Disclaimer: I don't own warriors! "Strawberry Moon" Is an original warriors fanfic, with original clans and characters, based off the series by Erin Hunter.
Darkness had settled on the forest. It was past that time when the cats of the clans were supposed to be asleep in their nests. It was the night of the crescent moon, and a cloudless night at that. The stars glittered down from the sky and gave slight illumination to the forest below. In the dim light, a cat was stalking slowly from the Rainclan camp. He carried something in his mouth that glittered in the night, and walked cautiously, even in his own territory, and constantly stopped to scent the air.
The cat finally came to his destination; the crater at the center of the four territories. The Rainclan tom walked carefully to the big rock at the center of the crater and sat down atop it, looking around anxiously. The glittering object he had brought with him he dropped beside the rock.
A loud yawn greeted him from the tree line, where a diluted tortoiseshell tom had emerged from the trees. "Quickstar," He greeted informally to the big gray figure on the rock. "How ya been?" Even in the near darkness, the new toms bright blue eyes shone out and made him clearly visible in the night.
Quickstars eyes narrowed at the tom. "I've been just fine, Cobalt." He spoke acidly, as if he'd rather be anywhere but here. "I've brought you something." He said, jumping down from the rock and picking up the object he'd brought with him. He walked over to where Cobalt stood, and dropped it. His body language made it clear he didn't want to be anywhere near the tom.
Cobalt's eyes showed interest in the new object, and he leaned over it to inspect it. He looked back up at Quickstar. "What is it?" The interest was clear in his voice.
The gray tom, whickers twitching in distaste, responded as carefully polite as he could. "I sent Shadedmoon to the cabin to find it. The kittypet there called it a 'watch'." Cobalt poked at the watch with his paw, listening to the ticking sound it made, and watching with interest as the tiny hands inside it moved. He didn't have anything like this in his collection, although he wanted it now.
"Very well," The diluted tortie sat up straight and studied Quickstar with his best business expression. "What do you want for it?" The trade wasn't an object for an object. No, Cobalt didn't work that way. You gave him something he wanted, and he'd do something for you. Whatever you wanted, so long as it didn't involve him hurting himself for others amusement. Some idiot kittypet queen had wanted him to do something along those lines once.
Quickstar look a deep breath and addressed Cobalt, his voice taking on a desperate edge. "My daughter, Cobalt. I want you to bring me back my daughter" He shook his head before continuing. "I know she's at Hailclan, with Bleachstar. His scent was at the apprentices den. He came and stole her from us, but when we confronted him at the gathering, we had no proof." Quickstar stared at his paws. A rouge they'd found on their territory had told them that a cat named Cobalt could help them with anything they needed. He was called the Magpie among rouges, due to the fact that he horded anything that caught his interest.
Supposedly, he was born without a conscience. Cobalt killed without thinking, and didn't understand 'bad'. He also didn't appear to care for she-cats, which was why Quickstar had decided to trust him with bringing home his daughter. Foxbrush had called him reckless when he discussed it with her and Shadedmoon, but his sibling had conceded that they needed to get Articpaw back.
Quickstar looked up at Cobalt, would he take the job? None of his cats would dare venture into the Hailclan camp, not with Bleachstar there. If Cobalt was born with no conscience, Bleachstar was born with no heart. He loved to kill, and the numbers of his own clan had suffered since he took over. No clan was dumb enough to venture onto Hailclan territory and risk being brought before Bleachstar for punishment. Was Cobalt brave enough to do it? Or would 'stupid enough' better cover it?
Cobalt grinned, "Bring home your wayward daughter? And I get the watch? Sure, you'll have her by the next full moon." Quickstars shoulders relaxed slightly.
"You'll get this after I see Articpaw." He said simply, leaning down to pick up the watch in his mouth. He nodded at Cobalt before padding back in the direction of his camp.
The diluted tortie grinned again. Articpaw, huh? Heh, he'd bring home The Rainclan leaders daughter. It might even get him a few future jobs from the gray tom. Hopefully any future prizes Quickstar offered him would be as good as the watch. He was tired of spoons, bells and mirrors. He had enough of those in his cave to raise quite a few eyebrows.