Chapter 30: Midnight Falls

"This is... who?" Jay sat, tail thumping hard on the ground and an uncomfortable squirming in her belly. She felt like an apprentice caught in a stupid prank again. She glared at Thunderstorm, the tom laid on his belly, glaring at nothing as Silver and Midnight confronted them with a mix of annoyance and confusion.

Amelia had taken one look at them when she'd gotten back and gone off laughing, coming back with prey at dawn with giggles stuck in her throat. Now that Jay and Thunderstorm had rested, she had no reason to put off giving an explanation to the others and she was painfully aware of her kits' concerned stares boring into her back.

"His name is Thunderstorm," she mewed again, slowly.

"Why is he here," Silver mewed suspiciously. Of course, she would know of him from her short time in the StarReader's camp.

Midnight looked at her directly, eyes uncertain, "Is he going to help us with something?"

Jay's tail flicked, "Of course not, he's blind," her voice was harsh and she flinched at it as she thought of her mother. She glared at Thunderstorm again who seemed to refuse any conversation, but he was glaring in her direction this time.

"Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I'm useless," he hissed, the fur rising along his spine.

"What can you do, then?" Jay challenged. Thunderstorm turned his head away and didn't answer her, huffing and muttering under his breath.

"Why is he here in the first place? Why isn't he still with the StarReaders?" Silver demanded, glaring at the blind tom. She also would know that he was a former Ivy Cat.

"Ash told me something about him. The StarReaders were going to kill him so I saved him," Jay sighed, figuring the truth was easier than excuses that she couldn't think up.

"You know Ash?" Thunderstorm mewed suspiciously, "I thought he was dead," the tom snorted, seeming annoyed but poorly masking the relief in his blind eyes.

Jay looked at him, tempted to tell him that is was Ash who had brought the StarReaders into the valley. But neither Silver nor Midnight knew that either; it would be too much trouble to explain why they were working with him after all he'd done.

"That's enough," she decided, "Midnight, I want you to take care of him for me," she told the black she-cat. "He will stay with us for a few days. With any luck we can find some other cat to take care of him soon," she decided with a sigh. She supposed that a life of relying on others would teach Thunderstorm more humility and empathy than a painful death.

"Oh," Midnight shuffled her paws, "I promised Crow to help him gather more moss and hunt for him today," she mewed, ducking her head.

Jay's tail twitched, yes, she'd encouraged Midnight to help Crow to keep her busy and keep her sadness in check, but she couldn't just leave Thunderstorm alone in the camp. "Silver, would you-?" But she halted herself, she'd instructed Amelia to drill Silver in stealth in preparation for the mission. "Never mind," she muttered as Silver looked at her curiously, "Go find Amelia," she ordered instead.

The pale tabby nodded and turned away, hurrying out of camp as if she couldn't wait to get far away from the tom. As Midnight wandered away Jay turned to the gray tom, "On your paws," she ordered, nudging him harshly. The tom grunted and bit at her paw but she drew it back and cuffed him roughly over the head, "Do as I tell you," she growled.

She led him by the tail over to Silver's den and pushed him down into the moss nest. He snarled as he stumbled and fell on his side, "Watch it, she-cat!" he spat.

Jay felt a gurgle of anger, didn't he realize that no other cat in the world cared about his prejudice? Perhaps two moons in captivity hadn't been enough. "This 'she-cat' saved your worthless life. And how have you still not recognized me?!" she demanded. Silver and Midnight hadn't greeted her by name, so he hadn't heard it yet. But really, they spent a moon in the same cave together.

"All you cats smell the same," he sniffed, shifting into a more comfortable crouching position. Surely he was referring to only she-cats when he said that.

"Still, the name 'Ash' didn't bring up any memories?" she scowled as his forehead creased in thought.

"His... mate? The one driven out?" Thunderstorm guessed.

"And her name was...?" Jay prodded, if he couldn't remember this, he was surely stupid.

"Gee?"

"Jay! You moron! My gosh, I should just kill you," her claws unsheathed and she had to dig them into the sand to keep from slashing his stupid face. "What sort of name is Gee, anyways?!" Muttering and praying that someone would give her the patience to not kill him she paced in tight circles in front of the den.

"Mom, mom, mom!" a chorus of calls washed away her frightening murderous intentions and she purred as her three kits ran up to her, the mid-morning sun bouncing softly of their pelts. They halted at her paws and looked up at her with gleeful looks, "Are we going out soon?" they asked excitedly.

Jay's heart fell. That was right, she had promised them, hadn't she, that they were going to spend the whole day together. She glared at Thunderstorm who was listening curiously from the den. She sent him another sharp look his way and led her kits away so that he couldn't hear.

"Darlings, I know I promised. But now I have to watch that cat, see, he's blind so he can't be left alone." He's also an idiot, bratty, useless lump of fur whose unpredictable and unstable. But she didn't add any of that. The kits peered behind her to look at him, "Can't he just sleep in there alone?" Flint begged.

Jay shook her head in resignation, "He also has to be fed and washed. But we can spend the whole day together playing in camp," she offered desperately. But the kits didn't look happy about that, they looked longingly at the forest. After a moon stuck in camp, they wanted to go out.

Hail's gaze alighted on Midnight, preparing to head out of camp. "Midnight!" he called, running a few steps toward the black she-cat, "Where are you going?"

Midnight looked up, "To visit Crow," she called back.

"Can we go with you?" Ice asked, stepping up by her identical brother.

"Ask you mother."

All three kits looked at her imploringly, "Please~"

Jay couldn't say that her heart didn't hurt that they'd rather go see Crow than spend the day with her, even though it would mean staying in camp. But she also didn't have the heart to refuse them after breaking her promise. "Of course, but make sure you listen to whatever Midnight tells you and no sneaking away," she added sternly, remembering the last time she'd left her kits in Midnight's care.

The kits promised and Ice and Hail raced over to Midnight but Flint lingered for a moment, giving her a sweet goodbye by touching her nuzzle with his little pink nose and then running after his siblings.

Jay watched their tiny tails, stuck straight in the air, disappear in the shadow of the dead undergrowth and their chattering fade and fall silent in the cold, seamless air. She was left alone in the camp with Thunderstorm and she couldn't help but wish she could kill him so that she could be with her kits.

Why don't I just leave him? If he gets himself in trouble it'll be his own fault, no cat could blame me for his death. But she knew she was less afraid of him dying than him injuring himself and making her use up all her herbs. Why was she being so... considerate? She could just leave him somewhere in the valley to fend for himself, a cat like him didn't deserve mercy or compassion.

"I'm hungry," he complained, his sharp voice raising above the chill breeze.

Jay only glared at him, a shadowy lump inside Silver's den. He was a murderer, and she was taking care of him. Why? He knew nothing she was interested in, he couldn't tell her anything about the StarReaders that she didn't know.

Jay sat in the middle of the clearing, ignoring the tom as she scuffled her paws in the sand. Besides his blindness, he wasn't at all like her mother. Scorch had never complained or expected anything of her, but he seemed to think she should fall over herself taking care of him.

So why did she feel sorry for him? She knew that was why she didn't kill him, but she didn't understand why she felt sorry. She hadn't pitied her mother for her blindness, and she was sure that wasn't why she pitied Thunderstorm.

So what was it?! It was aggravating that she couldn't identify it, it consumed her thoughts so that she didn't even think of her kits. She felt like her mind was turned in circles, passing time after time what it was she was searching for.

"I'm thirsty," Thunderstorm's annoyed growl was closer than before and his shadow fell over the pale sand next to hers. Jay glanced at him; he was scrawny- every rib showing under his pelt, his fur was caught in knots and full of mud and burrs, probably ticks as well. She could see faded scratches and blood over his pelt, not claw marks, but it looked as if he'd gotten tangled in thorns. His hazy amber eyes looked blindly forward, but still forward.

Ah, that was it. He must have been abandoned when he was captured by the StarReaders. Since most of the Ivy Cats ended up on the other side of the camp, he was mostly isolated with former enemies. No cat helped the blind Ivy Cat, but he hadn't given up. The fact that he was still alive proved that. He'd fought for his food, his place to sleep, and for his life.

Now he was fighting her in his own way, fighting for her help. That was what she'd done for so long, fought for every step she took. However, it spurred a distaste in her rather than warmth. He had fought against Thyme who, she could only imagine, he'd seen as the cause of his affliction. And he hadn't been merciful.

"The stream is over there," Jay mewed, not bothering to direct him. He should be able to hear the running water. She watched with narrowed eyes as he padded toward the water, pausing hesitantly by it, unsure of how close he was.

With a growl, she stalked up behind him and gave a shove, pushing him into the tiny stream. He jumped as the water hit his paws, but the stream was barely deep enough to cover his paws and she pushed him back in. "Stop shoving me!"

"Stop being a nuisance!" Jay snapped back, tail flicking. "I'm going to let you stay here for now since it's too much trouble to kill you or bring you down to the valley. But as soon as I find some other cat to take care of you, you'll be out of here."

Thunderstorm scoffed, "And who's going to take care of me?"

"Your mother? Your father? Didn't you have a friend or a younger brother or something?"

"My father won't take care of me, I'm a grown cat! My mother can't take care of me and Eagle is too young," his ears laid flat against his head. "Olive can go die, for all I care," he added, muttering.

Jay's tail flicked, "Too bad you killed Thyme," she sneered, "She would have taken care of you until you died, you fox-heart," she spat angrily.

Thunderstorm glared in her direction, "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be blind."

"Moron!" Jay hissed, "You still think that?! You were the one that went running ahead and left her, if you'd stayed with her maybe things would have worked out differently." Her tail lashed, this was pointless, she was getting angry over nothing. "Nevermind, go back to your den, I'll get you something to eat," she muttered as she pulled him along by the tail.

He continued to glare at her though he didn't speak another word. Jay left him alone in his den and left the camp, nothing seemed to live on this mountainside besides them and no eagle or hawk could see him if he stayed in the den.

But she still didn't trust him on his own so she tried to find some prey near the camp and managed to snag a chaffinch, carrying it back to Thunderstorm. Her tail flicked as she saw him nosing around her den, "Are you looking for something?" Jay asked in a growl, wondering what he was doing.

Thunderstorm lifted his head and looked at her without a shred of guilt, "I was bored."

"Then sleep," Jay hissed, kicking the chaffinch through the sand to his paws. "After you eat that. I want you to stay in your den when I'm not around," she added, pushing him back to his den after he'd grabbed the sandy bird.

She couldn't assign a guard to him with so few cats, but she couldn't trust him on his own. And that wasn't because he was blind. He had no control on his temper and a surly attitude, she wasn't sure what he would do if her kits were the object of his anger, but she wasn't going to find out.

"I'm not your prisoner," Thunderstorm hissed, spitting out the bird as she shoved him back into his nest.

"No, but let's get something straight. You either obey me absolutely or I dump you in the valley to die of starvation and exposure," Jay mewed coldly, if he ever put some cat in this camp at risk by disobeying her she wouldn't hesitate to kick him out.

"Your stay here is dependent on your attitude. I'm willing to meet your needs so long as you don't do anything to harm or endanger any of the other cats in this camp. So listen to what I tell you to do and you might just live through this," she growled and backed out of the den, leaving him alone with his gritty meal.

The rest of the day seemed to pass slowly, Midnight and the kits stayed out until dusk and Amelia and Silver returned a littler after them. Jay had spent her time training, stalking across the sandy clearing and leaping silently from one rock to the other, practicing her balance, speed, strength, and stealth.

She wouldn't deny that she felt a little lonely when she saw how happy her kits seemed to be when they returned with Midnight, their eyes glimmering and their purrs leaking out between joyous mews. But they were so tired that they couldn't answer her questions and fell sound asleep at her belly after they'd eaten.

Silver went to share Midnight's den since Thunderstorm was in hers- Midnight's den was a round hole in one of the rocks, mostly protected and made soft by the use of a lot of moss. As Jay finished her meal in her den, trying not to disturb her resting kits, Amelia came to talk to her with the deepening amethyst sky behind her.

"How did Thunderstorm behave today?" the black she-cat asked, sitting down by her head.

Jay rested her head on Amelia's paws, "Typically; argued with me, disobeyed me. But I think he's starting to understand that he's at our mercy. He'll probably be difficult for a while since that's the way he is, but I think we can trust that he won't do something stupid on purpose."

"Not that he can do much, being blind," Amelia snorted.

Jay shook her head, "I don't want him around my kits, though. I think I'll have Silver be in charge of watching him when she isn't busy."

"Speaking of Silver, she didn't do half bad in the training today," Amelia admitted. "She'll never be able to sneak up right behind a mouse, but I don't think she'll have any trouble during the mission."

Right, the mission. Jay's tail twitched behind her, "We have one more day and then we'll go down into the valley to meet Ash and rescue the kits," she sighed, nervousness battling in her belly, "I can't wait until we're all back home after that," she muttered, closing her eyes.

"I think every cat is waiting for that," Amelia mewed, raising her head to the stars. Just the slightest shadow over her gaze.

......

The next day passed in a similar fashion with Silver and Amelia training while Jay and Midnight took turns watching Thunderstorm and the kits. Jay was happy to take her kits out hunting with her but was disappointed when she found they'd rather spend their time playing alone than watching her hunt. She had to wonder if it was because they were growing up or they were growing apart.

There was also a tense atmosphere around the camp that evening, Silver barely ate a thing and even Amelia was quiet. Midnight didn't want to eat anything at all, pacing around as she worried about the mission going wrong. It wasn't until Jay told her that if she didn't eat something she wouldn't be coming along that the black she-cat managed to control her nerves and swallow a few bites of mouse.

Jay's kits stayed by her, murmuring quietly together as they snuggled against her fur and Thunderstorm stared unhappily out of his den. Jay couldn't deny that she had butterflies of her own, making the food tasteless and sleep hard to find.

This would be a difficult and dangerous mission, the chances of everything going their way was low. If they were caught in the camp they probably wouldn't all be able to escape and the kits would be as good as dead. Any plans for defeating the StarReaders would be gone. If she did manage to make it back after the others got caught, she'd have to leave the valley and mountains, maybe even return all the way back to the lake.

The thought of retracing her steps and returning to the life she'd finally been freed from was enough to make her determined to make the plan successful. That stern feeling stayed with her through the night and she greeted the cold morning with a steady gaze, washing her pelt as she sat upon one of the rocks, her paws burning against the sharp frost that coated it.

When Crow arrived after dawn she reluctantly turned the care of her kits over to him and the care of Thunderstorm with the promise that she'd catch him food for the next half-moon. Off set the four she-cats in a silent file as they left the mountains and traversed across the valley, stopping and hunting and resting as they made their way at a forgiving pace toward the meeting point.

Jay glanced between her three compatriots, Midnight looked both nervous and hopeful, Silver looked uncomfortable, eyes shadowed as if she were imagining the worst outcomes possible. Amelia, however, skipped happily along, sure that if nothing else she would be fine.

Jay was fairly pleased with her own abilities, should the worst happen, she had a better chance of getting out than Ash or Silver. Speaking of Ash, they met up with him in the mid-afternoon near her old den where they enjoyed a short nap within the well-insulated but overgrown den until dusk arrived.

"Alright," Jay mewed as she stood at the border, orange and black lines running across the forest ground, "We all know the mission, we're going to rescue the kits and return to the mountains. No talking is allowed beyond this point, we'll only use signals to communicate since this requires silence." The three she-cats nodded and Ash yawned as if he were bored.

Jay ignored him and led the cats into the forest with Ash behind her followed by Silver, Midnight, and Amelia bringing up the rear. Her tail tip twitched and she felt the urge to shiver, a feeling filled her that was similar to going out alone on your first solo assignment and desperately wanting to do well. But this was at another level, if it didn't go well there would be bigger consequences then extra training and a stern talking to.

Pulling off the main trail, Jay led them on a course that avoided all the most visited areas by the cats so that if there were any late hunters, the wouldn't be surprised. Jay's heart was pounding by the time the sun set, heavy gray light settling on the forest and the full moon's milky light clinging to the tops of the trees.

With the ghostly white light above her and the dying foliage around her, turned from their painted reds and oranges to brown and black by the frosts, the feeling of dull death seemed to scour over the chafed ground. She hadn't told any cat but Amelia, but she was worried about the StarReaders.

They had powers and abilities that she didn't understand and they seemed to know something she didn't. It was impossible to predict or come up with a fool-safe plan like usual, this would have to do and they would have to do their best.

Jay lifted her tail straight in the air, the signal that they were nearing the ring of guards around the camp. Spreading out, they approached the stump where there had been a guard. A white and gray she-cat sat on the stump, her fur glowing in a patch of moonlight as she groomed her fur with unconcerned care.

Sky, Jay recognized Screech's sister immediately, remembering that far-away day when she'd saved Screech. She had known then that Sky was a part of the mysterious group in the valley, and although it made sense that she was with the StarReaders, she hadn't made the connection until now.

Her brief meeting with Sky had told her that this was a careless, frivolous she-cat that was infatuated with her cult and was unduly proud of it. Sneaking around Sky would be easy, Jay led the cats in a wide circle, keeping barely out of her sight but passing without attracting any attention.

Once they were on the inside of the circle Jay turned toward Midnight and flicked her tail. This was where the black cat would wait, keeping an eye on the guards and always knowing where the opening laid. The black she-cat took refuge in the shadow between a holly bush and an oak tree where her dark pelt blended in perfectly, the only thing that stuck out was the ice-blue of her eyes.

Jay left her there, content that she wouldn't be spotted and could do her job well. Now was going to be the hardest part. Leading the four cats to the gorse and bramble barrier around the captive side of the camp she saw, as she'd assumed, that there were no openings.

Amelia nodded at her and the two of them set off while Ash and Silver climbed a tree that had branches overhanging into the camp, ready to drop down as soon as they'd dispatched the guards. Slinking along the shadows to the right side of the stream, Jay spotted the one guard at the entrance by the stream, and her tail flicked in surprise to see it was Feather.

The black she-cat with soft gray eyes had been Blizzard's mate and although she'd had a sharp tongue, it was evident that she'd also had a soft spot for kits, although she'd never had any. Jay exchanged a glance with Amelia, but the she-cat didn't know who Feather was and didn't understand that this was not a cat who knew how to fight or defend. Perhaps she was trained? No, her eyes have a different look in them as well, it's as if she's a whole new cat, younger and stronger.

The other guard, at the top of the hill, was a StarReader that she didn't recognize. Amelia nodded at the StarReader guard and nodded, flicking her tail three times to indicate that once Jay saw her in position to count to three before she attacked the guard down here.

Jay was uncomfortable as she waded through the stream, carefully choosing her steps so as not to fall over. Being a former ThunderClan cat, her lip curled at the feeling of water sloshing her belly and dampening her fur. The water itself was ice cold as well, and her paws were frozen numb before she'd gotten to the other slope, moving into a position to pounce on Feather.

Sorry, I didn't hate you, but I've got a mission to complete. She didn't know how the StarReaders did discipline, but she imagined some cat would get in trouble after all of this. When she saw Amelia appear in the shadows behind her own guard Jay counted to three in her mind and leaped for the black guard.

Jay hit Feather in the head, her whole force knocking the she-cat onto the ground where she remained, dazed, with her gray eyes staring blankly at the silver tinged grass that her head rested on. Before the she-cat could hope to draw in a breath, Jay wrapped her paws around her neck and pulled.

Choking whispers whistled past her mouth but in such a low key that Jay could barely hear it and before long the she-cat's eyes rolled back into her head and Jay released her. She'd be out for a little while. Amelia was already skipping down the slope, her own victim collapsed on the ground.

Jay sniffed the air, making sure that Amelia hadn't cut the guard; since blood was a powerful scent, she didn't want to alert any cat by slicing the throats of the guards. Silver and Ash had already leaped down onto the captive side of the clearing, searching among the sleeping cats for the kits.

Jay leaped across the stream followed by Amelia and as she sent the black she-cat to help get the kits, she looked around, searching for familiar faces. She recognized many of Python's cats, including Night, Spark, and Glade. And several Ivy Cats, a pair that shocked her was that Pine and Night were curled together in the recesses of shadows.

Taking a step toward them she halted as a cat hissed her name, turning around she was confronted by a graceful red she-cat with white streaks and vibrant gold eyes- it was Swoop. "Jay!" the she-cat's soft voice was thick with relief and Jay could see tears brimming in her gaze. "You're alive!"

Jay was taken aback, yes, they'd been friends, but this was a little too emotional for her. She nodded her head awkwardly, "Yes," she whispered, "I see you are alive too."

Swoop looked behind her where Ash, Silver, and Amelia were feeding the reclaimed kits the poppy seeds Jay had given to Silver when they left. "Is that Ash? What are they doing?" Swoop's confused golden gaze turned on her and Jay realized this was her chance.

"We're saving three kits that were captured. But don't worry, we won't stop there. I can't tell you everything yet, but please tell the others that we're going to save them. Keep it secret, just on this side of the camp," Jay whispered quickly, walking closer to the she-cat so that she could lower her voice.

"You're going to get us out?" Hope and gratitude filled her gaze, "I'll try to tell the others that are living with the StarReaders too," Swoop promised quickly.

But Jay shook her head firmly, "No, don't tell them. At least not yet, we don't know who wants what over there. But have hope, I'll get you out of here," she promised, linking her tail with Swoop's for a moment.

"But can you? They've already killed Thunderstorm," grief clung to Swoop's eyes and Jay remembered that Swoop was his mother.

She touched her muzzle to Swoop's ear, "Don't worry, I saved him, he's with me now and you'll see him again when I get you out of here."

Swoop looked at her in shock and then pulled away quickly, hurrying over to a dark, little figure curled up under a gorse tendril. Swoop grabbed it and hurried back to her, a sleepy eyed red-brown and white tom yawning in her grasp. "Please take Eagle with you," she begged, reaching out to give Jay her son.

But Jay took a step back, startled by this sudden turn. She looked over her shoulder and saw Ash flicking his tail at her impatiently, Breeze at his paws. His gray eyes bored into her condescendingly, go on, refuse her, show her that you only care about yourself.

Jay's jaw set into a hard nod and she looked back at Swoop, "Okay, " she mewed, grabbing Eagle from her grasp and before Swoop could put into the words that glimmered in her gold eyes, she'd already hurried over to Silver and force-fed the tom the remaining poppy seeds- four would make him sleep until sun-high.

Amelia had already leaped up back into the tree, Rusty in her jaws. Silver followed with Panther and, after he,r Ash with Breeze. Jay went last, bracing herself to leap the five fox-lengths into the air with a five moon old kit in her jaws. Such a height was hard to do on its own, the reason why no cat had escaped this way before, but Jay had to do it right now for she saw Feather starting to wake up and there would soon be chaos.

Using all her strength she managed to get three paws onto the branch and she curled her claws into the malleable wood as it bounced and swayed beneath her. Neck straining from the weight of Eagle, she gave Swoop another nod and trotted along the branch toward the trunk, relaxing as the branch grew thicker.

Climbing down from the tree she nodded at the three other cats, pleased to see that all three kits, although thinner than before, were fine. Silver seemed surprised as she stared at the much larger kit that Jay held, but she ignored it and led them along to where Midnight should be. They had to get out of the circle before the guards were warned or else they'd be caught in a fight and caught.

Jay took a deep breath of the air, pinpointing where Midnight was and charging soundlessly through the forest. The moment she came to a halt in front of Midnight the overwhelming scent of blood hit her like a rock and she stumbled, eyes blinking in shock.

There on the carpet of dead leaves laid Midnight, her black fur darkening with blood and ice-blue eyes staring forward, lifelessly. There were no ghastly choking sounds, no struggle, Midnight had simply been killed like a piece of prey, Jay was close enough to still feel warmth emanating from her.

And the hunter stood there, white fur gleaming with a dull luster and pale violet eyes twinkling happily. "Come to the slaughter, you star-crossing cowards."