I heard the water crash against the rocks and I knew I would drown now. My life would end. That's what I wanted though. I was the very thing the Warrior Code spoke out against. A daughter of a ThunderClan medicine cat and a WindClan warrior, how worse can it get? The water started to rise. Then I murdered my own clanmate who threatened by siblings to the claws of the clans. Water hit my shoulders and I was thrown to the ground. He deserved to die though. He would have revealed what I was. I had to act so I took his life. Water filled my lungs. My time was coming to join StarClan. May they take a warrior who is a sin by nature and murderer through experience? No, they would not. The Dark Forest would call for me and I would go willingly since no one else would come to my rescue. I could feel my body being moved through the tunnel in a rush before I felt myself press against the rocks and knocked to the ground. "Hollyleaf!"Was all I could hear before I faded into the world beyond.
I shifted my weight and my head began to hurt. "So you're awake?" asked a voice. A male, that much I could tell and I sat up too fast the knocked my head on the roof. What did he want from me? I growled and opened my eyes at see a tom staring at me. He was an interesting looking feline with red and black patches on his face that I assumed covered his body. My claws unsheathed believing him to be a threat. His dull yellow gaze watched my claws seeming to be unafraid of me. "Put those away. Who do you think I am?" Asked the tom. I blinked in uncertainty. Yes, who was he and why was I here with him in his den? His scent covered the little den.
"I have no clue." I hissed, still thinking him to be a threat. I saw a sparkle in his eyes then and he flashed me a smile. He was pleased by my answer. "I am Sol. You and I are mates who live on the edge of the lake territory." He replied as his yellow hues glowed with amusement. My mate? But, I didn't feel anything towards him. He had information though and I could not think of anything from my past. "And what is my name, Sol?" I asked and suddenly he frowned. Had I displeased him? I hoped I had not.
"Do you not remember the life we shared together? You were going to have kits, but then you ran off to the tunnels for a reason I cannot recall. You had a miscarriage and the clan cats could have killed you before I got to you." Sol hissed at me. I guess I had been his mate if he was this angry by my lack of knowledge. Perhaps I should act for him that way he is not so hurt by me. "The kits?" I asked him. I felt a sense of loss, a real one. Even if I had been acting just then I felt I missing something that had been a big part of my life. My kits were dead because I gone to the tunnels without Sol. My selfish doing was my cubs' demise. I shivered at the thought.
"In the tunnels I guess the water engulfed you and your body was overwhelmed by the stress, so they rejected the kits. I'm so sorry, my love. Come to me." The tortoiseshell tom flicked his tail so I would come to him. Although I had no idea why I was seeking his soothing from the kits I had lost I felt his gaze on me and complied with his wish. I rested my head on his shoulder and sat down just knowing that he was my mate and we had just lost our litter.
"It will be okay, Acebo." Sol whispered in my ear.
I tossed my head in Sol's direction with a pure smile on my face. It has been three moons since the day I reawakened to the world. Sol was my mate, but he decided that we not mate until I completely remembered him or fell in love with him again because he didn't want to force himself onto me. We were getting along though, but I could not bring myself to love him. Not yet, at least until I could remember something from my past life. I can recall my hunting and fighting skills, but not much except the clan cats were not kind to anyone. We planned to wipe out the clans, but he would not let me go into the clan territory because he was fearful of what they would do to someone that was outside of their Code. "Sol, come over here." I called from a fence post.
I could see the lake from here and reflected the moonlight. Tonight was a full moon and I knew the clans would be gathering on this night. I really wanted to go and see them, but I knew Sol would not allow me for my safety. I was already scared all across my right flank and head. My left ear was nothing, but shreds. It gave me the appearance of a totally different she-cat from what I had been, so Sol said. My eyes were a deep green that was mysterious to even myself. Although they told a story of a once prideful she-cat, one who had been charming and gorgeous. Perhaps through them I could find another story for myself.
My mate balanced himself on the fence next to me. "The Gathering is tonight." Sol mewed. "It's where they all form together to devise their next strike against the cats outside of the clans." His ears twitched partly annoyed. He did not care to be so close to the border. Although his pelt was not torn like mine I could see he didn't enjoy the clan cats. Where had his anger for the cats came from? The past was not something to be spoken about with my mate.
"Really?" I asked. I never knew a clan cat and I didn't want to get to know one either because it would kill me. "Yes, be careful, Acebo, I could not stand thinking that I might lose you again." Sol's tail trailed along my front leg and looked me right in the eye. I looked away from his daunting yellow hues and back to the moorland beyond. I could not stand how he would stare at me with those yellow eyes. I could not read his thoughts or feelings and I wanted to because he was part of my past. "Let's head back to the den. I don't want to be seen by these cats you always talk about." I mewed and jumped off of the fence. Sol followed me back to the den in silence.
I woke up in the middle of the night to see Sol resting against my side. I shivered at the closeness of the tom. Even though he was taking his time with me and my wounded memory I did not like where he was trying to lead me. He wanted to destroy the clans and he told me of the plan we devised earlier, as in before I lost my memories. However I agreed to follow through with his plan. I was suppose to try catching a rabbit in the moorland and make WindClan blame ThunderClan for it. ThunderClan as I learned was the worse of Warrior Code protectors. They would rip any cat apart if they tread over the border line, but WindClan was a safer bet, so I was allowed to go.
I took a deep breath and stood up silently so I would not wake Sol. He did not need to know of where I was at all times of the day. He was suffocating me with his protectiveness and sometimes I needed a breather to face him. Making my way out of our shared den I padded towards the fencepost where the horses had been earlier in the day. Had he always been like that? Maybe that's way I ran to the tunnels. I looked down in response I never liked to think about the kits I had lost. Yes, I could not remember them, but it was sad for anyone to lose young lives. It was a short while away and kittypets lived there so they would not bother a tough looking she-cat like me.
I should have checked if I was upwind from the clan's border, but I did not because they would all be asleep by now. Upon the post I could only see the tall grass that whispered with WindClan warriors. I had never seen a warrior, but from the descriptions they were fearsome felines that should not be messed with. My whiskers twitched. Then why had I run straight into the territory? If I had wanted to escape Sol then I could have ran into the twoleg place where no one could have harmed me or the kits. Was Sol hiding information that was vital to the regaining in my memory? That I could not be sure of. His yellow hues were so crafty that I could not read them.
"What are you doing, rogue?" I jumped up and landed on the opposite side of the fence where the warriors could get me. My head turned towards the voice and I saw a dark feline trotting towards me. His fur was standing on end with fury. I was not a rogue, but a loner. That was a common mistake though due to my unsightly appearance of a torn up she-cat. "N-Nothing." I stumbled and could feel the power radiating off of the trooper. His eyes boar into mine and all I could do was stare back in wonder. He was a large cat by any means with long striking legs filled with muscle. The male stopped a taillength away from my cowering figure before he pounced on me.
I let him strike me. I was going to die as Sol had warned me of. Why hadn't I listened to him? Because he lies to you, Acebo. I shut my eyes as I felt the tom crash down on me and pin me to the ground."You're not going to fight?" He hissed when I didn't struggle against him. "I won't." I promised as I relaxed my body so he would get the message clearer. He gave me a stern look before he side stepped off of me, so I could get up. I rolled to my side and stared at him wondering what he planned to do next. He licked his broad chest. Wasn't he supposed to kill me?
"Why didn't you kill me?" I asked with wide eyes. His head turned back in my direction with his tongue still out. I let out a chuckle at the tom's tongue then quieted myself noticing how he glared at me with his eyes. "Are you mousebrain or something?" He asked. "As a warrior there is no need to kill a feline like you who cannot even defend herself." He answered quickly. What was he talking about? Sol said they kill no matter what the reason is. They were savages. "But, I was told you clan cats kill outsiders that come within your borders or even step one paw over." I mewed trying to understand this cat.
"Where did you hear that?" He asked sharply and gave me a wandering look. "Just around." I mewed. He didn't need to know Sol's name just in case this was a lie. Or maybe Sol was the one that had lied to you? I shook my head at the voice that whispered now to me twice. "Well, get your facts right. Warriors don't kill cats outside of the clans without a decent reason. However we will battle the other clans if they disrespect the Warrior Code." He growled clearly irritated by having to explain to me. I nodded.
"I should get going then,…" I wanted to ask the warrior's name, but I didn't want to know if that made even sense. There was a sense of mystery surrounding this cat and I wanted to have a little mystery other than my memory. "Wait a second." The tom mewed and padded to my side. "I will escort you off of the territory to make sure you find your way out." He explained and gave me a nudge to go in the direction west of where the fence was. "There's no need to do this. I can just hop the fence and head back to my den that you don't have to deal with a she-cat like me." I made an excuse. "No, I have to make sure you stay off and I don't trust you or any rogue." He stated. I walked by his side without another protest.
"I'm not a rogue by the way, I'm a loner." I mewed trying to make a conversation. The warrior snorted in reply which meant he did not care to talk to an ugly she-cat like me. I bet he had a mate in his clan already that would give him pureblood kits. I wrinkled my nose at the thought. What was a pureblood anyway as long as the kits were healthy and would grow up to be loyal to their clan. "What's your name loner, then?" He asked. I decided to give the name Sol had given to me the first time I woke up, which now I wasn't so certain on. "Acebo." I answered. "What type of name is that or should I even ask you?" He insulted my name.
That was something I could not answer, but I would not let him think I was a thoughtless loner. "Acebo was given to me by my mother after my eyes. It means beauty." I mewed sincerely as an act. Of course, I was not a beauty myself, but it was the only thing I could think of at the time. "Beauty? You look like you were run over by a monster." The trooper sneered as he looked at my body, but he didn't face me. He avoided my eyes as if they were a plague that he would catch. Why though? I had asked that question a lot, but this time I desired an answer. That could be saved for another day. Were we going to meet again?
"Perhaps, but have you ever thought what happened to make me look like this?" I asked. He did not reply, so I told the trooper whether he wanted to or not. "I ran away from my mate with whom I was going to have kits with. I ended up in the tunnels and battered up badly. No one came to my aid so when I woke up I ran. I lost the kits and so here I am." I mewed. "Sorry about your kits. I-" He shut his mouth and looked in front of him. The warrior didn't care to chat with a feline he didn't know. After that, I and he didn't speak until we came to the edge of the moor.
"I escorted you off of the territory, loner. Don't return or someone else will give you a harder punishment." He mewed and started to walk away from I stopped him. "It was a pleasure to meet a warrior like you then. Good bye, warrior." I mewed and charged off into the night. The warrior had been kind to me, something that Sol said they would not be like, so now could I go through with his plan to steal prey from the trooper's clan. I bit my tongue out of habit and nodded my head. Sol had been with me for four moons when I had just met this warrior. I would listen to my said mate.
My eyes searched around for any sign of a warrior or prey. I scented the air for anyone. Luckily the wind was on my side today so scent wouldn't be carried to WindClan where the warrior I had spoken would realize it was me. I rubbed my body against the scent markers of ThunderClan, so they would be blamed for taking prey from WindClan. Something about ThunderClan's towering trees and scent made me want to run away that way I would not have to face them and their questions. I would follow through with the mission though. I could not let him down.
Once I was sure I carried ThunderClan's ground scent dived towards WindClan with the intent to kill some helpless rabbit or vole. Either one would work. I scented to the air again and caught onto a rabbit fresh marker. I pressed my pelts against the tall waving grass so there was no question to who was hunting here. I stalked towards the odor before I saw the rabbit hopping away. My instinct took over my body and I charged forward. The rabbit heard me and went running for its life. My pace however quickened before I pounced on the creature. Blood spilled from the animal as I bit its neck and clawed its flank.
I had to make a bloody scene for WindClan other wise they would not notice a perfect kill. Once I was satisfied I rubbed my body against the fronds around the kill. I looked over my work and began to eat the rabbit without fear of what caught me. ThunderClan would surely be blamed for this kill and then there would be a reaction for war. The clans would fall. But what of the warrior who had shown me such kindness.
I stopped chewing and thought back to last night. He gave me pity for the loss of my kits then warned me to stay off of his clan's territory. Perhaps Sol had gotten this all wrong. The clans needed to learn not to be destroyed for some mistakes that they had made. Sol's influence over me came into my thoughts. If I suggested anything he would go away and I would be left alone, a she-cat without a memory of who she was. I could not survive without Sol that much was certain. I finished the rabbit and started to pad away before I heard the calls of a patrol. They were going to catch me if I did not run.
I ran now fearful for my life despite what the tom had said. I had caught prey on territory that was not mine and for that I would punished.