This is a story about what could have happened if Crowfeather and Leafpool had run away for good and started a life together instead of going back home to the badger attack. Keep in mind that this is my first posting so it may not be my best. This story is expressly my point of view and is subject to the interpretation of others. Happy reading!
Beyond the Clans
Chapter 1
A soft breeze ruffled the grass, sending ripples across the rolling hills. The sweet scent of heather permeated the air along with subtler intones of rabbit and the occasional mouse. The cat crouched in the tall grass took everything in, with eyes wide and nose turned into the wind. Its whiskers twitched slightly, anxious with waiting. Suddenly his ears pricked up. She was coming! The undergrowth rustled softly, the sound accompanied by a wave of her sweet scent. His heart beat faster and he rose out of a crouch to greet her.
She slid into view, graceful and alert. He could see the worry on her face smooth away at the sight of him. He could hear the rapid pulse of her heartbeat quicken. And then she was upon him, nuzzling him gently and letting out a purr of contentment. But the tender moment was short-lived.
She pulled away, suddenly wary, "Crowfeather. We can't do this. I can't live like this. I've been thinking about what you've said and I agree. We can be together for all time or we can separate forever. We can't have both."
He focused on her, eyes wide and intent. "Leafpool, I never thought I would even be able to love again after Feathertail's death. But I was wrong. I love you, as much as I loved her, maybe even more. And every moment away from you would be a reminder of what I gave up... Please come with me. We can leave the clans and be together without worrying if other cats can see us, without having to be on guard. We can be free."
Leafpool looked into his eyes, reluctance clear. She loved him so much that she thought she would burst. He was there in her mind all the time, distracting her, but making her so happy that she practically sang... Why couldn't things be different? Why did she have to chose between the two things that mattered most to her? She didn't know.
But she had to choose now. Her father would be disappointed, probably angry as well. And then there was her sister, Squirrelflight... They hadn't been apart longer than a moon in their entire lives!
And yet… Crowfeather was beside her now and she couldn't stand to leave his side, to return to Thunderclan without him! Spottedleaf had told her to follow her heart: wasn't this the way? Her love came from the heart and Crowfeather had found the ability love after so much loss- how could she destroy his heart like that again? "I'll come with you Crowfeather."
She could have laughed at the stunned expression on his face, but there were more pressing matters. "Where will we go? If I stay out much longer, they'll come looking for me and we'll never be together!"
His answer came quickly, his tail lashing with excitement. "We can go into the hills, beyond Windclan territory. The clans may be upset, but I think they will respect our choice. And out there we can finally have our own lives!"
His enthusiasm filled her and her paws seemed to lift of the ground. She began sprinting north towards the hills and he dashed up beside her. They ran and ran, filled with happiness, reveling in their new found freedom, flying across the ground without fear or reserve. And then they slowed. They were far from their meeting place now, on the outskirts of Windclan territory. They looked down from their perch, breathless, as the first glimmer of dawn lit the lake on fire. They smiled down at their old home with only a twinge of sadness, tails entwined as they shared the breathtaking moment together.
POV
Squirrelflight's breath came in quick gasps. She could feel scabs forming but she didn't have time to rest. Cinderpelt; dead! She could scarcely believe it! And Leafpool was gone, swallowed somewhere in Windclan while her mentor lay dead in the remains of the nursery. Squirrelflight was left to deal with this alone. She padded over to Brambleclaw, who was staring in shock at Cinderpelt's limp body.
She nuzzled his shoulder, taking in the extent of his wounds. There was nothing serious there, but without a medicine cat... She sighed. Brightheart was the only "medicine cat" they had left and her knowledge was scarcely enough to cover minor wounds, let alone the serious gashes her clanmates were now sporting. Brambleclaw shifted away from her. He walked over to Firestar and there was a murmur of conversation. A few moments later Brambleclaw was sitting in front of her, talking softly.
"Both the camp and the cats here have suffered greatly. Firestar I agree: we need to catch up with Onestar and see if they can spare Barkface. It's times like these we need a good medicine cat."
There was no hostility in his voice despite the allusion to Leafpool's disappearance. Apparently Brambleclaw was willing to forget their arguments until the crisis had passed. They padded swiftly out of camp, flinching as they passed Sootfur's crumpled form and Cinderpelt's limp body being dragged carefully to the center of the clearing.
Soon they reached the forest, slipping carefully between trees. The Windclan scent was strong; the other clan was in no hurry. And then they were speaking in soft undertones with Onestar, and Barkface was rushing back to camp with them. A part of Squirrelflight quailed as darkness descended; what would happen to her clan without Leafpool to guide them?
POV
Leafpool could smell the thick rabbit scent rising from the bushes. She stalked forward, keeping her footsteps light, making sure that the wind stayed in her favor. She could hear the heartbeat now, the rabbit's rapid breath. Then she pounced! Her claws sank deeply into... a pawful of leaves. It was only a dream. Her stomach clenched in hunger as she lifted her head and looked around sleepily. Oh, mouse dung! It was nearly sunhigh! She leapt to her feet; Firestar would have her pelt for sleeping so late! And then her recent memories flooded back to her.
She groaned inwardly, trying not to wake Crowfeather, whose sleeping form she could feel beside her. How was this going to work? Here they were in the middle of nowhere, beyond all clan territories, sheltering under a wayward bush. They were supposed to live like this? She could feel stiffness forming where her joints had pressed against the cold hard ground. She wanted a nest. But she supposed that would come in time, when they found the right place.
She wondered what she should do. Her instincts told her to hunt for the clan, but there was no clan, no complaining mouths to feed. Her only companion was sleeping beside her, unaware of his hunger or her worries. She crept out from under the bush, opening her mouth and letting the scents of the land flow to her.
She could smell prey further up the hill and she padded towards it on silent paws, the thrill of the hunt waking her more fully. She spotted a rabbit nibbling the few tender shoots of grass that Newleaf had provided. She crept forward, sinking into a hunter's crouch, all senses alert, the smell of live prey flooding her nostrils. The rabbit continued to eat unaware... and she pounced! Her muscles coiled and released, her teeth sinking expertly into the rabbit's neck. It died without a sound.
She dragged the rabbit's body back to their bush, exhilarated by her amazing catch. Maybe hunting in the open wasn't as hard as she thought. Although luck had been with her; the rabbit hadn't run at all and the wind had stayed in her favor. What she would do if she had to chase down one of those speedy devils only Starclan knew.
Crowfeather was just beginning to stir when she entered their den. He stretched and nodded appreciatively at the fresh kill. They ate, savoring the warm meat, if only because they could finally share it together. Finally they were done eating and washing. It was time to plan.
"So," Crowfeather began, "Do you think this is a good place? It seems like a nice area and far enough away from the clans..."
"No. I could smell lots of prey, but not enough for a family- I mean if we have one, that is." She blushed and rushed onward, "And this bush isn't nearly enough of a den. I had dew on my fur!"
He nodded slowly, looking only a little amused. "Let's get a move on then. We can head a little further left now that we've passed out of the clans' territories."
So they began to run again, not as joyously as before; this was a paced, ground-eating lope designed for speed and distance. And as they ran, Leafpool got the sense that all was not right with Squirrelflight.
POV
Squirrelflight yawned and stretched her stiff muscles. Ugh. The battle had left all of them tired and sore. She washed her leg gently, trying to soothe her scratches. She then hurried to the fresh kill pile, looking around at their battered camp while she did so.
There were gaps sagging throughout the barrier and claw marks scarred the earth and rock. The fresh kill pile was a battered mound of bedraggled prey. She fetched herself a patchy mole and sat down to eat it in gulping bites. Ashfur slipped up beside her and she acknowledged him with a curt nod. She was not in the mood to put up with him today. Ashfur must have sensed her reluctance because when Brightheart emerged from her den he padded over to her, chatting as she snatched a piece of fresh kill for herself.
Squirrelflight sighed. She needed to talk to him, but now wasn't the time... Brambleclaw had come up beside her while she stared at Ashfur and now his intense gaze startled her. "The badgers did a lot of damage."
She gave a terse nod. Were they friends now? More than that? Or were they still angry? She was so confused! At least this conversation was a practical one.
Brambleclaw continued. "We'll have to take a few days to rebuild the camp. I hope Shadowclan doesn't recognize our vulnerability and try to take advantage of it."
There it was again, that superior deputy tone. It niggled at her, but she decided to ignore it for the time being. "I'm sure Onestar won't tell them about this. He wouldn't do that to us now."
"How do we know?"
On that ominous note Brambleclaw stood and padded over to Firestar, who had just emerged from his den. In the center of the clearing, Sootfur's body lay, and already they were preparing to bury him. A pang of sadness made Squirrelflight turn away. He was so young...
The rest of the day was spent fortifying the camp. Squirrelflight dragged in thorn branches and threaded them into the barrier's weak spots until her paws ached and were riddled in thorn scratches. She went to the medicine cat den seeking relief, but only Brightheart was there, looking bedraggled and over-worked. She was given a pawful of poppy seeds and sent on her way, the pain receding as the seeds worked their healing magic. She sighed. Without Leafpool the clan didn't have a proper medicine cat. And besides that Squirrelflight had no one to talk to. She went back to the thorn barrier, seeking distraction with a heavy heart.
POV
Leafpool crouched beside Crowfeather, sharing the large crow that he had caught. Suddenly Leafpool stopped in mid-bite. Her heart gave a shudder; she felt so lonely, abandoned, and most of all, confused! Then she was back to normal, snapping up bits of succulent crow. That must have been Squirrelflight! She must really have been distraught if Leafpool could feel her all the way up here... Leafpool tried to send waves of contentment towards Squirrelflight, but her worry was there too; she hoped Squirrelflight understood.
Leafpool felt awful. Obviously something had happened and Squirrelflight wanted her back home... but she couldn't go back now! She hadn't even started her life with Crowfeather! Cinderpelt was there; she could take care of anything medicine-wise and she could teach Brightheart how to be a true medicine cat... Squirrelflight would just have to deal with anything that happened down there. Still, Leafpool's conscience bothered her, like an itch she couldn't scratch. She wondered what she could do as Crowfeather began washing up after their meal.
Suddenly Leafpool could smell Spottedleaf's sweet scent wreathing around her. She stood and padded over to a large tree limb lying near-by. She could feel Starclan guiding her steps as she gripped the limb in her teeth and began dragging it over to Crowfeather...
POV
Squirrelflight woke suddenly in the darkness. She wondered slowly what had woken her... And then she was overwhelmed by feelings. Somehow Leafpool was contacting her and her emotions were strong. There was worry connected to a picture of Squirrelflight, happiness and Crowfeather, sadness and ordinary clan life... so many images and emotions all inexplicably woven together. Squirrelflight let her sister's happiness and confusion replace her own fears and worries, glad to know that her sister was alright at least. Somewhere out there Leafpool was starting a new life, even though she missed her old one. Squirrelflight could accept that. But if she had time she would still try to do something about it.
Leafpool continued dragging the limb. It was getting dark and the branch was heavy, but she refused to give up, stumbling and stumbling towards Crowfeather's dark form. Finally she was sitting before Crowfeather, who stared at her as if she'd gone mad. Without a word Leafpool grabbed a pawful of crow feathers and a bundle of leaves. Then she bound them to the log with a long piece of grass. She scratched the wood until it was covered in her scent and then had Crowfeather do the same. Finally, she positioned the log so that it pointed in the direction they were traveling. She smiled. It was a clear marker; if any cat found it they would know she and Crowfeather had made it here alive and which direction they had headed in.
Crowfeather seemed surprised. "I thought the goal was to escape from the clans?"
Leafpool rolled her eyes. "If you think Squirrelflight will let me go that easily you've got more mouse in your head than I thought. At least this way if someone does follow us they won't get lost out here. And Squirrelflight will know I made it this far."
Crowfeather smiled. "Alright, I suppose it could be fun to have visitors. There's no way they could drag us back to the clans even if they did find us."
With the marker set Leafpool felt ready to move on. She waved her tail to Crowfeather and they padded off in the dying light of dusk.
POV
When Squirrelflight woke again sunlight was streaming into the warrior's den from the battle-scarred roof. She didn't worry so much about Leafpool today. She knew that somewhere beyond clan territory she and Crowfeather were safe. Then Brambleclaw pranced over to her, obviously happy about something.
"Guess what?" he didn't wait for her to answer, but carried on, "Firestar told me that although he doesn't want to appoint a new deputy yet, I can organize hunting patrols so Firestar can oversee the rebuilding process!"
"That's great!" Squirrelflight was happy for him, but a small feeling of suspicion rose in her mind. Brambleclaw was one step closer to deputy, even without being a mentor.
"So, you want to come hunting with me?"
"Just us?" She was surprised. He wanted to hunt together… maybe the battle really had changed his mind!
"Well... I can't think of anyone else I've invited!" He batted at her playfully and sprinted into the forest with Squirrelflight right on his heels.
They burst out of camp and into bright sunshine. The forest seemed to glow with promise; the scent of prey filled the air and buds were forming on all the trees. Squirrelflight could see crocuses unfurling in the patches of melted snow and the forest was full of soft prey-sounds. Maybe there was a chance of an early Newleaf!
They hadn't gone far when Squirrelflight dropped into her hunting crouch and snagged a starling that hadn't been paying enough attention. Soon she and Brambleclaw had filled several caches with fresh kill and they had to begin lugging it back to camp. As Squirrelflight walked in with the last of the prey she thought of how well the morning had gone. Something stirred within her heart and she felt a sudden rush of affection towards Brambleclaw that left her with pure happiness that lightened her step, and a sudden glimpse of a newly available future.