This still felt very unnatural to her, and no matter how much time she spent here with them it never seemed to change. A very petite sized she-cat moved almost stiffly across the worn wood of the fallen tree. She could almost feel the weight behind her shifting with each paw step she took. A Broad-shouldered, large golden tabby tom with a ruff of fur around his neck, paler paws, and sun-coloured amber eyes, followed directly behind her. She knew his eyes were boring into her with each step she took, Wildfire couldn't blame him. The first time she walked along the bridge she had fallen into the water. Due to her injury with those foxes, she had sustained a slight limp in the front left paw, as well as a bad mild injury that liked to surprise her with random attacks of headaches or worse. During that fall it was also her first time meeting another clan leader, for it was Mistystar, Riverclan's leader, who had been the one who rescued her from the water. She had shaken it off, never one to dwell on mistakes or accidents.
But since then her former mentor, Lionblaze, was attached to her hip whenever she crossed the bridge to the island. Ahead of her, she could make out the broad form of her leader, Bramblestar, now normally his mate and deputy, Squirrelflight was directly behind him. But due to her sudden birth, a replacement deputy had been chosen in her absents. Thunderclan itself was late because before coming here they held a meeting for her, Squirrleflight for some odd reason has chosen Wildfire as her replacement. She was a substitute deputy, but she doubted that would revoke any of the nicknames the other clan cats had for her. Since the incident with the fall, they've come up with all types of names for her. Soggypaw, Wetpelt, Drowningfurball, Softpaw and so on. It didn't help that she had a kittypet background, she had heard countless tales about Firestar, the leader before Bramblestar. He was on the tongues of elders, warriors, even kits. She didn't know why but the cats in Thunderclan seemed to enjoy comparing her to Firestar, often using him as encouragement when she failed some simple task. She wasn't Firestar, yes they both had kittypet backgrounds, and sure she looked a little like him, but she was very sure she was nothing like this grand leader.
She hoped that none of them were expecting her to take his place or fill his paw steps. She was drawn out of her thoughts when she felt a light shove from behind, a head-butting her haunches. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing Lionblaze frowning at her. She noticed their leader, Bramblestar was already on the other side, seeing as she was directly behind him she found herself holding up the line. She quickly got her legs into gear, hurrying off the bridge. Once Bramablestar's saw she was safely on the ground, he gave her a concerning look, yet it was still fixed with a stern glint. "You were holding up the line." The tom's tail waved in the direction of the bridge. She must have stopped when she got lost in thought, a minor habit of hers.
"Sorry, I was thinking." Wildfire told him, a sheepish smile on her maw. The leader continued to look down at her until he heard another leader calling his name. He gave her one more glance before noticing Lionblaze coming up behind her and parted ways.
"Is something wrong? You sort of just froze up there?" Lionblaze padded around her small frame and took a seat beside her. Wildfire has never been very good with concerns of others upon her. She was used to being the one listening to others and doing the comforting. The cats in Thunderclan were far too nice.
"Of course she's fine, she's not a kit." A sharp comment came from a small, thin, gray tabby tom. He had blind, pale, blue eyes like a jay's wing, and a scar running down one side of his flank. Jayfeather, the medicine cat of Thunderclan, padded over to them. Wildfire was taking back the whole nice thing whenever Jayfeather was involved. "She's not an apprentice anymore, and technically she outranks you, so stop fussing over her." Lionblaze's eyes turned over to his brother, but from the look they shared she was getting the feeling there was more to Jayfeather's words then she was understanding. Jayfeather had been the one who helped use her front leg again, but Bramblestar and Lionblaze were the ones who helped her retrain her body and taught her about the clans. Before the two could get into a bickering argument, she quickly spoke up.
"I am going to look around." Wildfire, rose quickly to her little paws, ears twisting to catch Lionblaze saying something about not straying too far, before searching for someone to chat with. She was doing her best not to bump into anyone along the way. She had a scar on the side of her head, a noticeable limp in her walk, and some head trauma. Jayfeather had told her when she had first woken up in Thunderclan, that she had been running and her front paw got stuck in a hole or burrow of some animal. Because of the speed and momentum, her front leg snapped like twig. It made her stumble forward and resulted in her tumbling down a hill, where blood pooling out of her head as it had connected with a something rather hard. It was all healed now, but still hurt here and there. Wildfire noticed she was getting funny looks, kittypet on the tongues of those she passed, making friends outside of the clan was rather hard. But it wasn't as if she'd give up, there had to be someone here to talk to.
The she-cat slide around a group of cats as she made her way past them. She could hear bits and pieces of clan chatter among them. Some of them spoke about their apprentices, others kits and mates, and a few discussed the prey and weather. Wildfire would have enjoyed listening in on some of the conversations, but she's had far too many times where cats would accuse her of spying or eavesdropping. She could have had a simple explanation on her tongue, but somehow all the accusations would turn into insults and name calling. It was normally Lionblaze or one of the other Thunderclan cats who jumped down anyone's throat who brought up her kittypet origins. She wished they didn't though, So long as there were no claws and fangs involved, she had no problem holding her own.
She found herself moving backward as a pair of larger Shadowclan cats passed by her, it nearly caused her to collide with a group of apprentices showing off their moves. She caught herself at the last second, avoiding bumping into a creamy colored she-cat by a tail length. She felt like she was in the way at the moment. There were normally a few cats from Riverclan who didn't mind talking to her, but she didn't see their faces among the cats who had come to the gathering this moon. She didn't want to rely on Lionblaze for every little thing, she always felt like a third wheel whenever she was near him and he chatted with some older clan cats. She decided to search for a place off to the side and out of sight, she was rather sure she heard one of her nicknames called out as she began heading off. It sounded like Soaked hairball. That one was new.
As she sighed a smaller area clear of cats farther back she began heading that way. Her paws propelled her backward as another herd of cats passed by her. She knew she was small and all that, but she didn't think she was that invisible.
"Kittypet?" Wildfire's muscles jumped underneath her pelt. The fur on her back rose in aggravation as she heard that name called. She ignored the stupid nicknames they all kept calling since her fall, but that one regarding her backgrounds always managed to get her fur in a bunch. She lifted her head, ears slightly pulled back as her fierce green eyes settled on the vivid orange ones. She fought off the hiss rising in her chest while glaring at the tom towering over her. He was a mixture of black and orange, the face was mostly black with a few splashes of orange breaking through the solid color. He was solid, perhaps a little smaller then Lionblaze but heavier built and bulkier. It looked as if he never smiled in his life, for a frown marred his handsome features. He was possibly one of the most good looking cats here, attractive in an almost feminine manner. There were noticeable scars, one on the face going diagonally from the right ear across the right eye, over the bridge of the nose, and stopping at the end of the left cheek. There was another larger one on the front chest, in the shape of an x like a target. The scars only seemed to enhance the physical appearance.
The scent that wafted over screamed Windclan. She didn't think she knew who this cat was she was no good with names but faces she remembered and she would have remembered this face.
"My name is Wildfire, Fox-heart." She snorted with an eyeroll. "Don't call me a kittypet." That word got on her nerves to no end. "What do you want?" She questioned. She wasn't sure if the cat wanted to pick a fight or what, but he was clearly not one Wildfire wanted to befriend. Wildfire could feel eyes burning into her back, she assumed it was Lionblaze. That tom had a serious overprotective streak, her eyes flickered towards the gathering leaders before settling on the fox-hearted Windclan cat.
"Fox-heart? Your well known for your prickly tongue, I was hoping for something a little better. Is that all your flea-bag clanmates could teach you?" The cat meowed, the voice was deep but not as deep as most toms it had a more alto tone to it. As he sat down right in front of her his head lifted as he stared down the broad-shouldered tom staring in their direction.
A scowl pulled at her maw as she was basically insulted on her insults. Well, sooooorry! Insult 101 hadn't been a part of her lessons in becoming a warrior. Maybe Jayfeather would give her some lessons, he always seemed full of insults. The bushy tail behind her waved back and forth in forceful motions, expelling her obvious annoyance with this cat. Wildfire's eyes glanced at the fangs that showed up as he began to smirked at her. This cat was really eerie now that she thought about it, but she didn't let that intimidate her. "I am sorry, Sir Fussy Britches, I'll make sure to have one of the Thunderclan cats brush me up on insults when I have the time." She meowed in a sarcastic tone. She was alright with insults, but the lango between warriors and kittypets seemed to be rather diverse and different.
She already knew Lionblaze was still staring in their direction. She turned her head ready to tell him to go away but was saved the trouble. A smoky-grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes showed up. She caught the word "Holly " before Cinderheart led her mate away. She assumed they were talking about their kit, Hollytuft. She returned to watching this cat who wasn't looking at her at the moment. She noted how long curved claws slipped out of paws and an almost crooked smirk formed on his maw as if he were waiting for Lionblaze to come and confront him. He went back to her looking slightly confused on the name she had called him.
"Is that some kittypet term? Am I to feel insulted?" Amusement heavily laced with his words. "Relax, kittypet. I just want to inquire some information from you."
"It's not a kittypet term, it's my term. You can take it however, insult or not? I don't care and I told you, my name is Wildfire." She huffed, restraining the urge to growl. The first time she had heard a wild cat's term of an insult was when Jayfeather called her mouse-hearted for not wanting to eat fresh kill. It had been some many moons back, but she had given him a blank stare after he had called her it. There were still a few things that confused, terms she needed to learn, but she felt she was doing pretty well if you asked her. The Thunderclan cat twisted her head as her eyes glanced upwards for a moment. The moon hung high in the sky, stars glittered directly beside it. It had taken her a long time to process that there were cats in the sky and to fully understand and believe in Starclan. Now and that she had her skeptical moments, but the cats of Thunderclan, as well as the other clans, always assured they were there watching. "And why me, there are other cats to talk to." She dropped her chin and returned her eyes to the tom.
"Yes, but none looked as lost as you. Besides what I want to know involves your clan."He mused with a yawn. "Where is Squirrleflight?" It was a question that has been passed around since Thunderclan showed up, although no one had yet asked it. A looked of puzzlement met the other's eyes at the question. Squirrelflight? Since when did Windclan concern themselves with Thunderclan members? This one was certainly one of the odder Windclan warriors.
"What do I look like her keeper?" Her tone bubbling with natural sarcasm. "She's back at camp." She meowed afterward, giving a vague answer seeing as Bramblestar would be giving one of his own soon enough. She didn't know what the leader was going to say about Squirrelflight and didn't want to contradict anything. She nearly jumped out of her fur when she heard the snappy tone sounding behind her.
"Mouse-brain, your suppose to be with the other deputies." Wildfire turned her head to gaze at the hazy gaze of her medicine cat. Jayfeather had his eyes directed over her shoulder, but it always felt like he was staring right at her, which was kind of creepy. His nostrils were flaring, telling her he had already picked up the tom's scent, but he seemed to ignore him.
"You could have told me that sooner." Wildfire shot back as Jayfeather continued "looking" in the tom's direction.
"Squirrelflight goes straight up to the deputies every gathering, it's common sense. Hurry up, Mistystar's going to start." He sounded irritable, but that was normal. As soon as he turned to walk off, a shout could be heard, and almost instantly jaws clamped shut, and heads were raised. Mistystar, the aged leader of Riverclan had stepped forward, forcing her hoarse voice into a yowl, just to silence the crowd of cats gathered below. and to gain their attention, of course.
"Uh-oh! Gotta go." She meowed, looking over her shoulder at tom. He was giving her a funny look, however, rose to stand as she did.
"We'll finish this later." He meowed, making it seem like they'd bee seeing one another again. As she turned to leave him she stopped as he spoke one more time. "Oh, and Wildfire, I'm a she-cat." Seriously?!
The first chapter is a little dull but will pick up soon. This is set a few moons after Bramblestar's Storm(if you read that).