Chapter two has arrived. Thanks to Silvershine for some constructive criticism and to all you Warriors fans for loving the franchise as much as I do!
Brackenfur woke with a splitting headache, nearly unable to breathe. As he opened his eyes, he saw mere blackness and instantly panicked, thinking he'd been rendered blind. Regaining his typical level-headedness Brackenfur felt a tuft of fur up against his tail. He nearly choked as he opened his mouth to get more air flow as a beastly stench and earthen smells flooded in. Observing an echoing of his own breath, he concluded that he was underground in something's den, and there was a good chance it was not friendly. Brackenfur once again allowed his mouth to drop and tried to process his captor. Quickly he was swamped by badger scent, and a faint trace of his leader's, leading him to a realization: whatever was next to him was either Firestar or a killer monstrosity that he'd have to battle alone underground. Electing to remain frozen in place until it moved, Brackenfur tensed for a long vigil.
Firestar woke in a field he didn't recognize. His attention immediately snapped to the fact his warrior was not with him, and stood up in an effort to find Brackenfur's scent trail. Searching the air, Firestar found that his friend's smell was intertwined with one that gave him shivers: a badger's. Concern washed over the leader and he began bounding down the path laid by Brackenfur. Noting a lack of fear scent, Firestar figured that the younger cat had remained unconscious for the duration of his transportation, flinching at the image of one of his best warriors hanging helpless from the slavering jaws of a monster. Fortunately for both of them, the badger had left the leader near its den and Firestar easily located it and dove in.
Brackenfur clenched harder as he heard something moving down the tunnel toward him. Crashing ever nearer, the warrior unsheathed his claws and stood perfectly still. He hoped that he'd be able to protect Firestar long enough to wear down the beast and drive it away. Suddenly, the fur next to him fanned and began to move. Thank StarClan. With both of us, we might be able to take this thing down. The assailant rounded the corner, and Brackenfur was an instant from leaping when he recognized Firestar's dim eyes in the dark. What? Then that means… Pieces formed together in Brackenfur's head as he stared into the ginger leader's eyes. "RUN!" was all Brackenfur could say while the badger rose and swiped at the two cats with a deadly claw. They clambered up Firestar's scent line and fired out onto the surface with a furious badger in tow. "We're going to have to outrun it," Brackenfur mustered. Drawing all the energy the pair could, they shot down a small heather path and burst into open moorland. Crashing through the brush was an ever-tiring killer, hot on the heels of Firestar and Brackenfur. After reaching the edge of the moor, the two deemed the monster lost and slowed to a halt, collapsing in unison. Regaining some breath, Firestar crawled under a small berry bush and Brackenfur followed suit, both curling up and trying to rest after the exhaustion of running and the now day-old battle. The pair of orange pelts seemed almost as fragile as they were, as two of the mightiest warriors the Clans have ever known huddled in unexplored territory, beaten and drained.
Might've been another short one, but I will do this story in segments, e.g. battle, badger, etc.
and won't make Brackenfur so useless, as he is my favorite.