[Deleted]

Show me how to lie, you’re getting better all the time,
and turning all against one is an art that’s hard to teach.

---

During the first days of his arrival in RainClan, their young deputy Rushwhisker stepped down and new cat took his place. This had caught Magpiewing's attention. Deputies did not tend to step down unless they were she-cats planning kits or they were retiring due to old age or injury. Neither of these reasons was the case with Rushwhisker, in the prime of his life, whole and healthy and a tom. So what was the reason?

Stormstar had not given one, only that the Clan would respect his choices, and it was certainly not appropriate for a stranger from another Clan to just saunter up and start digging into this cat's personal life, so it wasn't as though it was as simple and just asking. Even if he did ask, if the reason was not one that had been shared with the Clan at large, it was clearly something the tom didn't particularly want to be widely known. He would get no clear answer.

So while Flamekit and Pantherkit were tiny and helpless and useless to him completely, he left them mostly in Echoshade's care, bringing her prey every day and stopping in to see them, but mostly trusting that the queen knew what she was doing and didn't need him getting in the way. And he did what he did best, observe everything. Border patrols were off limits for him, it would get confusing if NightClan and StoneClan suddenly started scenting TreeClan at the RainClan border, after all, and it wasn't part of his job to defend another Clan's borders for them.

But he had requested to at least partake in hunting patrols to help provide for the Clan that had taken in TreeClan kits... and also to catch his own prey. He could not imagine eating nothing but fish day in and day out, thank you very much. He had noticed, on a few patrols he had been on with Rushwhisker, that he often seemed to stare off into the distance, and if they happened to be near StarClan's Claws, that stare was drawn straight into TreeClan territory. It did not take a particularly intelligent cat to figure out what that meant.

So which of Magpiewing's Clanmates did the former deputy fancy enough to give up his deputyship for? He had yet to see the tom sneak off in the middle of the night for a midnight meeting, or he would have followed to find out. He wondered if Rushwhisker was planning to try to join TreeClan to be with this lover of his, otherwise why step down as deputy? And yet if he was... why would he not approach him, try to get to know one of his future Clanmates, learn more about TreeClan? This Rushwhisker was proving to be quite the enigma to figure out. There were not many cats that would give up power without a clear reason.

It was these thoughts that had him uncharacteristically distracted as he left the nursery after bringing Echoshade a fish. No sooner had he stepped out, licking his muzzle in attempt to wash away the strange taste the fish left behind, than he nearly walked right into a RainClan warrior with a fish of his own in his mouth. He came to a sudden stop to avoid collision just outside the nursery entrance, nearly nose to nose with Brookfall. His whiskers twitched in some amusement as he side stepped to give the other tom a bit more personal space, “Oops. Excuse me.” He glanced at the fish the tom was holding, “If you've brought that for the queens and kits, I've just brought them something.”

He knew Brookfall's name. He had already learned most of the RainClan cats' names, but it tended to unnerve cats when you knew things about them that they didn't think you should know, and for the moment that was not the effect Magpiewing desired. He tilted his head, his bright yellow eyes showing only friendly curiosity reflecting in their depths, “I'm sorry, what was your name? I think I've heard it once or twice, but learning the names of an entire Clan all at once is a bit overwhelming.”

---

Another clever word sets off an unsuspecting herd
and as you step back into line, a mob jumps to their feet.

Fawn

[Fawn]

Brookfall

25 Moons Tom RainClan Warrior

Brookfall's plan to bring Echoshade and her daughters a freshly caught trout were swept aside by a black-and-white tom wearing a pleasant smile. The scent of TreeClan, foreign in its dense, woodsy smell, was still prominently clinging to Magpiewing's pelt despite having been here a while.

He flicked his tail in thanks for the information, and quickly detoured to the elders' den - not wanting the meal to go to waste, since he'd already taken the time to deliver it personally. When his jaws were free of his burden, Brookfall returned to roughly a fox length before the nursery, surveying Magpiewing with as much curiosity as the other tom showed him.

"Brookfall. You've likely met my littermates already; Gorgeleap, Silverfrost and Stormfeather." The silver tom was never a stranger to polite conversation; though his interests were primarily in building a strong identity in RainClan and earning the trust of his Clanmates, it seemed a shame to pass up the opportunity to get to know this tom.

It did not hurt to have allies in other Clans. Or at least be in mildly social terms with the other cats of the forest. Though RainClan lived upon an island, it was foolish to act as if they were the only beings in the valley. "How are you adjusting? I imagine the first few nights were challenging." Brookfall began the dialogue, starting off with amicable chatter that provided Magpiewing the chance to vent or elaborate on his recent trials - if he so chose.

Brookfall had been born with the sound of the camp stream in his ears. He had grown up walking along side and swimming in RainClan's mighty river. The sounds of water were in every aspect of his life; therefore, he had enough sharpness of mind to realize how strange it must seem to a TreeClan cat. The river diverged into different paths to the other Clans, no doubt becoming their main sources of water; but a brook was not a river.

The sparkling brook couldn't compare.

The constant rush of water must have been maddening for Magpiewing at first, just as the constant chatter of night birds would have driven Brookfall to grind his teeth had their roles been switched. Fortunately, the only one greatly inconvenienced was the TreeClan tom - though he undoubtedly had family missing him, Brookfall understood the importance of Magpiewing's presence.

We all eat lies when our hearts are hungry.

392 Words || @zen || Notes