

Stormshade pawed the earth above him. Unease pricked through his fur, but he wouldn't dare show it. "Let's bring it down."

"Now?"

"What?" Stormshade unsheathed his claws, hooking them into the earth. "Are you scared?"

"No," Swiftleap snapped defensively, "Just cautious." With a grumble, he shouldered Stormshade aside, hooking his claws into the loose earth. A droplet of water landed on his face, and he flinched.

It wasn't long before water began to pour from above, and the cave began to rumble. Chunks fell from the wall and smacked into the ground.

"Already?" Stormshade stumbled back, narrowly dodging a clump of clay.

Swiftleap flattened his ears. "We've barely started digging! C'mon!" He tugged at his partner's tail. "It's coming down!"

Stormshade turned tail and fled, but he felt his paws slip on the mud, grunting as his chin hit the ground. Mud began to press against his shoulders like the paws of a burly warrior.

And then there was darkness.

Now

Stormshade couldn't stop thinking about Mouseleap as he entered Goldenstar's den. The audacity! he thought, outraged.

"Just the tom I was looking for!" Goldenstar's eyes shone. "I need you for a diplomatic mission, Stormshade. Can I rely on you?"

Stormshade nodded, brushing Mouseleap off his mind -- almost. "You can always rely on me," he mewed proudly.

"I am a new leader," Goldenstar explained, "And I would like to start things off on the right paw. Tigerstorm and I spoke, and we'd like you to be our ambassador."

"I will represent our Clan well," Stormshade mewed without hesitation. He blinked, and swiftly added, "Uh, it's an honour." The grey tom dipped his head, but his mind was swimming--mostly with pure pride, but also with worry. In between the pride and worry... he didn't know. The whispers of two cats seemed to brush past his ears.

"You're the perfect representation of our Clan," Goldenstar carried on. Smoothly, as if he knew exactly what he was saying, he meowed, "You're good-looking. When cats think of WindClan, we want a cat like you to enter your mind. And... you can talk well enough when pressed."

Stormshade couldn't help but smirk at his leader's words, eagerly nodding in agreement. "That's all true," he mewed, pleased. He felt warm. Mouseleap was completely driven from his thoughts.

"I want you to go to RiverClan bearing my warm regards," Goldenstar continued. "Assure them of my peaceful intentions, and willingness to help them with their problems. Only good things."

Stormshade tilted his head. "That's all?"

"We don't need anything particularly detailed," Goldenstar told him. "Platitudes are eagerly accepted, and nonbinding."

"And... you trust me to not screw things up?"

"It's just a sign of goodwill, Stormshade." Goldenstar explained. "The tongue is mightier than the claw. If we just act kind for the sake of acting kind, then to attack us is unthinkable."

"Yeah!" Tigerstorm nodded enthusiastically. "Goldenstar has it all figured out. We'll be the most popular Clan on the lake. Anyone who attacks us would be seen as aggressive and evil. The whole lake would rush to our defense!"

"Indeed." Goldenstar purred. "If ThunderClan pulls any stunt again, they'd become outcasts. We would've built up a reputation of being so peaceful that only a band of murderers would have a reason to invade us." He paused, huffing. "That's the plan, of course."

Stormshade was grinning by then. "Can I take a friend?"

* * *

"This'll be fun!" Beestream mewed encouragingly, pressing against Stormshade's side.

"I just hope Swiftleap can handle Hailpaw," Stormshade sighed. He loved his apprentice, and felt guilty leaving him at camp, but something about being alone with Beestream felt so natural to him. He looked at her, into her beautiful eyes, and felt something he hadn't felt in moons. This feeling suddenly brought back memories of Mouseleap, and he reluctantly tore his gaze away.

"He'll be fine..." Beestream drawled cheerily. "I'm more worried about you." As they crested a hill, she pointed at the river that marked the extent of RiverClan's territory. "The water won't scare you, right?"

Stormshade tried to resist a shudder. He had bad experiences with water, but he didn't want the she-cat to know how nervous he was. He shrugged with a deep grunt, simply mewing, "Why would it?"

The she-cat nudged him supportively, not for a heartbeat buying his act. "I'll help you along," she promised. "Just don't think about the tunnels."

Stormshade's shoulders loosened. "When you're here.." he began.

"Spit it out!"

"I can't think of anything but you," he admitted. "It's great to be alone out here."

She softened, silent for a few moments as they continued towards the river. Stormshade could hear her delicate pawsteps as she treaded on the grass. "Stormshade..." she sighed, "You don't know how much that means to me."

They walked. The river could be heard bubbling in the distance, but the only thing Stormshade heard was her breath. He could only feel her fur pressing against his, only to see her sparkling green eyes. Those green pools remained even when he blinked, burnt into his vision.

He shook his head, attempting to distract himself, when he felt his paws begin to freeze.

Water rushed by before them, and he stepped back, droplets of clear, cold water flying from his forelegs. Stormshade huffed, trying not to yelp in surprise.

Beestream furrowed her brow, unwilling to get wet. Instead, she prodded him with a soft forepaw. "Stepping stones, you stupid furball!" She trotted upstream and onto the stones, confidently crossing them. As soon as she landed on the other side, a RiverClan patrol burst from the bushes.

"Stop!" A pretty grey tabby she-cat stalked forward, two other RiverClan warriors fanning out behind her. She spat in Beestream's face. "What is your business on our territory?"

Stormshade's eyes widened, and he sloshed across the river, prior reservations discarded. "Don't hurt her!" Barreling from the river, he slid in between the two she-cats.

"Maybe I won't," she snarled, "Maybe I will," the RiverClan she-cat's tail flicked. "Tell me your business here."

Stormshade ignored the powerful urge to shake his pelt out. "We're here to speak with Troutstar."

"Why?"

Stormshade met her gaze. "You're not Troutstar."

"It doesn't matter," she replied. "You won't get to him if you don't tell me."

Stormshade exchanged a glance with Beestream, mind racing, before sighing. "It's pretty good, actually." He shook out his fur, then stopped himself. I can't drench them! "The river freezes over in the leaf-bare, and Goldentooth--"

The silver warrior rolled her eyes. "WindClan's offering to help feed us?"

"Yes!" Stormshade nodded. Beestream tilted her head briefly, but she played along, forcing her fur to flatten and raising her tail.

The RiverClan she-cat scoffed. "We don't need your help," she meowed firmly. "RiverClan has always been the best-fed Clan, even in the leaf-bare."

"I'd still like to take it up with your leader," Stormshade told her, struggling to hold on to his patience. "I'm sure he wouldn't dismiss such kindness so soon."

The silver she-warrior growled, frustrated. "Fine. Come on."

RiverClan's territory was disgusting. Stormshade flinched with every step.

"Why is everything so damp?" Beestream grumbled as the ground squelched beneath her paws. She shifted closer to Stormshade. "Why did you tell them our plan so readily?" She nodded up ahead, towards the RiverClan patrol.

Stormshade blinked. He didn't know. "I thought..." He blinked again. "I'm not sure."

"You're a special cat," Beestream mused. Stormshade stared at her with warm eyes.

"I knew that already."

"Be quiet!" Beestream cuffed him over the ear. "They might hear us!"

"So what if they do?" Stormshade licked her cheek.

Just ahead, he could see a cluster of strange, reed-woven structures. Are those dens? He shuddered. They look horrible!

A black RiverClan tom seemed to notice his expression. "Pretty great, isn't it?" He licked his shoulder. "We build them from scratch out of--"

The silver-furred she-warrior had suddenly appeared, glaring at the black tom as an elderly grey tabby looked up from the RiverClan prey heap.

"I smell the moor," he rumbled.

The silver warrior waved her tail, stepping aside to reveal Stormshade and Beestream. "It's a delegation, Troutstar. I found them sneaking around the border."

Troutstar's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and he gritted his teeth. Nonetheless, he allowed his voice to grow soft. "Of course. Any peaceful delegation is welcome in my camp."

Stormshade allowed his shoulders to loosen, and he couldn't help but feel comforted at the sound of Troutstar's elder-like voice. For a moment he felt like he was a kit, listening to the tales and half-truths of Wildflame, but that feeling swiftly vanished when Troutstar eyed the silver warrior. "Is Timberclaw with you, Oceaneyes?"

"He's still on patrol, Troutstar." The silver warrior -- Oceaneyes -- dipped her head reverently.

"Hmph." Troutstar huffed, and his gaze grew less soft when he looked at Beestream and Stormshade again. "Which one of you is in charge?"

Stormshade tilted his head. "Well--"

"He is." Beestream nudged her friend forward encouragingly. "I was brought along to make sure no one hurts him."

Stormshade felt heat spread throughout his pelt, not from the several cats staring at him but from Beestream's suddenly protective words. I don't need protection! For a moment he thought about her soft pelt winding around him, but he regained his composure and nodded coolly. "I have a message from my leader," he announced.

Troutstar's gaze shifted towards Oceaneyes. "Accompany us to my den, please." Whiskers twitching and tail flicking, he turned and disappeared into a flimsy collection of reeds. Stormshade blinked.

That's it? StarClan, a Leader lives there! What kind of--

Oceaneyes gave him a rough jab in the ribs. "Come on." With a shake of her head, she padded ahead. Stormshade blinked again, before trotting after her.

The den was much warmer than Stormshade would've guessed. With Oceaneyes at his flank, he shouldered his way between two bundles of reeds. The grey she-cat flinched away from him as if he was sick. Without speaking a word, she sat at the edge of the den, tucking her paws beneath her.

"Now--" Troutstar sighed, curling up in his nest with a wheeze. "What did Cloudstar want to tell me?"

"Nothing, Troutstar." Stormshade nodded respectfully. "Cloudstar has stepped down from her duties as Clan leader. Goldenstar sends his regards -- through me."

Troutstar blinked for a few moments, although he seemed unsurprised. After a while, he mewed, "And you are his deputy?"

"No -- I am his ambassador." Stormshade corrected him. "Goldenstar wants to start things off on the right paw," He straightened up. "We're all still reeling from some of Cloudstar's... rash decisions over the past couple of seasons. WindClan wants to promote friendship across the lake. We want to help everyone, and... right our wrongs."

"Do you propose an alliance?" Troutstar's tail flicked thoughtfully.

"If you'd like -- or aid, too." He added quickly.

"And what would WindClan want in return?" The RiverClan Leader's voice was now somewhat suspicious, and he spoke very slowly.

"Nothing," Stormshade replied proudly. "All we want is friendship."

Troutstar tilted his head to the side, huffing, before he shook his head. "I hope Goldenstar doesn't waste too much time sending diplomats to spew platitudes and trick foreigners."

Stormshade's face fell. Platitudes. He worked his claws into the ground. He's not falling for it.

Oceaneyes suddenly broke her silence. "May I escort the WindClanner from your den, Troutstar?"

"Please."

Oceaneyes nodded seriously, returning to her paws and flicking Stormshade with her tail. "C'mon," she snapped. "I need to talk to you."

Stormshade cast Troutstar an uncertain glance before once again taking off after the grey she-cat, who led him to the side of camp. "Sit."

Stormshade tilted his head, confused, but he sat nonetheless. "What is it?" He inquired.

"You're spineless," Oceaneyes meowed immediately, stalking around him in tight circles.

"W-what?" Stormshade's confusion swiftly subsided, giving way to pure hurt. Why do I care? He asked himself. He could feel his fur rising along his spine. The praise given to him by Goldenstar suddenly meant nothing.

"A coward," Oceaneyes continued. "Your Clan doesn't want to face its mistakes, so it masks its shame with friendliness."

"No." Stormshade shook his head firmly. "No, no, I'm here for Goldenstar. This--" he gulped, blinking, "--this isn't about Cloudstar."

"Do you think anyone believes that?" A soft tail slowly slid down the tom's spine. Oceaneyes was flattening his spiked fur. Stormshade felt his skin go red. He had never felt so embarrassed in his life. Make it stop! He pleaded.

"I--"

"No one believes that, Stormshade." She purred. "Everyone knows about you and Cloudstar. Why else would Goldenstar send you? Why isn't your new deputy here right now?" Her warm breath stirred his ear fur, and he could feel her almost curl around him.

"Everyone?" Stormshade's ears flattened. I should shred her, he thought. But I can't do it in full view of the entire Clan!

"Everyone," Oceaneyes repeated. "You will always be an outcast. Haunted by memories, shunned by denmates, and used by your naive leader. So yes--" she growled, "You are