Disclaimer: I don't own the Warrior Cats series!
Title: Ruffled Fur
Summary: Sequel to Resilience. With two WindClan cats dead and one RiverClan apprentice brutally injured from a horrible attack, the two Clans are too busy fighting each other to do much of anything against the actual cause. If peace is going to reign once again, it's going to be up to two unlikely allies to save the day.
Chapter Title: Prologue
...
WindClan:
Leader: Beetlestar- white and brown she-cat
Deputy: Ravenfur- all black tom
Medicine Cat: Birdleap- stone gray tom
Apprentice: Petalfoot- black she-cat with white paws, belly, and chin; back right leg is white up to the joint. A deep scar just under her front leg.
Warriors:
Maplewing- red and white tom
Apprentice: Owlpaw
Stagclaw- black and white she-cat
Redeye- albino tom
Heathertuft- white and brown she-cat with white paws
Raintail- gray she-cat with white belly and paws
Foxpelt- ginger tom
Lichenfang- brown and black she-cat.
Brackenheart- white tom
Apprentice: Finchpaw
Stripeface- dark gray tabby tom with black stripes
Beeheart- gray tom with old scars across one eye
Deertail- brown and white tom
Queens:
Shadestorm- brown and black dappled she-cat. Mother to Runningkit (black and white tom) and Swankit (creamy yellow she-cat with a brown face, ears, and paws)
Wolfbreeze- white she-cat. Mother to Lilykit (long-furred silver tabby she-cat with a bald patch on the stomach), Stormkit (short-furred gray tabby she-cat), Curlkit (brown and white she-cat with curled-up ear tips), and Icekit (gray and white spotted she-cat)
Apprentices:
Owlpaw- gray tom with white front paws and muzzle
Finchpaw- light ginger tom
Elders:
Silverstep- silver tabby she-cat
Firefoot- flame-point tom
Tinytooth- small lilac tom
RiverClan:
Leader: Graystar- gray long-furred she-cat with a scar across her chest
Deputy: Volespring- brown she-cat with small ears; missing half her right ear, a clawmark across her left eye, and a mangled back right foot
Apprentice: Patchpaw
Medicine Cat: Whitestripe- brown and white tabby she-cat
Apprentice: Tansypaw- tortoiseshell she-cat
Warriors:
Tallblaze- brown and white she-cat
Hawktail- gray and white tom
Dawnbelly- black and white tom with bright green eyes
Cherryfur- calico she-cat
Apprentice: Otterpaw
Blackstorm- gray and orange calico she-cat
Apprentice: Stonepaw
Fluffywing- creamy yellow tom. Formerly a kittypet
Cloudwillow- long-legged mottled tom
Rowanfish- dark brown tabby she-cat with a thick scar across her throat. Formerly a loner.
Apprentice: Hollypaw
Sedgefeather- brown and black tom
Apprentice: Pikepaw
Lioncreek- long-furred white tom with three legs.
Apprentices:
Patchpaw- calico she-cat
Hollypaw- orange and white she-cat
Stonepaw- dark gray she-cat
Otterpaw- brown she-cat with a dark brown muzzle
Pikepaw- white and brown tabby she-cat
Elders:
Stonebird- gray tabby tom
Carpjaw- speckled tom with distended jaw
ThunderClan:
Leader: Foxstar
Deputy: Unknown
ShadowClan:
Leader: Brightstar
Deputy: Unknown
The cool breeze of Leaf-fall ruffled through the black and white molly's fur as she made her way across the moor she called home. The stars shined clearly above, lighting up the heather. The quarter-moon was bright and solid. Petalfoot glanced over her shoulder, scenting the air in order to make sure she wasn't being followed. The air was light and crisp, and filled with the smell of rabbits.
A bright white speck appeared out of the corner of her eye as she padded on. Petalfoot bunched up her muscles, taking off full-pelt towards it. The warrior waiting for her did the same. His pelt was long and robust, striking against the foliage. As they collided, Petalfoot thudded against the stub of his right leg, laughing wildly. Lioncreek's tongue rasped across Petalfoot's fur as they stood, blue eyes shining bright.
"I've missed you!" he meowed. "It's practically impossible to get any alone time with you, medicine cat."
Petalfoot purred at the warrior as they pulled apart. "Speaking of; where's Sedgefeather?"
Lioncreek shook his head. "It'd be too suspicious for both of us to sneak out." His whiskers quivered with barely contained excitement. "Besides; he's tuckered out from training Pikepaw."
"Sedgefeather got his first apprentice?" she gasped. "I'm so happy for him!"
"So am I!" Lioncreek nosed her forehead. "He got all worried 'cause Graystar didn't give me one of Rowanfish and Cloudwillow's kits, but I don't mind. I'm not even sure I want to be a mentor."
Petalfoot pressed against his side comfortingly, nosing his chin. She hadn't realized how much she missed the RiverClan warrior's upbeat charms until they were muzzle-to-muzzle. It's a pity Lioncreek and Stripeface haven't met yet. They'd get along like two elders at the prey-pile. "Aren't Patchpaw and Hollypaw close to being made warriors by now? I always thought they'd get their names before the litter did."
He nodded eagerly. "They are. Rowanfish and Volespring are taking them on their final assessment in a couple of days." Lioncreek tipped his head to the side. "How about you? Any future medicine cats?"
"Not that I'm aware of. Runningkit and Swankit are about a moon away, but neither of them have shown any interest." Petalfoot shrugged. "Maybe one of the four will join the den. They're too young to tell."
"That'd sure be fun, huh? Getting to train one of your nieces?" His ears flicked backward, wary of interruption, but it was only the lake splashing against the shore. "And your little brothers will be warriors soon too. We can get the whole family together for a celebration!"
Petalfoot studied her white paws. "Somehow, I doubt Hollypaw will be all that interested in coming to see a bunch of WindClan cats. Especially ones related to me."
Lioncreek wound his fluffy white tail around hers. "I'd be interested, and I know that Sedgefeather and Patchpaw and Tansypaw would be too," he meowed quietly. "If Hollypaw wants to spend her life holding grudges, that's her choice. We're kin now, and I'm not going to forget that."
A flicker of doubt echoed in Petalfoot's chest as she nuzzled him. It had occurred to her, more than once, that a very bad impression could be given off by them meeting in the middle of the night alone. Everyone whispers about me and RiverClan, but no one ever seems to notice him hanging around me. Was their bond really worth risking Lioncreek's reputation?
"Hey, I see that look." Lioncreek ducked his head to nose her chin, tilting it up at the clear sky. "If StarClan minded, they'd tell us. And if they don't mind, why should we?"
Because StarClan doesn't rule everything in this world. Petalfoot's paws shook a bit at the familiar whisper in the back of her mind. Most medicine cats had an experienced StarClan warrior as their guide to prophecies and foretelling, but she had been given an apprentice and kit. And while Petalfoot loved seeing Featherpaw and Poppykit at the Moonpool and in her dreams, she couldn't help but worry if she was at a bit of a disadvantage.
What if StarClan didn't approve, but her young, free-spirited companions stubbornly hid it from her? They'd both died defying the rules of the Clans; Featherpaw had gone with Stonebird and Carpjaw to fight badgers against the word of their leader, and Poppykit had met an equally gory end trying to help Petalfoot get home, bleeding out from an attack by the same predators. It was in their nature.
"I have Poppykit's blood on my paws," she said, wincing internally at the reminder. "I can't say as I blame Hollypaw for hating me."
Lioncreek didn't reply. He looked out over the lake, dark and fathomless in the night. In a sense, his blood was on her paws too; it had been Petalfoot and Whitestripe who suggested hiding in Rowanfish's cave, and Lioncreek had lost his arm saving his mentor, Hawktail, from falling to his death. But that incident had brought the medicine cat closer to the warrior and his brother, rather than splitting them apart.
"Those days are long behind us," Lioncreek told her. "Look at the water. It's smooth and peaceful. And so are the Clans. We should savor that while we can."
Yes, Petalfoot thought, burying her nose in his pelt. We should. She reached out to tap the nub with the paw that carried the scar from fighting badgers, whispering the familiar words under their breathes. "Arm buds."
Author's Note: Yes, I'm writing more Petalfoot. She's just really fun and comforting to write. I doubt this will be nearly as long as Resilience, but it's a sort of sequel to the story.
Ironically, Petalfoot isn't going to be the main voice in this story. It's gonna flip-flop a bit here and there, I think. You'll see soon.
-Mandaree1