◈ TIGERCREEK ◈

[ Jade-of-the-stones ]

"We must find Palewhisker!" Tigercreek wailed, worry evident in his voice.

"... And Willowbranch," Whitepaw added, flicking his tail.

Tigercreek ignored the white tom. His mate was out there. She could be hurt. She could be dying. Even worse, she could be dead.

He shivered at the thought. No, Palewhisker is strong! She's alive. Don't worry - have faith in her.

The ginger tom vaguely noticed a few cats dragging Ashenstrike's limp body, as well as escorting Sapfall and Copperpaw into the medicine cat den. His mind was focused on his mate and unborn kits. Is Palewhisker all right? Are my kits all right? Where are they?

When Copperpaw had burst into camp her fur matted with blood, Zephyrstar had demanded for an explanation. Copperpaw had explained the best she could, including how Ashenstrike told Palewhisker to bring Willowbranch back to camp first

Tigercreek, who happened to be among the crowd of cats around Copperpaw, was immediately filled with worry, telling Copperpaw that neither Palewhisker nor Willowbranch had returned. Afterwards, Sapfall had appeared with Ashenstrike in her jaws.

Zephyrstar looked down at her cats and leapt to the ground, scanning the currently silent clearing. "I will lead the first search party. Tigercreek, Leapwish, Flashflood, Foxfang, and Swiftfall will join me."

The cats that were called out stepped up, acknowledging her order with a dip of their heads. Tigercreek dipped his head, though his mind was elsewhere. "Tigercreek! Focus, or you can wait in the camp."

The ginger tom dipped his head once more. The white she-cat continued speaking. "Yellowjacket will lead the second one. Watershade, Zinniagaze, Rowanleap, Robinstorm, and Echosky will go along with him."

Jaggedbriar, who was also among the crowd, glanced longing at Echosky. Tigercreek looked away; he was determined to find his mate, and did not care about Jaggedbriar's inability to win Echosky's love. He prayed to StarClan that Palewhisker was all right.

They wouldn't hurt a pregnant queen, would they? Tigercreek wondered, ignoring Zephyrstar's cold stare. He watched as she sat down, waiting for the cats to gather around.

Leapwish and Foxfang were already with Zephyrstar and Tigercreek, while Flashflood and Swiftfall pushed past the crowd of cats to join them after.

With the first search party assembled, Zephyrstar stood up and started towards the Clan entrance, only stopping briefly to beckon her cats to follow her.

Tigercreek was still felt worried, but he reassured himself that Palewhisker had to be all right. She wouldn't leave me.

While walking behind the rest of his Clanmates, the ginger tom began reminiscing about his confession of his love towards Palewhisker.

The ginger tom was shifting nervously as the beautiful pale grey she-cat walked beside him. He admired every feature of the she-cat; her pale grey pelt, the tiny flecks of light brown decorating her pelt, her blue eyes, and her unusually long whiskers. He had always thought she looked adorable every time she twitched her whiskers.

Tigercreek invited Palewhisker to walk with him to help Webcloud collect herbs, as a favour to the medicine cat. Though the ginger tom really did promise Webcloud that he would help, it really was just an excuse for Tigercreek to have a reason to be alone with Palewhisker.

He had taken an interest in her since they started communicating as apprentices. They were two moons apart, so Palewhisker had frequently visited Tigercreek for tips on matters such as ways to please a mentor, or something as trivial as how to properly eat a mouse.

When both of them became warriors, Tigercreek's feelings for the she-cat had grown. He began trying to get her attention will small acts of consideration, such as offering to help her pick fresh-kill for her, help her clean the back of her head when she could not reach it, and more.

However, it had seemed that Palewhisker merely thought that Tigercreek was doing all those little acts of kindness because they were friends, and Tigercreek became determined to win her love.

And his chance was presented before him; inviting her to help Webcloud collect herbs. Palewhisker had willingly obliged, seeming happy that Tigercreek had asked for her help.

"Webcloud said he needed more dock, right?" Palewhisker asked, her blue gaze resting on the flowers before her. "How do they look like?"

"They are green, like many other plants are, and their leaves are large and wide," Tigercreek replied, though in his mind, he was wondering how he was going to confess his love to the pale grey she-cat. He inhaled sharply before facing her, kneading his paws into the ground, feeling incredibly awkward. "Palewhisker?"

Palewhisker tilted her head. "Yes?"

Swallowing nervously, Tigercreek stuttered out his confession. "I-I... I've always admired y-you, Palewhisker. As I watched you grow, y-you only seemed to become more amazing... And what I'm t-trying to say is that... I've l-loved you for a long time."

Palewhisker stared at Tigercreek, stunned. Tigercreek immediately felt ruffled, and stumbled over his words. "I-I love your smile- I m-mean I also love your personality and- oh, I don't know what I'm saying anymore!"

Tigercreek's cheeks heat up, and he felt like a mouse-brain. Smooth confession, mouse-brain! He scolded himself as he gazed at his own paws awkwardly.

When he glanced up at Palewhisker, she had tears brimming in her eyes - tears of utter joy. "You... Love me?"

Tigercreek widened his eyes and nodded slowly. "I-I do. I love you."

Palewhisker was silent for a moment too long, and Tigercreek was getting worried that the she-cat did not return his affections.

The pale grey she-cat quietly brought her nose to his, her eyes sparkling with joy. She then raised her head and licked his forehead.

Her gestures immediately brightened Tigercreek's spirit, his heart pounding so loudly, he was certain it would burst out at any moment.

"I love you as well," Palewhisker whispered. "And I want to be your mate."

Tigercreek let out a small chuckle. After that incident, they became mates. However, they had forgotten to help Webcloud find the dock he had wanted. The medicine cat had been disappointed, but he reassured the pair that he did not mind, as the incident brought two young cats together; something he would never be able to experience as a medicine cat. She has to be all right. She has to be.

"We'll find her," Swiftfall meowed, breaking Tigercreek from his train of thoughts.

Tigercreek found a smile for the friendly silver she-cat. "Of course."

Zephyrstar paused for a moment, and turned around to face her cats. "We will start by searching near the DriftClan border. If Palewhisker was told to run from there, we can first go there to find clues to her whereabouts."

The patrol murmured in agreement and followed the EclipseClan leader as she swiped her tail in a beckoning gesture. They continued, with each pawstep making Tigercreek's dread rise.

When they arrived at the border, the scent of mingled DriftClan and EclipseClan cats hit their noses. The metallic scent of blood was still fresh, since the skirmish had happened recently.

"Spread out and search for clues. Report to me immediately if you find anything that may help us find Palewhisker and Willowbranch," Zephyrstar commanded, making her way to the side.

The EclipseClan cats immediately began their search, sniffing and tasting the repulsive air that carried the scent of blood from different cats.

Tigercreek flattened his ears, cringing slightly. I need to get my act together and find my mate!

"Zephyrstar, I found something," Foxfang called, padding over to the EclipseClan leader. As usual, his dark demeanor clung to him like stubborn ticks clinging onto an elder's pelt. "Look."

The dark russet-furred tom pointed a paw to the ground. It had faint dents that resembled that of something dragged along the ground. There were also drops of crimson red blood at the side, proving that the missing cats had definitely passed the area. "I smell Willowbranch's blood."

"I can't smell Palewhisker's scent," Tigercreek meowed, panic starting to rise from his chest once more.

"That's because Willowbranch's blood scent covered it, mouse-brain," Leapwish pointed out, shaking her head. She eyed Tigercreek and lowered her voice. "She's a strong cat."

"Your optimism never fails to amaze me, Leapwish," Tigercreek sighed. "Thank you."

Zephyrstar gathered her cats with a single yowl. "Let's follow the trail."

The patrol started moving once more, with Tigercreek feeling more reassured. "If she could drag Willowbranch to safety, it must mean she managed to get away from the fight."

"That's right," Leapwish nodded, walking beside the ginger tom. "Think positive."

"The scent trail ends here," Foxfang muttered, stepping back to taste the air. "It seems to me that our Clanmates had found them first."

The dark russet tom was right; Zinniagaze was seemingly waiting for them. The dusky grey she-cat wore a grim expression as she sat in front of a pool of blood. She glanced up and dipped her head in a greeting. "Yellowjacket has already brought Willowbranch and Palewhisker back to camp. There were... Complications, and I ask you to hastily return to camp."

"Complications?" Tigercreek enquired, his eyes widening.

"No, we're in a great situation right now. How can we have complications? Of course we have complications, you mouse-brained tom!" Zinniagaze snapped, her poisonous sarcasm spilling out of her mouth. "Less questions, more walking."

Flinching, Tigercreek backed away from the warrior. Zinniagaze had always been an outspoken, sarcastic cat, which was why he usually chose to avoid her.

The chilly air of leaf-fall continuously taunted the ginger tom. Is Palewhisker all right? Are my kits all right? It's pretty cold.

Zinniagaze had remained silent for the rest of their way back to camp, and everyone else followed. Zinniagaze turned to Tigercreek and gave him a hard stare, as if she was expecting him to return it with an equally - if not harder - stare.

"Strength," she muttered, before disappearing into the camp entrance. The patrol followed, with Tigercreek hanging back. Although anticipation was eating at him to hurry into camp, he could not help but to quiver in fear. A dark aura had formed near the entrance - almost as if the whole Clan had turned grim.

Tigercreek was hesitant, but with coaxing from Leapwish, he entered the camp. Immediately, the chattering cats silenced and all eyes landed on him. Fazed, he took a step back, his ears flattening. "What's going on?"

Zephyrstar stood before him, her eyes cold and unsympathetic. "Palewhisker is dead."

The three words crashed into Tigercreek like a powerful tidal wave, his paws collapsing beneath him. "D-Dead?"

The desolation he felt was consuming; his mind became an icy wasteland, the icy wind howling into his soul and wrapping its icy tentacles around his heart so tightly, it almost stopped beating.

Some cats gaped at how blunt Zephyrstar was, but chose not to speak. Leapwish helped Tigercreek up, offering sympathetic eyes.

"But she left you gifts," Zephyrstar added, sighing. It was apparent that she had just enough sympathy to offer the ginger tom some words of comfort. "Kits."

Tigercreek's face was scrunched up, as if he was trying to hold back his tears desperately. The tom did not know how to feel - he was anguished, yet joyful that his mate had given him kits. "K-Kits?"

The crowd moved back to reveal a pale grey pelt, their heads bowed. Tigercreek rushed forward and halted before it, his eyes widening. He collapsed once more and broke into choked sobs. "I... W-Why did t-this happen?"

Three bundles of fur were curled up next to Palewhisker, their paws flailing around randomly. Their mews were soft and squeaky, and they were snuggling against their mother for warmth. Tigercreek's heart broke more at the sight of his newborn kits; they did not know that their mother would never wake, nor would she ever offer them comfort.

"You have to stay strong," Swiftfall said quietly, placing her tail on his shoulder. "That is what Palewhisker would want."

Tigercreek was still hurting, but he tried pulling himself together and stood before his kits. "I will care for you now, my kits."

He ushered his kits towards him, observing them with his tear-filled eyes. A single tear dropped on one of the kits, and they immediately silenced their cries, and wobbled over to their father's paws. It's almost like... They're comforting me...

Blinking away his tears, he gathered himself together. "I must name the kits."

The first kit was a black tom with dark grey dapples. Next to him was also a tom, but he had dark ginger fur and black stripes, along with golden flecks and unusually long whiskers. He looks like me, Tigercreek purred sadly.

The last kit was a dark grey she-cat with lighter grey flecks and unusually long whiskers. By now, the crowd had dispersed, and only Zephyrstar, Leapwish, Swiftfall, and Zinniagaze remained.

"Shadekit, Mothkit, and Ashenkit. That will be their names," Tigercreek decided.

"Beautiful names," Leapwish reassured the tom. "I'm sure Palewhisker loves them as well."

Tigercreek bowed his head and licked Palewhisker's forehead. "I will always love you..."

Tigercreek and Palewhisker touched noses, their purrs resonating with each other's.

"I will love you and only you," Palewhisker promised, intertwining her tail with his.

"And I will love you till the end of time," Tigercreek purred, rubbing his cheek against hers. "Always."

After the commotion, Zephyrstar announced Palewhisker's death and EclipseClan's failure to secure a win during the border dispute. She had also named Webpaw a warrior, giving him the name Webfang.

Holding such a ceremony after the incident was most likely to raise the morale of her cats. Swiftfall, Webfang's mentor, watched proudly as her apprentice earned his place amongst the warriors of EclipseClan.

One day, my kits will experience the same. And when that happens, I, too, will experience pride, Tigercreek thought, watching his kits snuggling next to Russetdusk. The reddish-brown queen had offered to take them in, which Tigercreek was grateful for.

Watch over us, Palewhisker.

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▣ Author's Note ▣

A longer, and finally new chapter! Paint wrote around slightly less than 200 words, which I edited and wrote the rest, adding up to approximately 2300 words.

Did you feel Tigercreek's pain of finding his mate dead?

I rushed Webpaw's warrior ceremony as I found it unnecessary in this chapter - it did ruin the mood slightly, but I tried covering it up.

Feel free to share your thoughts! Once again, I'd be happy to read your comments. Also, what do you think about the new cover? Do you prefer this one, or the previous one?