Poison of Secrets

 POISON OF SECRETS

Episode Six, Season Two, of Rise.

Enjoy <3

Poison of Secrets
Outside, the air is crisp and cool. I take cautious steps through the forest that shelters the Coalition. I don’t want to leave my sisters alone, but after pleading Terran to watch them for me, I manage to slip out of camp.

It was stifling in the den, even though the night air had chilled the den. I couldn’t stand being there, however, not with Hawkstar’s death still looming over us like a black cloud.

Terran had offered to come with me, but after a moment’s hesitation, I decide to tell him to watch my sisters for me instead. I’m starting to regret not having the white tom by my side, but I forge ahead regardless.

The night air clears my brain. The stress I had been carrying around is lifted off my shoulders momentarily before it presses back down.

I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths, wanting everything to just fade around me until the world was black and white.

“I didn’t think cats would come out here after such a shocking event,” an amused voice alerts me. My eyes fly open but I can’t find a trace of the cat speaking.

“Who are you?” I ask hoarsely, my eyes darting around in the inky blackness, trying to locate the cat.

“I like to think I have different identities,” the cat purrs, “but you do not need to know my name.”

I bristle. “I get the feeling you know mine.”

“Of course I do,” the mysterious cat—who seems to be a she-cat—purrs. “You’re the famous Bryce: a Twolegplace she-cat who escaped the clutches of both the Blood Army and the Vipers and who joined up with the Coalition with her two sisters. Who could not know you?”

I take a step back and scan the trees above me, but I still cannot figure out where the she-cat is. “Why are you here? Do you wish to harm me or kill me?”

“No,” the voice laughs, “why would I want to do that?”

I roll my eyes at that one before catching myself. “Oh, I don’t know, considering the past moon or so, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were trying to kill me.”

“Oh no,” the voice turns serious, “I am here to tell you something that will perhaps aid you in your quest.”

“My quest?” I echo, rather taken aback by the term, “What quest do you speak of?”

“Don’t act innocent,” the she-cat sounds amused, “your quest to find out who the Blood Army is and their connection to the war between the Coalition and the Vipers. You don’t think cats have been noticing?”

I feel a shiver run down my spine but I refuse to let it show. “All right, what information do you have for me and what price must I pay to have it?”

“I’ll let you get this one for free,” the she-cat almost seems to get closer, except I still can’t figure out where she is. “It involves someone precious in your life too.”

Ruby. It had to be her. But yet the she-cat’s next words surprise me. “Terran and Karina’s father, do you know who he is?” When I greet her words with silence, she purrs, “Of course you don’t. Well all you need to know is that he is being held prisoner by the Blood Army.”

I wait for a moment longer, but I can feel the presence of the she-cat disappear. But something doesn’t add up. Memories of Terran talking to me in Viper prison, telling me about his father.

My father died a few moons ago in a bloody battle.

~

“Karina?” I bound up the dark gray she-cat who is just entering camp, “Can I talk to you?”

She blinks once. “Sure thing, Bryce.”

I take her to the side, away from the prying eyes of the others. I do a full sweep of the camp with my eyes to make sure Terran isn’t nearby. “Your father,” I begin uncertainly, “how well did you know him?”

Karina’s golden eyes narrow. “My father? Why is that any of your business?”

“I’m just curious,” my mouth dries, “you guys don’t talk about your past.”

“And I suppose you do?” Karina points out.

“You know more about me than I do about you and Terran!” I defend myself, “You guys had information on me before you came and kidnapped us from the Twolegplace.”

Karina sighs. “There are some things you just don’t want to say, Bryce. I understand your need to grasp onto everything so you don’t end up falling, but this isn’t a part of me I’m willing to share, and I don’t think Terran wants to either.”

“I just want to know about your father.”

The dark gray she-cat frowns. “Just him? Why?”

“We trust each other,” I soften my voice, “shouldn’t we be able to tell each other our pasts and secrets?”

I feel guilty for saying that because I’m keeping secrets from my friends as I say this. But I had to get the information somehow. I had to know why that she-cat last night thought it was a good idea to tell me about Terran and Karina’s father.

“All right,” Karina gives in, “just this one part though. The rest you have to wait until Terran is ready also.”

I nod, a little too eagerly. Karina closes her eyes. “I didn’t know my father all that well. Terran didn’t either. I remember he wasn’t around when we were kits, and that he was a Viper. When we got there, he wasn’t there either. Cats just told us he died in a bloody battle against the Coalition.”

“You’ve never met your father?”

Karina shook her head. “Never.”

It’s disappointing for her to say that, but I thank her before roaming out into camp where Applepaw is playing with my sisters. “You’ve become a sister to them,” I tell Applepaw, speaking on behalf of my sisters and myself, “a sister to me too.”

The young apprentice purrs. “It’s my pleasure,” she smiles, “I’d like you to meet my brother and sister.”

“Right now?”

But two cats are already bounding towards us at Applepaw’s gesture. The golden she-cat has startling amber eyes that mirror Ruby’s eyes. While Applepaw is the older version of Ruby, it is certain that Sunpaw is the one that has my sister’s eyes. Funny how these siblings are so like my sister.

Firepaw has darker amber eyes and is a darker shade of red. Despite his bigger stance, he looks as foolish as Applepaw usually does. His amber eyes glitter with amusement and his tail flicks constantly.

“Pleasure to meet you,” I smile at them, “I’ve heard of you from Applepaw.”

The bubbly apprentice shoots me a warning look that makes me laugh. Emerald and Jewel are busy trying to meet both of Applepaw’s littermates and I purr at their enthusiasm.

“Applepaw has probably told you how little fun we are, but I promise we’re better.” Firepaw promises, mischievous.

Sunpaw rolls her eyes. “They compete for title of ‘worst apprentice ever’. It’s a show to watch, but annoying to be their sister.”

“I feel you,” I twitch my whiskers, pretending to glance at my sisters in distaste. “You should see them when they find the perfect playmate.”

Jewel glances up with imploring eyes and I bend down to touch my nose to hers. “Kidding,” I purr.

It’s then that Terran pads up to me. “Bryce,” he greets, though his sky-blue eyes concern me. They run over me several times before Terran bumps me with his shoulder. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” I frown, “are you?”

“Fine,” he says gustily, “you look really tense.”

I bite my lip. “It’s just the situation.” I glance over at the two sets of siblings. “Applepaw, can you take my sisters to the den?”

“Sure thing,” she ushers my sisters along, with Sunpaw and Firepaw following, bickering about how much fun is too much.

“You need to be more serious!” Sunpaw reprimands.

“You sound like Mom!” Firepaw shouts.

Sunpaw says something that I don’t hear and they disappear into the den. Terran looks amused at this, but his serious expression returns quickly. “You’ve been tense since we’ve returned from the Twolegplace, Bryce. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I protest, “it’s just with Hawkstar’s sudden death piling up with the danger from the Vipers…”

“We haven’t heard from the Vipers since Hawkstar’s death,” Terran reminds me. I desperately want to correct him and tell him that we haven’t heard from the Vipers since the last invasion that had injured Nightshadow.

“Bryce,” Terran continues when I don’t speak up, “something’s up and I know it. I know you better than that.”

“Do you?” I counter, “We’ve barely known each other for a moon now.”

The white tom looks frustrated. “I’m just trying to care for your wellbeing! Something happened in the Twolegplace that you’re not telling me.”

“I’m not keeping any secrets,” I insist.

Terran’s blue eyes are disapproving. “Don’t lie to me, Bryce,” he says softly, “did something happen?”

“If you know the answer to that,” I mutter, “why are you still asking?”

Terran bristles. “I want you to tell me yourself! We have to be honest to each other, Bryce. That’s what friends are for.”

I debate on what I should tell him. Obviously I couldn’t shake him off. “Karina told me about what you asked her,” Terran finally says, “about my father and all. Why did you want to know about him?”

I open my mouth to speak but Terran interrupts. “And don’t say you were curious,” he snaps, “you’ve never been curious before and I’ve told you everything I knew about my father.”

“I was in prison,” I roll my eyes, “you could have been withholding information because you didn’t know if you could trust me or not.”

“If that was the case I wouldn’t have told you at all!”

We stare at each other, eyes mixed with fury and frustration. Terran softens first. He draws closer to me. “Please, Bryce. I need to know that you trust me. How can we be in a relationship if we don’t trust each other?”

Relationship? My mind goes fuzzy at that word. But I ignore it. “I don’t want to keep “secrets from you,” I whisper.

“Then don’t.”

“Who was your father, Terran?”

“I’ve told you,” Terran draws away and immediately I feel the cold wind brushing between us. “I don’t know anything about him other than he died.”

“He didn’t die,” I blurt out.

Terran takes a step back in shock. “Bryce,” he narrows his eyes, “where did you get this information?”

“I don’t know,” I admit. His eyes darken and I hurriedly explain. “No, not like that! I’m not hiding anything, I promise.” I nearly wince at that blatant lie. “Some mysterious cat told me when I went outside last night. She said it would be important.”

Terran’s expression closes off. “Why didn’t you tell me or Karina this last night? Why try to hide it?”

“I didn’t think--”

“This is our father we’re talking about, Bryce,” he digs his claws into the dirt, “what if it was your father?”

“My father’s dead!” I shout, “I saw him die!”

Terran flinches. He doesn’t apologize. “Bryce, you should have told me,” he shakes his head ruefully, “I know we’ve been stressed about Hawkstar’s death and incidents that happened in the Twolegplace, but you have to realize that you can’t just keep this stuff to yourself. Is there anything else you want me to know?”

His eyes are sharp and meaningful. “No,” I manage to say, swallowing hard. I’m not ready to talk about the Blood Army and whatever ties they might have with my family.

Terran turns and stalks away. I watch him go quietly. Suddenly, it clicks in my head. Why else would Terran’s father be so important to me other than the fact that Terran thought he was dead?

It’s all connected.

It had to be. Someone had to be the genius behind all of these poisoned flowers and the Blood Army’s tactics.

Terran’s father had to be the one, or else why would the Blood Army want him? I found myself considering many other options, but I could find no other reason that the she-cat would want me to know where he was.

I have to figure this out, and soon.

The End.