a.n;; Just an idea that I came up with a while ago that I think I'm going to expand into a multi-chapter story. ^_^ I'd love to hear what you think. ❤
Thump-dun.
Thump-dun.
Thump-dun.
Berrynose could feel his heart crashing against his ribcage, could hear the blood pulsing through his veins as he lay in wait under the crescent moon. Everything was eerily vivid under the diamond light of the stars; he could easily count the number of pebbles that crunched beneath his paws, and the light rippled off of the lake in a dazzling sheen. He inhaled deeply, trying to stifle the fluttering panic that rises in his throat. The rest of the patrol is here, he knows, but still...trespassing on a Clan's territory like this feels wrong. It's all part of Firestar's plan to get even with RiverClan, but it doesn't seem right, or even like one of Firestar's ideas.
Well...the old Firestar, that is. he thinks glumly, recalling the swift change in Firestar's manner. As it seemed to the bulk of the Clan, the whiter Firestar's muzzle became, the more erratic his behavior became. There were no inventive training sessions, no more clever battle strategies, and more aggression and suspicion at Gatherings. From that some of the older warriors had said, Berrynose could safely assume that Firestar was beginning to take after the previous leader, Bluestar.
A small cough jolted Berrynose out of his thoughts. He glanced down at his apprentice, Molepaw, who was crouched next to him, the shadows of the ferns crossing over his umber-pelted body. The apprentice's amber eyes looked up at him inquiringly.
"What are you thinking about?" he mewed in a whisper.
"Keep your voice down!" Berrynose hissed back, glancing out toward the lake. "We've like, got to stay quiet until we spot the patrol."
"Okay, but what were you–"
"–just thinking about the plan, that's all."
"…so, I'm not the only one who's doubting it? I mean, I…" Molepaw trailed off; Berrynose thought that his son assumed that he was revealing treasonous thoughts. He had to admire the honor that had somehow ended up in Molepaw's character: Berrynose considered himself one of the best warriors, but not necessarily the noblest, and Poppyfrost…well, he wasn't quite sure. To be honest, he had never really thought about any noble qualities that she had…eh. He would worry about it later.
"It's alright; it's not treason if everyone else is thinking so." he mewed back gently. "And anyway, you don't have to worry; I'm one of the best fighters in the Clan, and–"
"Alright, alright, I know already. But, the other day, Thornclaw said that Firestar's…well, not like he used to be. I mean, I'm twelve moons old and he hasn't said a word about my ceremony and–oh! Look! Look over there, is that–?"
Berrynose glanced towards the lake again; he could make out eight feline figures traveling along the bank, silhouetted against the moonlight. He stood up, slowly, cautiously; out of the corner of his eye he could see Molepaw doing the same. It was time. The cream colored tom slid out of the cover of the undergrowth, inhaled, and screeched a cry to the sky. An answering caterwaul sounded from twenty paces behind them, and Berrynose could hear the paws of his Clanmates pound on the gravel. Eight pairs of eyes flashed towards Berrynose as he streaked towards them, unsheathing his claws and letting the adrenaline flow through his system, making his heart race and his mind whirl.
"ThunderClan, advance!" he heard Brambleclaw scream into the night as Berrynose pinned a cat down and kicked another away from him, beginning to wish that he hadn't raced ahead of the main battle patrol. A lash of claws lacerated his side, and he snarled, twisting around and plunging his fangs into a tangle of down-soft fur. The cat beneath him wriggled away, and another leapt on top of him, digging their claws into his shoulders. Berrynose's breath caught in his throat as sharp pain lanced down his flank. Struggling to get away, he flopped down and, taking advantage of his opponent's temporary confusion, rolled over and over, shaking the cat off. Anticipating another blow, Berrynose ran a few paces away from the melee to take a breath.
There, below the rise he was standing in, was a tangle of different colored pelts. He could hardly make out anyone who he didn't know; the ThunderClanners outnumbered the small WindClan patrol three to one. Well, wait, there was the cat who he first attacked, the one with the vivid blue eyes and soft fur, and Lionblaze and Dovewing were fighting the one who he pinned down earlier…
"Well, I don't think that they need me." he thought aloud, sitting on his haunches. "I mean, just look at them all! Must have picked up a trick or two from me. I guess I can stay here for the moment. I did my work, like, I called them all!" He paused in his monologue, remembering that Molepaw had actually spotted the WindClanners first. But it was a small detail, easily lost in a dramatic retelling of the battle, he supposed. He bent down and rasped at the claw marks at his shoulder, then stopped. Berrynose hated to see his creamy fur in this condition, streaked with blood and grimed with sand, but he would make such a bold appearance at home with the filth on. The only thing that he really needed to appear especially valiant was a wet pelt, to make it look as though he had almost been drowned in the lake...
Grinning to himself, Berrynose rose and strutted across the rise, headed towards the river. It wouldn't do for him to go to the lake; after all, there was a battle going on and he didn't want to get involved again. Along the way, he struck at an imaginary opponent, slashing through the fur of villains long past and eventually, shadowboxing at scores of opponents, all battle hungry and screaming for his blood–
Berrynose froze; was his imagination so vivid that he procured a scream that real? Blood pumping in his ears, he looked around him. No, there was nothing in the forest, not a flick of a tail on the sandy trail behind him, and on the river…
"Oh no…" he breathed. There, backing into the foaming water, was the aging form of Sandstorm. The skinny cat, almost nearing retirement, was being forced into the water by the two advancing felines (WindClan cats, no doubt), unable to parry their youthful blows. It didn't look like they had come from the battle; perhaps Sandstorm had caught them running back to camp, and had given chase? Well, he needed to do something, or she would probably drown. WindClan wasn't that low, to kill elderly cats in cold blood when they were obviously in control. Then again, if ThunderClan was attacking mere border patrols…
"Sandstorm!" he called, stumbling down the bank. "I'm coming, don't worry!"
The two cats swung around; Berrynose recognized one of them; the gold eyes of Breezepelt, the deputy, flashed at him angrily. Berrynose almost stopped then, a vivid memory of the sleek black cat dismembering a RiverClanner in a recent battle flew to the front of his mind. It would probably be better for his health if Berrynose just skipped this fight.
"Die!" he shrieked anyway, ignoring his doubts and barreling into Breezepelt's flank, lashing out with unsheathed claws. Breezepelt hissed in agony (or that's what Berrynose hoped it was, and not just annoyance) and knocked him off. Berrynose stumbled into Sandstorm, almost pushing her into the stream. His paws skidded on the smooth pebbles, completely annoyed. What a coward, just brushing Berrynose off like that!
"Go away, scum," snapped the other cat. It was a small, fluffy white shecat with gold eyes. It was difficult to tell her age; any grey fur around her muzzle was camouflaged by her ebony fur. "This isn't your battle."
"I'm from ThunderClan, and so is––"
"––Oh, so that makes it alright for a full battle patrol of warriors to attack a border patrol?" she sneered, stepping closer. She glanced to her right, as though to check something. Berrynose could see her fur spiking along her spine, and he mirrored her, positioning himself in front of Sandstorm who was crouched on the ground, wheezing. "The lot of you are just despicable, sinking so low."
"How dare you!" Berrynose spluttered. "We are ThunderClan, the strongest and the noblest! It's impossible for us to 'sink so low."
"Oh really?" the shecat pranced a step forwards, a smirk twisting her face. Berrynose was tempted to lean back, for she looked a little threatening, but...it wouldn't do to show any weakness. "Then sending elders into battle is 'noble'? 'Ol granny here is about to croak, even though we hardly even gave her a proper beating for trying to infiltrate our borders."
Berrynose wheeled around, fear suddenly fluttering in his heart. Firestar would flay him if Sandstorm––no, no, she was alright, just looking a little battered and weary. A heavy weight suddenly thudded onto his spine, knocking him over Sandstorm and into the stream. A scream tore out of his throat as razor sharp claws raked down his back, ripping through his fur and into his flesh. The water whipped the blood away from his wounds, staining the stream crimson. His eyes were squeezed shut, his mouth just barely above the water, and his legs were flailing in a desperate attempt to dislodge the cat––
The claws wedged in his back suddenly released their hold on him. Berrynose staggered shakily to his paws, and saw Sandstorm pinning the she cat down in the stream. Her green eyes were wild with an emotion that Berrynose couldn't recognize, and she pressed down on the cat's throat, forcing her muzzle into the water. The shecat bucked and kicked, but Sandstorm had a good hold on her, and had dredged up strength from somewhere in her frail body. Berrynose made a move to do something, anything, but his legs buckled and he crashed back into the water. He could do nothing for a moment but stare as the light slowly faded out of the WindClanner's golden eyes.
Sandstorm's breaths came out in ragged gasps, her eyes wide as she stared at the body that lay beneath her claws. The clouds shifted, and shafts of white moonlight poured onto the scene, setting the corpse's white fur aglow.
"W-what have I..." Berrynose heard Sandstorm's hoarse whisper as though from far away. His mind was reeling as he stood up, not even bothering to shake off the water from his pelt. All he could see was the way the life had drifted from the shecat's body, how she had suddenly stopped moving, as though taking a break...he had seen death on the battlefield before, but...this was different, closer, perhaps. She never had a chance, didn't even have an opportunity to fight back. He didn't even know her name.
He stepped forwards, next to Sandstorm.
What have we done? he thought, his eyes glued to the cat's body. She seemed to fragile now, limp and motionless. He could count the ribs on her flank; how had he not noticed how malnourished she was before? Suddenly, Sandstorm collapsed next to him, curling into a ball and shivering violently.
"A-are you alright?" Berrynose croaked, tearing his eyes away from the corpse. He crouched next to her, ignoring the freezing water that lapped at his sides. "Sandstorm, are you okay?"
Sandstorm didn't respond, still shaking.
"WindClan, attack!"
The battle cry rang out over the moors, sending every nerve in Berrynose's body on fire. Automatically, he leapt to his paws, and saw the sleek forms of WindClanners streaming over the rise to his left. Breezepelt led them, his eyes flashing in triumph as he raced over towards the lake. But, as though something caught his eye, he froze, and looked towards the stream. His jaws gaped open, and as the rest of WindClan bounded towards the lake, Onestar paused next to him, seeming to ask what was the matter. With a jerk of Breezepelt's ebony head, the leader of WindClan turned, and screamed in rage.
"Whitetail!" the tabby roared, lunging down the hill and through the stream.
Without a second thought, Berrynose lifted Sandstorm's limp form by the scruff of her ginger neck, and splashed through the stream and scrambled up the bank. Gasping for breath, he streaked through the forest, pulling Sandstorm along with sheer adrenaline and fear. The agonized sobs of Onestar echoed in his ears as he stumbled into the heart of the forest. Pebbles wedged in his paws, he tore through the undergrowth, dragging the shecat along. His heart was pumping so, so, ever so fast and he was jittery and shaking all over, and he hardly knew where he was going, only knowing that he needed to get back to camp, now, before...before...before something terrible happened. The gold eyes of the WindClanner flashed in his mind, and his stomach churned. Before he knew what was going on, the soft earth beneath his paws shifted to the smooth stone of the quarry, and with a miracle, he made it down the ledge into the clearing.
"Berrynose, Berrynose?"
His clanmates were all around him, their pelts brushing him and their eyes burning concern into his heart. Their touch broke him out of his panic: he let his legs give up on him, and sunk to the floor, finally letting his jaws let go of Sandstorm's scruff. Breathing hard, he watched as Jayfeather nosed his way through the crowd and began to examine Sandstorm before getting Brakenfur to help him drag the shecat to the medicine cat's den. Behind him, he vaguely noticed the battle patrol running into the clearing. A flash of ginger fire streaked down from the leader's den and raced into the clearing. The knot of cats parted before Firestar like the Red Sea.
"Berrynose," he rasped, his eyes narrowed and wide. "What just...I...Jayfeather wouldn't let me see her, so tell me, what happened?"
Firestar leaned towards Berrynose, a hint of a snarl lifting his lip, exposing yellowing teeth. Berrynose stared at him blankly for a moment, then shook himself.
Wake up! he thought. My leader is asking me a question!
And so, all of the details of the battle spilled out of Berrynose's mouth in a tangle. Only, they were a little different than what had actually happened. Whether it was merely Berrynose's overactive imagination or just an after-effect of his close shave with Onestar, but somehow, Berrynose had over-elaborated. According to what he said, Berrynose had been pulled away from the main battle by a horrible, drawn out scream, which ended up being Sandstorm, who was surrounded by an entire patrol of WindClanners. They had pinned her down, and Breezepelt was about to slit her throat when Berrynose had bravely barreled him over, and engaged in a fight with the entire patrol. He was forced to kill one, a shecat who had pinned Sandstorm down, but the rest fled unscathed. Throughout the entire oration, Firestar was silent.
"That will do," he rasped at the end, his eyes flashing emerald ice towards the surrounding cats. The Clan shrunk back, a little confused. "Brambleclaw, where are you?"
The dark tabby limped his way to Firestar, the various gashes along his neck, flank, and shoulders were bleeding profusely. Berrynose saw a nasty tear on his ear; it would most likely scar badly, disfiguring the handsome tom. With a flash of his normal vanity, Berrynose noted that none of his ears had notches.
"Yes, Firestar?" he mewed, his countenance flickering as Firestar regarded him with a cold gaze.
"Where were you when this happened?"
"I was fighting with the rest of the patrol, by the lake...why do you–"
"–and you didn't hear Sandstorm's scream?"
"I...I didn't, I mean... Firestar, you have to understand that there was a lot of screaming going on at the time." Brambleclaw's gold eyes flared as he spoke. Berrynose shifted from his position on the stone; things were heating up. "You sent a full battle patrol to ambush one of their border patrols. You know that we could have easily over-powered them with half as many warriors, and yet you insisted–"
"Silence!" Firestar hissed, his hackles rising. "The leader's rule is law! Don't you dare challenge me, Brambleclaw, or have I been wrong about you all along?"
With a bristling pelt, Firestar stalked off to the leader's den, slipping back inside it's dark crevices. The rest of the Clan dispersed, most heading back to their dens or greeting the patrol. Berrynose was beginning to feel a bit better, but as he tried to stand up, a flash of pain jolted through his back, making him wince. It hurt to stand, but as he took a step he realized that it hurt even more to walk. And he needed to get to the medicine cat's den to do something about the hot blood that was beginning to slowly drip down his flanks...
"Let me help you." a soft voice whispered in his ear, and he gratefully leaned onto the speaker's side. He knew that it was the Clan's pariah, Leafpool, but he was just so worn out and tired that he would have let even the mythical Tigerstar help him. The two of them made their way quietly to the medicine cat's den, and no one paid them any attention. Berrynose was a little miffed, as he was feeling a bit more coherent and in the mood for some story telling. Where was Molepaw? Or even Cherrypaw or Poppyfrost? He could understand why his buddies––Mousewhisker and Birchfall––weren't crowding around him, wanting to hear his story, for they had been in the battle as well. But his immediate family...
"Berrynose, I can help you walk but I can't make you duck down."
"Eh?"
Leafpool sighed, her amber eyes flashing up at him. "We're at the den. Come on, I'll get you fixed up."
"Oh, okay..." Berrynose mewed, blinking. He hadn't noticed that he was in front of the medicine cat's den. Carefully, so as not to brush his back against the rough stone, he slithered through the crevice and into the spacious confines of the den. He could hear Jayfeather rummaging in the herb storage area in the back of the den, and he saw Briarlight's slim form silhouetted against the moonlight that filtered in. Berrynose caught a glimpse of a ball of sandy fur behind her: Sandstorm.
"Hello," Briarlight chirped, lifting her head in way of a greeting. "Jayfeather's in the back, getting some herbs, so–"
"–I'm right here." the rasp of Jayfeather's voice made Briarlight jump, her ears pinned back. She wheeled around, and scowled up at the medicine cat's lanky form.
"I wish that you wouldn't do that," she mewed, a grin disguised in her voice. "Anyway, Berrynose is–"
"–I know, I know. Berrynose, could you give me a brief description of–-" Jayfeather's blind eyes suddenly widened, and Berrynose could feel Leafpool stiffening. "Leafpool...what are you...never mind. Berrynose, I'll get to you in a moment–"
"–I was thinking that I could treat Berrynose." mewed Leafpool, stepping in front of Berrynose.
"I was thinking otherwise." Berrynose cringed at Jayfeather's statement; that was harsh. He realized that he hadn't noticed the animosity that ran between the two before. But still, it was a small matter, certainly nothing that he needed to pay attention to.
"Well I was thinking about the line of warriors outside your den, waiting to be healed," Leafpool snapped, her pelt bristling as the tension in the small den rose a notch. Berrynose exchanged a glance with Briarlight, who seemed startled at Jayfeather's brusque manner. "You need to remember that you're not the only one who's a medici– who has training."
Jayfeather's lip curled with cynicism, but he relented, streaking past Berrynose and into the clearing. Sighing, Berrynose staggered towards an empty clump of moss, tossing himself down with a melodramatic groan of pain. A moment later, he regretted being so dramatic as a tingle of pain crawled up his spine, eliciting an authentic snarl of agony from him.
"What did Jayfeather give Sandstorm?" mewed Leafpool, apparently to Briarlight.
"Uhm...poppy seeds, and I think some comfrey. He also treated her wounds with marigold."
"I see...I would have recommended some honey, as I've found that it's useful for shock. I think that I told him that, too, but I suppose he thought it best to revert back to the more traditional remedies... " Berrynose shut his eyes tight, a growl rising in his throat. Why was she so focused on Sandstorm? He was laying there, injured and in complete agony while she was babbling on... "Now...oh, wonderful, he's rearranged the stores. They're a total mess too, with everything scattered about... Briarlight, do you know where the cobwebs and marigold are kept?"
"I think that they're near the juniper berries, but I don't know."
"There they are, thank you."
A second later, a poultice of cooling herbs was being gently layered on to Berrynose's wounds. He hissed in relief, and let himself relax all the way, sinking into the billowing moss.
"Hey, Leafpool, are you planning to resume medicine cat duties?" Briarlight mewed, a note of hesitancy in her voice.
"Perhaps...I'm not so sure yet. I think that, by the way things are going, the Clan is going to need another medicine cat. So unless Jayfeather finally decides to take on an apprentice..."
The two shecats continued to talk, and Berrynose (ever the gossip monger) tried to listen, but the weariness was just seeping from his limbs, and his eyelids just grew heavier and heavier...