Gosh, I'm so sorry this chapter took so long! As I mentioned I believe in the last chapter, I've just started sixth form college (not college as in university, to those of you who're from the US) and the workload is pretty tough, so I only really get time for writing at the weekends and Fridays. Ah well, hopefully I'll get better at managing time!
Disclaimer - I don't own Warriors.
~ Guest Review Replies ~
Brian ~ Yeah, I'm so sorry it took so long! ^^' Life happens. Thank you for being so patient! Oh yes, Scarlet River, I know that! I used to read it a while back but I stopped following it for some reason. Riverspirit's an amazing artist as well, agreed. She's so good with poses and expression... Gosh, I envy her. xD
Haha, I totally understand. When I haven't read a fan fic, or any fiction for that matter, for a while, I seem to forget everything; the characters, plotlines, everything. xD Thank you, as always!
Molly ~ Oh gosh, you needn't be nervous about leaving reviews. It's really lovely to hear people's thoughts! Whether it's just a few words or paragraph, it's really sweet when people take the time to write a review. ^^ Indeed, it just seems to be a rule that warriors have to have a really hard life. xD Yeah, I love longer chapters, but they're a lot more stressful to write and well, this chapter is shorter and look how long it took to write; nearly a month because of school. If chapters were longer, you'd have to wait even longer. And it's a lot more stress on me. ;-; I'm really sorry though, if I could do longer chapters, I would, but it just doesn't work with school work and stress. ^^' Haha, yeah, your review did get a bit ominous there. xD Thanks for the review!
And without further ado, I present chapter two!
(Oh hey, that rhymed!)
Seedflight
"Seedflight… Seedflight!"
Heart pounding, Seedflight awoke with a start. A pair of wide amber eyes were staring right back at her, unblinking. Seedflight nearly leapt out of her pelt.
Stumbling backward in her nest, she blinked the haziness from her eyes only to find that it was Rosepetal gazing back at her. Instant relief crashed over her, her shoulders dropping. "Oh, thank StarClan it's you."
Rosepetal's lips curved into a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You're a really deep sleeper."
The cloudy remnants of sleep still hanging over her, Seedflight surveyed the den around her. Piece by piece, the events of the last few days came flooding back to her. Icy pain lanced through her, her expression contorting into a grimace.
The Nursery might have appeared relatively unchanged, but Seedflight needed only take in a breath and the pungent stench of the Divisions nearly swept her off her paws. Some small part of her had been clinging to the frail hope that it had all been a bad dream; that she would awaken to find ThunderClan as it had been before everything had fallen to pieces. Now ThunderClan was, literally and figuratively, in ruins, her father and Molespots were dead and Snowfall was gone. How did everything fall apart so quickly?
"Seedflight?"
The queen shook herself free of her thoughts. "Yes?"
Rosepetal's smile had started to crumble, giving way to a look of concern. "They want everyone outside. They're assigning roles to everyone, or something like that."
Assigning roles? Seedflight swallowed hard. A swift glance told her that the others were already gone. "Okay…"
She tried not to let her fear creep into her voice, but based on the look Rosepetal was giving her, it hadn't worked.
The cream queen breathed in deeply. "Well, we might as well face it." Nudging Seedflight lightly as she passed her, Rosepetal padded stiffly towards the entrance.
With great reluctance, Seedflight trailed after her.
It was too perfect a day. The sun was far too bright, the sky far too blue. How dare the world continue on as if nothing had happened?
Blinking in the light, Seedflight finally let her gaze drop to the camp around her. Just as Rosepetal had said, the entire Clan were gathered below the Highledge, a tightly-knit mass of cats huddled together.
But the Stone Hollow was busier than usual. Encircling the gathering of cats were rows upon rows of Division cats. Although they were all of varying sizes and their pelts an array of colours, they all wore the same icy expression. Nausea curdled in Seedflight's stomach.
As she stepped from the threshold of the nursery, a lithe brown she-cat sent her and Rosepetal a sharp look. "Hurry up, you're late," she hissed, jerking her head towards her Clanmates. "Sit down."
Seedflight plastered a scowl upon her expression, determined not to let her fear seep through to them. Lifting her head up high, she strode forwards, brushing past Rosepetal.
She could feel the eyes of Division cats pressing into her, but she ignored the prickling sensation, slipping between the crowds until she eventually reached the gathering of cats. Heads turned in her direction, but Seedflight couldn't meet their gazes. Instead, stomach churning with anxiety, she lifted her head.
The Guardian sat upon the Highledge, his expression perfectly content. Seedflight couldn't understand how such a cruel cat could look so bright and breezy. What dark thoughts lurked behind his pleasant façade?
He turned to the cat sat on his left, a dark grey tom with clear blue eyes. "Is that all of them?"
The tom nodded, not even flinching beneath the weight of the Guardian's gaze. "Yes, my Guardian."
A smirk split the Guardian's features. "Excellent." He cleared his throat, instantly drawing the attention of the entire camp. "Good morning, all. I trust you all slept well!"
His words were met by no response. Seedflight narrowed her eyes. She didn't like this politeness, it unsettled her.
Undeterred by the lack of a reaction, he pressed onwards, his words silky and smooth. "As you will now be living amongst the Divisions, you must of course earn your place with us. I will provide you shelter and safety, and in return you will each offer your services."
Without thinking about it, Seedflight shifted closer to Rosepetal, seeking comfort in the presence of her friend. The cream she-cat didn't glance her way, but a light brush of her tail against Seedflight's side told her she'd noticed the movement.
"But the Divisions are far more sophisticated than your Clans," the Guardian drawled onwards, spitting the word 'Clans' like it were venom on his tongue. "We all have very distinct roles and responsibilities. It is your strengths that will determine which branch of the Divisions you are placed in." He paused, nodding to the grey tom seated on his left. "My cats will assign each of your to a position within our ranks and further trials will be carried out to assess whether you are suitable for that role. Only when you have passed these trials will you be officially inducted into the Divisions." He grinned- a cruel, cunning expression. "Any questions?"
It was a stupid question; even with the questions that buzzed around her head, Seedflight didn't dare breathe a word. Nor did anyone else. The entire Clan seemed to hold their breath.
The Guardian chuckled softly, a deeply unnerving sound. "Good." He flourished his tail, the movement deliberately extravagant. Clearly, it was the gesture his cats had been waiting for they started to stir, the grey tom leading the way.
The Guardian watched from his vantage point, a greedy glint in his eyes. The grey tom wove his way through the crowd, his eyes picking over each cat before disregarding them and moving onto the next. He only halted when he reached Bramblestar, several of his Division comrades spilling out behind him and surrounding the ThunderClan leader.
Seedflight doubted there was need for the extra guards, it was all just for show, an arrogant display of power. The entire camp was crawling with Division cats, any escape attempt would be futile, likely ending in death, as they had witnessed with Hazeltail the previous day. Seedflight winced at the memory.
The grey tom had started speaking to Bramblestar, but Seedflight couldn't make out any distinct words, only the sharp tone they carried.
Bramblestar looked utterly defeated, a mere echo of the brave leader he truly was. Judging from the slump of his shoulders and his bleary eyes, he'd hardly slept. Seedflight couldn't blame him.
Whilst the grey tom asked him questions, to which Bramblestar responded to in clipped tones, the other Division cats studied him, inspecting his wounds and, when the grey tom had finished questioning, they tested his reflexes. The dark tabby parried a blow aimed for his shoulder, but he seemed to lose the will to defend himself when a dappled she-cat swiped at his ears, barely even making the effort to duck.
Whilst the she-cat licked the blood from her claws, the grey tom looked him up and down. Then, he took a step back, raising his voice so that all could hear. "Fighter."
No surprises there then. Even in his defeated state, they had detected the ability that whispered beneath.
The Guardian's lips curled into a grin. Then, without further word, he turned and stalked back into his den- no, not his den, Bramblestar's den, Seedflight thought defiantly, correcting herself. This was still ThunderClan, no matter how much the Guardian tried to stamp it out.
And so the process was repeated, again and again. Slowly, they worked their around the entire Clan, sorting each cat into a Division.
Stormgazer padded over to join the Hunters. Both Finchpaw and Toadstep were sorted into the Fighters. Seedflight couldn't help but notice that they skipped past Puddlefrost, instead sending the grey tom a sly grin. But Seedflight didn't dare utter so much as a word to Rosepetal, not when she could still feel the weight of that brown she-cat's gaze on her.
As the Division cats grew closer and closer, Seedflight felt her heart-rate gather momentum, each beat more urgent than the last. Seedflight tried to block out the world around her, but she couldn't escape the loud cry that rang out through the Stone Hollow every so often.
"Healer!"
"Hunter!"
"Fighter Initiate!"
"Watcher!"
Each announcement was another blow, another sinking sensation in Seedflight's belly. They were tearing ThunderClan apart, quite literally. As each cat was inspected and their new position named, they were split off into groups and sent to opposite ends of the camp.
Seedflight purposefully avoided looking at her Clanmates, she didn't want to know who had just been sorted into the Watchers, didn't want to see their faces.
Yet she couldn't keep her head down when she heard Dovewing's wail ring out. Breath hitching, her eyes sought out the grey queen amongst the crowd.
Dovewing was crouched low, her eyes rimmed with tears and her expression contorted with fear. The grey tom and his Division comrades stood over her, one of them holding her back. Why are they-
The question didn't have time to fully form, because her eyes found the answer: a single kit, cowering between the paws of a Division cat. Featherkit.
"She's only a kit!" Dovewing cried, stepping forward to try and reach her daughter. "Please! She's far too young!"
But Division cats blocked her path. The grey tom gave a vicious snarl, his lip curling to reveal gleaming teeth. Seedflight couldn't help but notice that several were missing. "You will do as you are told," he snapped. "Or you will suffer the consequences."
As if to make his point, he lashed out in a movement so rapid Seedflight nearly missed it. Dovewing stumbled backwards, a smear of crimson blooming across her muzzle. Her jaw hung slack, but the life seemed to have drained from her. Instead, she watched helplessly as Featherkit was herded away to the rest of the Initiates, her last kit, taken away from her. Silverkit and Stonekit were gone, along with Bumblestripe, amongst the cats who had fled, their fates unknown.
If the Division separated Seedflight from her kits… She swallowed hard, barely able to stomach the thought. It had been painful enough to watch it happen to Dovewing.
"She-cats," the grey tom scoffed, then moved onto the next cat. Bitterness flared within her.
And so it continued; cats were inspected, questioned, and their new rank then called. Seedflight did her best to distance herself from it, to try to pretend it wasn't happening.
But far too soon, the grey tom had halted before her. Slowly, she was forced to lift her head and meet that clear blue gaze. She wouldn't let them taste her fear, wouldn't give them the satisfaction of knowing how much their mere presence got to her. So she kept her expression schooled into neutrality, allowing herself to look bored even.
He looked her up and down, his brow furrowed with thought. "Expecting kittens, I see?" he crooned sweetly, cocking his head. "Lovely."
Seedflight didn't deign to respond. Instead, she stared.
He snorted. "Playing the mute, are we?" A smirk had settled upon his features. He turned to his Division comrades. "A physical assessment won't be necessary, not with her condition."
Seedflight could hardly clamp down on a snort. Oh, I may be expecting kittens, but that's not going to stop me from ripping your pelts to shreds, I assure you.
Fortunately, her thoughts didn't seem to seep through her façade; either that, or the grey tom simply didn't care. Once again, he let his eyes pick over her, studying her as if she were his prey which, she realised, was probably true.
"Lacks the muscles for a Fighter," he mused aloud. "Not a Hunter either… Hmm..." He paused, as if deliberately drawing out his words for effect. "How about… a Healer?"
A Healer… Seedflight let the words sink in. A Healer…
Of all the roles she could have been assigned, it had to be healer. It was almost as if they knew about the starry-furred warriors that walked her dreams. Her frown deepened. No, they couldn't possibly know about that.
"Of course, whilst you're nursing your kits, you won't be of any use," the grey tom continued, flourishing his tail dismissively. "Until they become initiates, you'll stay with the others we can't find a use for." He jerked his head towards a small cluster of cats, mostly elders. She couldn't help but notice the venom that dripped from his words, and a shudder passed through her. In all honesty, she was surprised that the Elders were still breathing; the first thing she would have expected of the Divisions would be to kill them off.
"Hmm, as for you…" The grey tom's attention had turned to Rosepetal, taking her in with one long, sweeping glance. "A Watcher, I should think."
A curt nod and she was dismissed. Two of the Division cats brusquely shoved the two queens to their paws, Seedflight clamping down on a sharp hiss.
"Move along," one of the cats grunted, herding them towards the Elders. Every instinct screamed at her to run, to escape this growing nightmare. But she quelled the thought before it had time to take root. Instead, she expelled a sigh and, keeping her eyes low, trudged after Rosepetal.
Ambersky
Ambersky was used to the darkness.
Just a few days before, her every waking moment had been drenched in it. The darkness of the Division cats, the darkness of the badger set she'd been confined to, the darkness of her dreams.
But this, this was a different type of darkness. A darkness so complete that she could hardly remember what it was to see light. A darkness so consuming that she could feel herself slipping away from who she was. The smiling, bubbly cat she'd once been seemed like a whole lifetime ago.
Now, there was only darkness, this crushing, swelling darkness. It whispered only one word, a name. Molespots.
Her throat seemed to close up, her chest throbbing. Molespots, Molespots, Molespots.
Even days later, it still felt like she was in some sort of dream. Some sort of cruel, twisted dream. Every so often, she would forget, forget about what had happened, only to be dealt the sharp blow of realisation a few moments later.
Never again would she fall asleep by his side, never again would they race through the forest without a care in the world, never again would she force a laugh at one of his ridiculous jokes.
And what was perhaps most devastating, never would he meet the kittens now growing inside her. She bit her lip, holding back the tidal wave of grief that had built in her chest.
"Ambersky?"
Coal's tentative voice broke through her storm of thoughts.
Slowly, Ambersky blinked the moisture from her eyes, tugging free of the weight of her thoughts and slipping back into the present day. "What?"
The dark grey she-cat offered her a sympathetic smile. "I'm here," she murmured simply. "We're all here." She gestured to the other cats around her, Cherryflower and Lilystream. "Don't forget that."
Ambersky heaved in a ragged breath, offering her closest impression of a smile. At least Coal didn't try and pretend it was okay, didn't ask her if she was alright when the answer was so painfully obvious. She liked that about her. She seemed to understand. Distantly, Ambersky wondered if she'd experienced a similar pain.
Cherryflower was still regarding her with a look of sympathy, but to Ambersky's relief, Lilystream changed the conversation. "The night patrol will be leaving soon."
A shiver of fear rippled through her belly at the words. The night patrol… Even after sending out countless patrols scouting the tunnels for escape routes, they still hadn't found a tunnel that was safe to use. Any tunnels that hadn't collapsed in the earthquake were either flooded or led directly into WindClan territory. And with cats growing hungrier by the day, they were running out of options. And so, earlier that day, Pebblefall had announced that he would lead a night patrol into ThunderClan territory to hunt.
Ambersky daren't even imagine what would happen if they were caught by a Divisions patrol. Snowfall was on that patrol, if something happened to him… She swallowed hard, shoving the thought aside. No, that wouldn't happen. Snowfall wasn't stupid, he knew how to take care of himself, he would be fine. He had to be.
Lilystream kneaded the ground restlessly. "I wish I could go with them," she muttered, watching the gathered patrol with an expression of longing. "Being stuck in this cave is driving me crazy."
Coal gave a soft laugh. "I think we're all going mad," she purred, her gaze drifting to where Flamepaw was bickering with Nettlepaw about StarClan knew what.
Lilystream smiled faintly. Well, at least she wasn't terrified of the Division she-cat any more. Initially, both Cherryflower and Lilystream had been as skittish as mice around Coal, but after much coaxing from Ambersky, they had at last started to let their guard down around her.
The same couldn't be said for the other Division cats. The Clan cats still went out of their way to avoid the four toms, who had taken up residence on the opposite side of the underground river, as far as possible from the others.
As much as she wanted to trust them, Ambersky still couldn't help but feel uncomfortable around them, especially with the memories of Dart that fogged her mind, the way he'd treated them in the badger's set, what he'd done to Mouseleap.
A tabby never changes his stripes, her mother had once said. Ambersky hoped she was wrong.
"How's your leg feeling?"
Lilystream's face immediately fell as she turned to study her injured foreleg. "It feels a little better." She extended it warily, immediately biting down on a hiss. "Mouse-dung!"
A look of concern washed over Coal's features as she stepped forward to study the injury. "Careful," she murmured softly.
"I know," Lilystream snapped. She immediately winced, but not from pain, her gaze softening. "Sorry, it just really hurts."
Coal brushed it off with ease. "It's fine." She looked to the dark brown tabby for permission, "Can I…?" She gestured to her injured leg.
Lilystream nodded, bracing herself.
Gently, Coal touched her paw lightly to the injury. Lilystream flinched, gritting her teeth. The grey she-cat breathed an apology.
Meanwhile, Ambersky found her gaze drifting back across the cavern, to the snowy white figure making his way towards her.
The corners of her lips upturned into a faint smile. "Hey."
Snowfall nuzzled her by way of greeting, a surprising amount of force behind the movement. For a moment he simply stood there, his muzzle resting upon her shoulder.
When he eventually withdrew, a wan smile flickered lightly upon his features. "Hi."
Ambersky took him in, the face she knew so well, and then she rushed forwards once more, burying her head in his thick fur. "Stay safe," she mumbled. A pungent reek suddenly swept over her and she immediately recoiled, only then noticing the smudges of brown on his pelt. "Great StarClan, what's that?!"
Snowfall snorted. "A mixture of fish-guts and StarClan knows what," he chuckled. "Pebblefall had us all roll in it before we leave. It's to try and hide our scent."
Ambersky blinked distastefully. "Well, it certainly does the job." She felt a strange rumble in her chest. It took her a moment to realise she was laughing, albeit a rather husky, dry sort of laugh. She couldn't think of the last time she'd laughed.
He smiled, a genuine warm smile. "You wouldn't believe how much I've missed that laugh," he purred. He paused for a moment. "Any particular prey you fancy?"
The laughter ebbing away, she gave a small smile. "Anything edible will do."
She'd hardly felt anything beyond hollowing grief yesterday, but today she'd felt the dull ache of hunger creep in, a new kind of hollow. Although the Division cats had been able to catch a few skinny mice in the tunnels, she'd only had a few mouthfuls, with the rest mostly going to Stonekit and Silverkit. It had been nowhere near enough to quell the growling of her gut.
"Snowfall!"
The white tom ducked his head sheepishly, glancing over his shoulder at where the rest of the patrol were waiting. Pebblefall had chosen the best hunters to join him: Blossomfall, Snowfall, Redfox and Bumblestripe.
"I should go…"
Ambersky nodded, trying to block out the flutterings of fear that had awoken in her chest. "Good luck."
He smiled weakly. "I'll see you later."
Ambersky's eyes followed him as he joined the patrol once more, muttering something to Pebblefall. The golden tabby took one sweeping glance of the cavern and then, with a dip of his head, he led the way into the awaiting darkness of the tunnel, his patrol trailing after him.
Ambersky's gaze lingered on the gaping tunnel maw long after they had disappeared into the shadows, her stomach churning. She couldn't fight the thought that she may have just seen her brother for the last time. StarClan, keep him safe. Keep them all safe.
Lilystream leaned lightly against her, following her gaze. "They'll be okay," she murmured, as if she'd seen into Ambersky's head. "Snowfall's smart, he knows how to take care of himself."
But Molespots was smart, she wanted to say, He was smart and brave and kind, and look where that got him. But instead, she just lowered her head meekly and mumbled, "I know."
Coal's gaze softened, a look of sympathy crossing her features. "Hey, try not to think about it, okay? I know it's hard, but worrying about it will only make you feel worse."
Ambersky gave a vague nod, gazing out over the cavern. Somehow it felt much bigger with the patrol gone.
Everything was so quiet. Silverkit and Stonekit were tumbling around under the watchful gaze of Robinsong, who had volunteered to keep an eye on them whilst Bumblestripe was on the patrol. From the opposite side of the river, Dart watched with a flinty expression.
Flamepaw sat by the gushing river, peering into the murky water as if looking for fish, whilst her brother was watching with a troubled expression.
Berrynose, Lakesplash and Mossfire had already retreated to their nests, leaving just the Division toms on the other side of the cavern, discussing StarClan knew what.
All so calm, so still, even after everything had happened. This place was a sanctuary, hidden from the Divisions' sharp claws. And yet it felt like a prison.
"Y'know, this place reminds me a lot of where I used to sleep back in the town," Coal mused, lifting her chin to study the cavern.
They stared quizzically at her.
Coal chuckled, inclining her head. "Oh right, you Clan cats and your special words for things." She then rolled her eyes. "You know, a town, where two-leggeds live? What is it you call it again?"
"Twolegplace," Lilystream quickly put in, smiling.
"Yeah, that." She flicked her tail dismissively. "Anyway, Soot and I used to stay in abandoned house- I mean… Two-legged home? Uhh…" She trailed off, looking to Lilystream for clarification.
Lilystream suppressed a laugh. "A twoleg nest."
"So we stayed in this abandoned twoleg nest. It had all the walls standing, but there was a huge hole in the ceiling, like that." She nodded towards the gap in the cave roof, where moonlight dripped in. "And at night we used to gaze up at the stars and try to guess what the hole was from." Coal smiled fondly to herself, no doubt reliving the memory in her head.
"What was it like," Lilystream began tentatively, "growing up in the Divisions?"
The grey she-cat's smile withered. "It was… hard," she replied honestly, her face seeming to age at the mention of it. "Well, I suppose it wasn't too bad at the time. It wasn't until I started passed about six moons that I started to open my eyes to how bad things were. There were uprisings amongst the Divisions, see. I had just been initiated as a Healer then and I had to… I…"
She swallowed hard, as if the words had gotten lodged in her throat. Eyes dim, she eventually murmured. "When they caught the cats who had been rebelling, I had to… experiment on them." She choked out the word.
Experiment? Ambersky's stomach curdled. Cherryflower and Lilystream stared at Coal with a mixture of horror and disbelief.
When she had gathered herself again, Coal eventually went on. "Rather than treating their wounds, we were to punish them. The Senior Healers wanted to develop some sort of poultice of herbs that we could smear onto the wounds to make them worse."
"Like… Like the poison they had on their claws in the battle?" Lilystream asked, eyes wide.
Unable to meet her gaze, Coal turned her head, shadows falling on one side of her face. She didn't answer, but her silence spoke for itself.
Ambersky's heart faltered.
Without warning, Cherryflower rose to her paws and stalked off, muttering sharply under her breath. Ambersky stared after her, all the while trying to digest the information.
Coal had helped the Divisions develop a poison; a poison that had been on the claws of the attacking Division cats. A poison that had entered Molespots' bloodstream during that battle.
The ground seemed to sway beneath her feet, her head spinning.
Lilystream stared long and hard at the Division she-cat, her features darkened by a scowl, such an unfamiliar expression on her face. "How could you do that to another cat?" she demanded. "How could you just follow their orders blindly?"
Coal's expression was torn, regret and despair lingering in her gaze. "Look, I'd rather not talk about it." She gave a brisk shake of her head, as if shaking herself free of her memories.
Ambersky frowned, but reluctantly nodded. "Of course."
Coal exhaled. After a pause, she looked to Lilystream and Ambersky. "But what about you? I want to know what it's like in the Clans."
Lilystream and Ambersky exchanged a glance.
"Uh, what do you want to know?" Lilystream asked. She had taken on a certain wariness since Coal's mention of the poison.
"Anything. Everything." Coal smiled sheepishly. She paused for a moment, her expression thoughtful. "Oh, I know! How do your names work?"
Lilystream paused, cocking her head. "Well, when we're born, our mothers give us a prefix, like Lily or Amber or Fox," she began. "Then we have 'kit' added onto the end of it, so Lilykit, Amberkit, Foxkit…"
Coal nodded thoughtfully.
"Then, once we reach six moons, we're apprenticed and the 'kit' part is replaced with 'paw.'"
A crease furrowed Coal's brow. "Why 'paw'?" she inquired.
Lilystream sent a sidelong glance at Ambersky. "Uhh, I actually have no idea… Ambersky?"
The grey-and-white she-cat shrugged. "Not a clue."
Coal snorted. "That seems silly. Why don't you change it?"
"Well, you can take that up with StarClan if you like," Lilystream chuckled, the tension diffusing from her body language. "It's traditional."
"What happens when you become a warrior then?" Coal prompted. "You all seem to have different name endings."
"When we're made into warriors, our Clan leaders choose an ending for us. It's usually meant to reflect our character," Lilystream explained. "Though I will never understand Berrynose's name…"
"I understand your name," Coal meowed, turning to Ambersky. "Your eyes are the kind of amber of the sky at sunset." She then faced Lilystream. "But why 'stream'?" Coal asked. "Do you like swimming?"
Lilystream looked horrified at the thought. "Great StarClan, no." She shook her head hurriedly. "I'm no RiverClan warrior."
"Have you ever tried swimming?"
"Uh, well, not intentionally." Lilystream shuffled her paws. "I mean, I fell in a stream once…"
Coal snorted. "Maybe that's why your leader chose 'stream'."
Lilystream looked pained. "I hope not. Bramblestar isn't that cruel." But her expression was uncertain as she looked to Ambersky. "Is he?"
She smiled. "No, I don't think so."
Coal's expression grew thoughtful. "You really can't think of any reason why he'd name you that?"
Lilystream shook her head.
The dark grey she-cat smiled warmly. "Maybe he just chose it because it's a pretty name."
Smiling shyly, Lilystream's gaze dropped to her paws.
"I wonder what my warrior name would be…" Coal pondered aloud, gazing distantly across the cavern.
"Hmm… What about Coalshade?" Ambersky suggested.
"Mmm, maybe."
"What actually is 'coal'?" Lilystream asked, inclining her head. "It sounds like it would be some sort of creature, like a vole or a mol-"
She quickly stopped herself, shooting a glance at Ambersky. She quickly shrugged it off, shoving aside the dark thoughts that started to creep in.
A mrrow of laughter escaped Coal's jaws and she quickly shook her head. "No, no, it's not a creature," she purred. "It's a kind of rock. It's black and sort of crumbly to touch. Touching it isn't a good idea though, it stains your pelt." She wrinkled up her nose at that.
Lilystream frowned. "Sounds like a weird kind of rock."
"Two-leggeds like to burn it," Coal meowed.
"Twolegs are weird," Ambersky mused.
"Agreed." Coal nodded.
A snort of laughter burst from Lilystream, but she immediately winced, glancing down at her leg.
Instinctively, Coal stepped towards her. "Are you okay?"
Through gritted teeth, the ThunderClan warrior nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I just accidentally put weight on it."
"Fox-dung, I should have asked the patrol to bring back a stick to use as a splint!" Coal exclaimed, shaking her head. "Gosh, I'm so scatter-brained."
A wan smile tugged at Lilystream's lips. "It's okay, I'll live." Her voice took on a strained note, her features contorting into a scowl.
Clearly unconvinced, Coal replied, "I'll ask them next time. If your leg is ever to heal properly, you need a splint as soon as possible."
Lilystream nodded grimly.
"It looks like everyone's heading to their nests," Ambersky observed, her eyes straying to the cavern beyond.
"Well, it is getting late," Coal murmured. The pale moonlight that seeped into the cavern hardly illuminated it at all, leaving heavy shadows. "We should probably join them." She glanced at Lilystream. "Do you want some help getting to your nest?"
Lilystream started shaking her head, but promptly stopped. Expelling a sigh, she nodded. "I… Yeah… I guess I do." She smiled weakly at Coal. "Thanks."
"Just lean on me, okay?"
On unsteady paws, Lilystream hobbled towards the caves where they made their nests, Coal supporting her left side. After a brief stretch, Ambersky padded after them, stepping into the watery moonlight.
As they passed under the gap in cave roof, she caught a fleeting image of the sky, a deep inky blue threaded with stars. Ambersky paused for a moment, savouring the light touch of the breeze on her pelt.
And in that moment, with the shadows surrounding her and the moon and stars above her, she wondered if Molespots was watching.
Seedflight
The entire Clan seemed to heave a sigh of relief when dusk finally settled above the forest, re-writing the world in cool shades of grey and blue. From the shelter of the Nursery, Seedflight watched as her Clanmates trickled back into their dens, accompanied by sharp-eyed Division cats. Every single movement spoke of exhaustion, from their sluggish gait to their dull eyes.
It was no surprise they were so tired; Seedflight had watched all day as some had been made to haul boulders and rubble left by the earthquake out of camp. The lucky ones had been sent out to patrol or hunt, always under the watchful eyes of Division cats.
"Thank StarClan that's not us," Rosepetal murmured from besides her, drawing her from her thoughts.
Seedflight blinked, her gaze narrowing. "I don't know about that- I'd hardly say we have anything to thank StarClan for at the moment."
From her nest at the rear of the den, Sorreltail spoke, "I overheard some of the Division cats talking earlier."
Seedflight glanced over at her mother. The Nursery had now become home to all the cats the Divisions had deemed 'useless', which meant that her mother and the Elders now joined Seedflight and the other queens in the bramble den.
Sorreltail swallowed, gazing out through the brambles into the camp beyond. "They have more of their cats arriving here at dawn. That's why they're clearing camp: to make room for them."
Seedflight gawked. "There are more of them?" Her brain couldn't comprehend it. The Stone Hollow was already about to burst! How in the name of StarClan could there possibly be more of them?
"Apparently so," Sorreltail sighed.
From her side, Rosepetal stifled a yawn. "Ugh, well I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted." She slipped into a stretch before circling in her nest. "I'm going to just hope I'll wake up to find this was all a bad dream."
Seedflight smiled wanly. "I really hope so," she agreed. She let her gaze wander out to the camp beyond once more. In the gathering gloom, she could just make out Puddlefrost speaking with some Divisions cats. A frown settled on her brow.
"Honestly, Puddlefrost seems to be treating the Divisions cats like they're his friends."
Ivypool lifted her head from her nest, where she was curled protectively around her kits. "Maybe because they are friends," she murmured darkly.
A shudder passed through Seedflight. "You don't mean…?" She looked to her other denmates, but found no comfort in their bleak expressions.
"I'm afraid she's right," Brightheart murmured, with a grim nod of her head. "I think he's been working with them. I've watched how the Divisions have been treating him. They've been putting him in charge and giving him important jobs."
Seedflight swallowed hard, the words sending tremors through her. It confirmed something she'd feared, something that a small part of her had known was true, but she'd so hoped that she was wrong about him.
She remembered watching Puddlefrost playing with his littermates as a kitten; she'd seen him grow up and she'd even mentored his sister, Honeyflower. She knew he was by no means a perfect cat; he had his flaws and she'd known that, but never had she imagined that he would turn to the Divisions.
"It would explain how the kits were stolen," Orangeflight muttered, scowling. "That mouse-hearted traitor snuck into the Nursery whilst we were sleeping and stole them. That's why there were no Division scents. It must have been him."
Another blow of information. Seedflight swallowed hard, trying to digest the words. He had betrayed them. He had betrayed all of them. She glanced back out of the Nursery entrance, only to witness Puddlefrost's tail disappearing into what had been the Medicine Cat's Den, where some of the Division cats now slept.
Great StarClan, we can't trust anyone anymore.
She needed to get out of this den and clear her head. She'd been sat in here all day, confined by guards who sat outside. Instead, the only escape was sleep.
Heaving a sigh, she sunk into her nest, grunting at the weight of her swollen belly. As she curled up, tucking her tail around her, she had only one thought. StarClan, please don't send me any dreams tonight.
In the end, she didn't dream. In fact, sleep didn't reach her at all. Her head was too heavy with thoughts.
Instead, as the moon rose higher, her thoughts seemed to grow even more restless, as if awoken by the soft moonlight.
Eventually she gave up trying to sleep and instead rolled onto her back, staring up at the Nursery roof. In a few places the bramble thicket had been weathered by the wind and rain, hollowing out tiny gaps; tiny pockets of sky, framed by thorns.
She wondered if, wherever Snowfall was, wherever Lilystream was, they could see that same sky. That was if the Divisions hadn't caught them; if they were still alive.
She refused to consider that thought any longer than a heartbeat. No, if Snowfall and the others had been caught, the Divisions would have made a huge deal about it. They would have taken pleasure in bringing back their bodies for their Clanmates to see. In this case, no news about their whereabouts was good news.
But that didn't stop Seedflight from worrying.
At first she thought that was what that pang in her stomach was: worry. It had happened before, when she'd been nervous; an anxious pain.
She shifted on her back, directing her thoughts away from Snowfall and Lilystream. Instead she focused on the den around her, on the intricately woven bramble tendrils, on the sweet scent of moss and heather, the pale moonlight-
Pain shot through her again, stronger this time. She clamped down on a hiss, her heart quickening. A quiet thought started to form in the back of her head.
No…
She turned onto her stomach. All at once, pain spasmed through her and this time she wasn't to stop the cry that escaped her maw. Oh StarClan, oh great StarClan, not now, not now!
From the nest nearby, Rosepetal stirred. "Seedflight?" she croaked, blinking groggily. "Are you okay?"
Seedflight gritted her teeth, her pulse racing in her ears. She'd known this moment would one day come, she'd wished for it even, but never had she thought it would be like this, with Division cats barely a few tail-lengths away. If they find out… Oh StarClan.
Another wave of agony rippled through her, the pain gaining strength. Seedflight gasped for breath, unable to get enough air in her lungs. Rosepetal was wide awake now, her expression fearful as she crouched over her friend.
Seedflight choked out only four words. "The kits are coming."
I feel like not that much happened in that chapter, but I suppose when you break it down, a fair amount did occur! I think it just feels that way because the chapter's shorter. Not that much shorter though, I mean it's still 6,000 words. xD
Anyway, so the Divisions have sorted ThunderClan into Divisions. :O I will post a list at some point of who has been put where, to let you know. But I didn't include it all in this chapter because it would have taken too long and would have become boring. xD And Snowfall's left on a night patrol to hunt in ThunderClan territory! :O We also learned a little bit more about Coal's past (which we'll be finding more about in a little one-shot I'm writing)! And Seedflight's kits are coming! We'll be meeting them in the next chapter! :O
So, thoughts? Any questions? Predictions?
Question 1 ~ What do you think about the tunnel cats sending out a night patrol? Do you think it will end well? Do you think they'll be caught?
Question 2 ~ What are your predictions for Seedflight's kits? How many do you think she'll have? Gender? Name? They're already decided of course, I'm just intrigued to hear your predictions.
Also, a little announcement of sorts, from now on, I'm going to keep a section of my profile updated with how much of the next chapter is done! It has an approximate word count, a percentage and a little note. So, if you're ever wondering how long it'll be until the next chapter is done, just check my profile and you can find out! c:
That's about it from me for now! Remember, if you review you get a sneak peek at the next chapter! Tempting enough?
Live, love, read and review (honestly, this is such a bad, cheesy saying, I should change it xD),
~Leafy