AN: Hey, everyone! This is the parallel story to my fic Love You To Death. Welcome back readers of that one; and hello to any new readers!!
The moon was bright in the sky, illuminating the snowflakes as they gently floated down from Silverpelt and dappled my coat, as well as the coats of the other cats on the moonhigh patrol. Brackenfur, Whitewing, and Cinderfur were those others. Everything had been very quiet in the forest tonight. Even the crickets seemed to be asleep!
The she-cats, as bored as I was, started gossiping about things. Whitewing looked at Cinderfur and asked, "Did you hear that Dustpelt might be joining the elders this greenleaf?"
My first thought upon hear this was- why did anyone actually care what was happening two whole seasons from now? As an afterthought, I noticed I was a bit curious to hear this conversation. He was not just my former mentor, but also the mate of my only sister.
Cinderfur looked surprised. "Really? He's still so vigorous!"
"He is twice my age," Brackenfur pointed out. "And this greencough is proving harsh on all infected with it."
The she-cats both nodded, understanding that. Whitewing flicked her tail tip and sighed, "It's still so hard to believe."
I bounded up to them from where I had been trailing behind in the back of the patrol. "Losing three of his kits took a lot out of him." I pointed out gently. I felt a pang in my heart as I recalled Ferncloud's grief over the death of Hollykit, Larchkit, and Shrewpaw. I added on a more humorous note, "Besides, Hazelpelt must have been hard to keep tabs on!"
We all chuckled at that. It had not been long since Hazelpelt and her brothers were made warriors. She was quieter then they were, but she was most definitely a spitfire.
Brackenfur purred, his tone playful, "I'm surprised he took another apprentice after Squirrelflight!" I tried not to flinch at the name. Brackenfur continued, "When she was a kit, we were all a little worried about who would mentor her. She was really headstrong."
"Her spirit made her a great warrior." Cinderfur commented conversationally, looking directly at Whitewing again. "Mother told us stories of the badger attack we were born during. She said that Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight got all of the other queens out. That has got to require a special sort of spirit."
I couldn't stop myself from mumbling, "Squirrelflight is a very special cat." The girls fell silent when they heard my bitter tone. Whitewing lowered her ears sympathetically. She was old enough to remember the days when Squirrelflight and I had a thing between us.
Every day. Every single day that passed just made it worse. It was like a blackthorn being ripped across my heart when I had to see that ginger cat with our deputy. Even when I looked at Lionpaw, I couldn't help but seeing his mother's fire burning inside of him.
Brackenfur, my closest friend in the Clan beside Thornclaw, gently set his tailtip on my shoulder. He mewed too quietly for the others to hear. "There are others, Ashfur. Look at how long it took for Sorreltail and I to come together. StaCclan will send you someone else to love, just give it time."
I said nothing as I looked away from him. There was a gentle scuttling up ahead, and Brackenfur snapped his ears forward. He signaled for us to stop and we did. Falling into the hunter's crouch, he steadily began to pad forward. When the vole came into sight he bolted forward.
The vole burrowed in the snow. Brackenfur lurched sideways suddenly, yowling in fright as he began to scrabble. His back legs had slipped over the sheer edge of the hollow. Gasping, I bolted forward to try and grab him. My teeth sank deeply into his foreleg because it was all I had the chance to get a grip on. Brackenfur wailed in pain and instinctively ripped his limb away from me. Half of a second later he had disappeared over the edge of the hollow.
"Brackenfur!" I hollered after him, my heart thrumming in my chest so violently I could swear it was trying to rip right out. His desperate cry was cut short, and I scrambled off of the ice. Whitewing and Cinderfur were already running towards the thorn barrier. I dashed after them, easily overtaking their speed as I burst through the tunnel leading to our camp.
Brightheart and Sandstorm were already at his side, Leafpool darting from her den to join them. I skidded beside Brightheart, my eyes wide with horror. Brackenfur was lying at an awkward position; I felt a small relief when I saw he was still breathing.
Firestar, Brambleclaw, and Mousefur had all arrived; the last of the awake cats gathered now around Brackenfur. Firestar asked calmly, "What happened?"
Whitewing's eyes were locked onto the unmoving body of her former mentor when she answered. "We were just returning from the patrol! He was hunting and just fell!"
"There was ice." I interjected, my voice sounding hollow to my own ears.
"Ashfur tried to grab him." Cinderfur added, her eyes drifting to his badly bleeding leg.
Not much else could be said before Leafpool began to bark orders. "Brambleclaw, Sandstorm, help me move him to my den. Everyone else stay out!" Obediently the two warriors heaved the unconscious cat to his feet, and the three of them slowly crossed the camp.
Sorreltail was the only cat allowed into the medicine cat's den while Brackenfur was being treated. Jaypaw would shout out Brackenfur's status to us when he had the chance.
Not doing so well.
There is hope.
Discovered a terrible shoulder injury.
Well, he's still breathing...
Several of us were sitting and waiting for a full report from Leafpool, while most made an effort to just go about their day. It was just after sunup when Hollypaw went streaking into the den. I stayed in the center of the clearing for a while until the young she-cat came back out. Firestar called her over and asked, "How's Brackenfur doing?"
"He won't be better until at least the full moon, I don't think." She answered glumly. "Leafpool wants him to rest right now."
"You'll need a new mentor until then." Firestar quietly informed her. I felt a strange spark of fire ignite inside of me. Hollypaw was my friend's apprentice. She was the sister to my own apprentice. She was... the daughter of the cat my heart loved. Some part of me felt obligated to take her under my wing, at least for a while.
I announced, "I'll take her." Her eyes snapped onto me, and Firestar tilted his head a little as he awaited an explanation to my eagerness. I stood beside Hollypaw; "I was just going to take Lionpaw out hunting. A little competition with his sister will be good for him."
Firestar nodded his acceptance, so I turned my gaze onto the apprentice. "Can you wake Lionpaw, and then meet me at the tunnel?"
She nodded before racing off. Firestar meowed, "I'll start asking around for permanent mentors this afternoon. You'll be fine with them both for today?"
I dipped my head, "Yes, Firestar."
Flicking his tail in a good-bye to me, he stalked towards Leafpool's den. I crossed the camp and nestled beside the thorn barrier, patiently waiting for my charges to arrive. The two cats bundled over a few moments later. I narrowed my eyes and sternly pointed out to Lionpaw, "The early riser catches the bird." I was getting very tired of his constant lagging!
Lionpaw lowered his head and muttered his usual excuse, "Sorry, Ashfur. I didn't get much sleep."
I snorted at him and turned, pushing through the thorn tunnel. I heard the apprentices whispering behind me, but paid them no attention. It was not long before Lionpaw had padded up to my shoulder. He asked, bright-eyed, "Are we doing battle training today, Ashfur?"
"No." I answered instantly. "Foxpaw and Icepaw are doing battle training, so somebody must hunt for the Clan. We're going hunting."
He fell silent as we made out way deep into the forest. I heard a dull thudding and dropped onto my haunches. Startled, the apprentices did the same. A squirrel was trying to open a nut a few yards away from us. I meowed quietly, "Lionpaw, you try for it."
Lionpaw moved forward, clumsily messing up the wrong sort of stalk. A greenhorn mistake! Lionpaw charged after it, the noise he made probably scaring half the forest. Hollypaw surprised me when she streaked forward and finished the squirrel off before it was out of sight.
My apprentice ended up running right into his sister. He took a step back and hissed angrily, "I was about to get it, Hollypaw! I can catch my own prey!"
I slowly padded forward. The spirited black apprentice's fur rose and she snarled, "You were nowhere close, Lionpaw! The Clan will never be fed with your poor stalking techniques." They glared at one another, each looking very defensive.
I came up beside them, growling in annoyance. "You took the words right out of my mouth, Hollypaw." My eyes narrowed sharply and I looked directly into Lionpaw's amber eyes, scolding, "You're too old to be making greenhorn mistakes like that! You're nearly a warrior, and you can't even catch a squirrel!"
The tom lowered his eyes when he realized what a disgrace he was to us both. Why did I have to mentor this tom? He was never focused anymore, and it made him look like a foolish apprentice. Not only that, it made me seem like a bad mentor! I never had this sort of trouble with Birchfall!
I smiled warmly at Hollypaw, not wanting her to feel I was angry with as well. She had shown rare agility and cleverness just now. It reminded me heavily of another she-cat I knew. "Good catch, though, Hollypaw. You're a brilliant hunter. Just like Squirrelflight."
"Thanks." she responded, sounding embarrassed with my praise.
I signaled for them to follow and changed direction. There was no way we'd find so much as a blink shrew around in this area. Lionpaw's heavy weight shook the ground; all the woodland creatures would have felt it and burrowed.
A wing fluttered somewhere near me, and several moments later I had caught the magpie which was startled by our patrol. On my way back to the apprentices I heard Lionpaw growl. He sprang and landed on his sister, flattening her into the snow. She slipped out of his grasp like a fish and delivered a strong blow to his shoulder.
Setting the bird down, I settled in to watch them practice. There was no harm in it, I suppose. Maybe Lionpaw needed to burn his energy so he could concentrate.
Lionpaw turned on his sister, his ears perking excitedly. He had that usual flame to his eyes as he struck Hollypaw back. His larger, heavier paw connected with her muzzle and she looked stunned. I couldn't hold back a glimmer of pride as I watched. Lionpaw was young and still had a lot to learn, but no cat could deny he was excelling at fighting with exceptional speed.
With a magnificent amount of grace, Hollypaw tripped her brother while managing to stay on her own paws. Snow was caught in her raven fur, making it sparkle like Silverpelt as the sunlight filtered upon her. I watched her well-toned muscles rippling beneath her pelt as she sprang on top of Lionpaw. Her foot jammed against his throat and she lifted her head.
I half-laughed and half-purred, "She wins." The hold the young cat had on her brother wouldn't be broken out of without Lionpaw choking. Hollypaw took a step off and let Lionpaw come to his paws. I felt myself unable to look away from the young she-cat. Why had I never noticed how much power she had under that slender body before?
"That was a good move!" Lionpaw praised, his voice snapping me back into reality. "Did Brackenfur teach it to you?"
"No," she declined, shaking her head a little. "I guess I just did it."
"You both did well." I assured them proudly. They would be warriors soon, and they would be an asset to ThunderClan.
A mouse scuttled near-by, and Lionpaw charged after it. My attention was totally on Hollypaw, still. Her coat was wet from rolling around in the snow, and I could assume Lionpaw's was as well. With greencough in the camp, they needed to return to their nests to dry themselves or they would fall sick before sunhigh tomorrow.
"Are we going to be out much longer, Ashfur?" she asked as she shivered, almost reading my mind.
I shook my head. "No, we'll return as soon as Lionpaw comes back." Her bright green gaze made my fur flush with the warmth of a thousand suns, and I said before I could stop myself, "You have your mother's eyes."
The she-cat looked terribly startled, and she attempted to cope with her surprise by answering, "Oh, well I've been told-"
The young cat fell silent when Lionpaw jumped through the bracken, two mice dangling from his jaws. Before another word could be said I clamped my magpie in my teeth and started for home.
