Sometimes I like to veer off from the path of writing a story and just write oneshots. They're quick and easy to write and that's what I enjoy about them.
I have decided that I will write some oneshots between my other stories (Dying Embers is on hold at the moment, as is Forbidden But True). Some of my ideas may not be based off of factual happenings from the books, but rather what I feel could quite possibly be true, even if they did not happen.
Please no flames about what pairings you do not like or the way I portray certain characters. I will try and cite the approximant time around the scene and the pairing I will be writing about, and possibly what the scene is about. Some of these additions may be poems or just short stories, depends on what I feel like actually writing. Some songfics may be included as well.
R&R please. This oneshot takes place between Midnight and Moonrise, after Midnight tells the journeying cats of what is happening in the forest.
The steady slapping of the salty water against the short edge of the stone cave that housed the five cats and one badger greeted Squirrelpaw as she woke from her light sleep. Blinking in the darkness, she waited for her eyes to adjust, finding it almost difficult to see through the veil of her darkened surroundings. Her mind clearing of her momentary confusion, Squirrelpaw suddenly realized what had woken her so early in the morning; Brambleclaw had fallen asleep beside her that night and now the space next to her was vacant.
Briefly wondering where Brambleclaw had gone, Squirrelpaw flexed her claws as she stretched before hauling herself off the floor of the cave. She yawned, stretching her jaws as wide as they could go before they snapped shut. Squirrelpaw's gaze flickered around the cave, but she didn't spot the dark tabby pelt anywhere.
Concern replaced Squirrelpaw's weariness and her eyes narrowed as she made her way across the sandy floor of the cave and into the tunnel that led up to cliff top where grass met her paws. A fresh waft of air rustled her ginger fur slightly as she surveyed her surroundings, searching for a sign of Brambleclaw. The concern grew to intense worry when she found that her Clanmate was nowhere to be found. Fear gripped her as she peered over the edge of the cliff to make sure that Brambleclaw had not fallen as he had the day before, but the soil was undisturbed.
Squirrelpaw straightened and she sighed, closing her eyes and wrapping her tail tightly around herself. She hoped that Brambleclaw was alright, wherever he was, and that he had not abandoned them, the mission. His scent wreathed around her, but it was slightly stale to her, and Squirrelpaw decided not to follow it; if he had gone away for a reason than she would trust him to come back safely and willingly.
Opening her eyes again, she stared out across the endless water stretching to an enormous distance, every star reflected brightly in the ripples of the dark liquid. A sense of serenity washed over her and the worry for Brambleclaw was pushed to the back of her mind and she rather thought of the mission itself.
How are we supposed to save the Clans? All of us aren't leaders or medicine cats; Crowpaw and I are just apprentices! Squirrelpaw wondered, and she suddenly regretted coming on the journey. If she hadn't then she probably wouldn't have slowed down the procession, always quarreling with some cat—mostly Crowpaw or Brambleclaw. She could have been able to mend her relationship with her father if she had stayed, and wouldn't be burdened with the task to save every last one of the Clan cats, from the kits to the elders.
Having been so caught up in her thoughts, Squirrelpaw hadn't noticed the slight sound of pawsteps behind her and when fur brushed against her flank, she jumped in surprise. Turning to the intruder she her teeth bared, suspicious of an attacker. Squirrelpaw quickly relaxed her tense muscles when she realized it was Brambleclaw; with a plump rabbit was hanging from his jaws.
"You nearly scared me out of my fur!" Squirrelpaw hissed, aggravated that he had successfully been able to sneak up on her without her knowing. Brambleclaw shrugged and he lowered his catch onto the grass, showing no sign of smugness of his achievement.
"You seemed deep in thought. What are you doing out here alone, at a time like this?" he asked curiously.
"I could ask you the same thing," Squirrelpaw shot back, her eyes narrowing and then softening, her tone becoming less sharp. "I thought you had left us. That you had decided that the pressure of the mission was too much for you."
Brambleclaw blinked and then touched his nose to her ear, giving her cheek an affectionate lick. "I will never leave, no matter how hard the journey gets. How could you believe that I would do such a thing?" he meowed quietly. Squirrelpaw shook her head, but she stayed silent as she pressed her face into his fur. With a jolt, Brambleclaw realized just how worked up the dark ginger she-cat had been in his absence. "Were you really that scared for me?"
Squirrelpaw pulled away from him, looking up at him with wide green eyes. "Of course I was! How could I not be when you disappear the same night Midnight tells us that the forest back home will be destroyed by Twolegs! You could have very well left me alone to deal with Crowpaw by myself!"
A purr rumbled in Brambleclaw's throat. "I wouldn't leave you. Not even if it was because of Crowpaw's annoying outbursts. Didn't I already tell you that?" Pressing his fur against her comfortingly, his whiskers twitched, "We could always kick Crowpaw out anyway."
"That would be a useful solution," Squirrelpaw pondered thoughtfully, her eyes glinting mischievously. "But I have a feeling that Feathertail would never let that happen. She likes Crowpaw too much."
"Really? I hadn't noticed," Brambleclaw meowed, without being sarcastic at all. He shrugged. "I was never one for paying attention to other cats' love lives, anyway, just my own."
"Who's the lucky she-cat?" Squirrelpaw asked, trying not to sound too hopeful or desperate. She didn't want to push Brambleclaw into a relationship that he didn't want any part in, especially when they had the other half of their journey ahead of them. It would get a little awkward if things got out of hand.
"I haven't decided yet," he murmured, "But I do have a small clue as to what I think I may be feeling for a certain cat. I can tell you that she's in ThunderClan." His amber eyes stared into hers and she shivered under his gaze. Looking away from her, he looked down at the forgotten rabbit at his paws. "Do you want to share?"
Squirrelpaw blinked, having been entranced by the previous moments. She followed his gaze and nodded, crouching down, swallowing a mouthful of the rabbit before Brambleclaw had even been able to crouch down himself. Just as quickly as the rabbit had been caught, it was soon picked apart by the two cats until all that was left was an assortment of its bones. Brambleclaw swept the bones over the cliff and down into the salt water with his tail.
Squirrelpaw yawned. "Let's go back into the cave. I'm tired," she mewed and Brambleclaw nodded in agreement. Making their way to the hole in the cave roof, Squirrelpaw dropped through the gap and landed lightly inside, finding that their friends were still sleeping soundly. Brambleclaw landed silently next to her and led her to their original sleeping spot near the cave entrance.
Squirrelpaw settled onto the cave floor, curling into a tight ball. Brambleclaw lay stretched out beside her, giving her shoulder a quick lick before her rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes. Purring, Squirrelflight tucked her nose into her paws and rested her tail lightly over her muzzle. Soon, darkness engulfed her senses and she was fast asleep.
It's a little short, I know, but I did the best I could with it. I was thinking of adding on to it, but I figured that I could include that into a different oneshot. I just love Squirrel/Bramble pairing!