AN: Sorry this took so long. Busy busy busy.
Sun's Shadow:
Chapter 1: Sly Words
-Autumnsun's POV-
Autumnsun had a lot of emotions swirling through her at the moment. Most of it being plain confusion. She had gotten a lot of information to process from her awakening in the morning till now. She wasn't sure how it all got into this mess though.
It might have started when Forestfire had a vision or it could have started when Dusty had a strange determination to surprise Aura and Whisper was dragged into it. It most definitely could have started when they waited just a little to long talking to Alira.
So many actions that caused reactions. Out of all of these though, Autumnsun just chalked it up to be that Ghost became just a bit too curious of the Clan cats and now they had a problem only she seemed to see.
It just happened to be sitting calmly in the middle of their camp having a stare down with Graves. Autumnsun nearly laughed at the sight. The Clan cat didn't even looked ruffled by the kidnapping because he just stared, silently, at Graves. Of course Graves wasn't one to make conversation. So the cat would probably get bored staring after awhile.
Plus Autumnsun had more pressing things to do than watch the cat who was already being watched. One of these things was probably confronting Saber on his foolishness but also to get the stinging scratch on her shoulder patched up by Forestfire, but instead of doing any of those two things she found herself thinking about all the events that led up to what she would call, a disaster:
"Saber are you listening?" A black she-cat with dark ginger flecks fixed her amber eyes on the handsome black coated tom relaxing in the sun.
"It's a nice day today," Saber said languidly looking down at her from his position on a rock. Pale green eyes locked onto dark amber ones.
"Can you start paying attention?" Forestfire said haughtily giving him a glare. Saber ignored her.
"I like our system, so you had something to say about the Clan cats?" Saber asked giving her a serious look.
"Oh so you do listen," Forestfire's tail twitched in annoyance.
"Your voice bores me, either tell me your vision or go away." Saber said with a hint of annoyance in his voice that had the significantly smaller she-cat shrinking back slightly.
"Saber!" A reddish brown she-cat locked her golden eyes on the black tom.
"Oh Autumnsun, didn't realize you were there," Saber stood up from his laying down position and stretched. He hoped down off his rock and looked bored at the two she-cats in front of him.
"You always know when I'm around, you said so yourself," Autumnsun meowed calmly back at him.
"You listen to me too often," Saber said with an amused twitch of his whiskers.
"Now that we have Sabers attention-"
"Partly" the black tom stated.
"-you can continue Forestfire," Autumnsun said giving Saber a look which he returned with smugness that she could sense.
"Well the vision I had was about the Clan cats and us," Forestfire said slowly.
"Continue," Saber said sitting down in front of the two. His tail wrapped neatly around his forepaws. Autumnsun always wondered why Saber got so serious when it came to the Clan cats they had encountered over the years. She always figured it was because they were a threatening bunch, but now she didn't think that so much. Autumnsun brushed off any further thoughts just in time to hear Forestfire saying something important.
She reminded herself that she shouldn't let her thoughts wander like that in case Saber noticed her inattentiveness. For some reason the thought of disappointing him gave her a dropping feeling in her stomach.
"-we were living with them, apart of the Clan." Forestfire said an earnest tone laced her voice. Autumnsun watched as Saber's tail swished with anger. She interrupted him before he said anything.
"That's hard to believe; we've been separated from them for moons now, nothings going to change," Autumnsun voiced looking at Forestfire but sneaking a peek at Saber who seemed to be staring at her with some emotion she couldn't quite place.
"Actually it's not, Moon's going to be having her kits soon; her percentage is higher in the Clan camp than here. Not to mention Honeybee has come down with something and there's not much I can do with the limited supplies I have. It makes sense to make ourselves known to the Clan," Forestfire stated. Saber growled.
"Are you trying to tell me how to lead?" Saber hissed menacingly taking a step toward Forestfire. She wasn't sure what she was thinking at the time but she stepped in front of the black she-cat swiping her tail over Saber's muzzle in a calming gesture.
"She was just telling you her thoughts," Autumnsun watched as Saber flashed his claws in a last threatening manner before smoothly walking past the two.
"I'll kill her if she challenges me like that again," He said calmly like it was a normal thing to say before walking away toward the middle of their camp.
Autumnsun stared after him before her attention was called away by Forestfire.
"I'm surprised I didn't notice it before," Forestfire said gently.
"Notice what?" Autumnsun turned to look at her curiously. The black she-cat looked back at her, her amber eyes filled with thoughtfulness.
"Saber's soft spot," Forestfire simply said before walking away leaving Autumnsun more curious than ever.
She hadn't realized how long she stood there till she heard commotion in the camp. Slowly she made her way over.
"You insolent little mouse-dung!" Aura's hiss resounded around camp calling her to attention. Autumnsun moved a little faster to the scene.
"Careful Aura or you'll hurt her," Autumnsun heard Whisper's old gentle voice just as she turned the corner.
"It would be a good riddance, less incompetent mouths to feed," Aura seethed growling at the ball of fur hidden by Whisper's forepaws.
"At least I wasn't the one who fell in the river and had to get saved like a damsel in distress because I couldn't swim," The ball of dusty brown fur replied and Autumnsun recognized it to be Dusty, Breeze's kit.
"You little-" Aura jumped at the two claws glinting in the sun. Autumnsun knew she wasn't going to make it in time. She saw Whisper pushed Dusty back with a force that had the small she-cat tumbling backwards. Whisper and Aura went down in a hissing heap.
Then like a flash of explosive lightning Saber and Ghost were there pulling the two apart.
Saber grabbed Aura by the scuff and dragged her off while Ghost tried to help Whisper up. When the black tom tossed the hissing white, brown spotted she-cat he decided to speak.
"What are you doing?" Saber asked with a commanding tone. Aura didn't back down. Her beautiful sea blue eyes held a silent challenge within them.
"Helping him into his last days," Aura growled crouching down.
"It would be a waste if I let you run around killing whoever angered you, now wouldn't it?" Saber as if on queue he looked up at Autumnsun. She never could understand how he knew she was always there. He looked back at Aura.
"Maybe to you, my life would definitely be easier," Aura said with a flick of her tail. She seemed to have calmed down significantly. Autumnsun guessed that those were some of the effects Saber had on everyone.
"Why don't you take the younglings out for some hunting, maybe even test their skills, a lesson in battle or two," Saber said looking back at the sheet-white tom with ice blue eyes known as Ghost. He motioned with his tail for Ghost to go forward
"If you want," Aura's eyes glinting with excitement at the thought of battle.
"You go, come on Autumnsun help me with him," Saber said walking over to the old cat that had a few nicks and scratches but most importantly it looked like he had a twisted leg from the fall. Dusty was padding at his light gray fur. Whisper had his eyes closed.
"Hey are you dead?" Saber asked looking down at the cat. Whisper opened his eyes but gave Saber no answer.
"Is he going to be alright?" Dusty meowed sadly as Autumnsun flanked Whisper on the right side and Saber on the left.
"Kit," Saber stated looking down at small brown she-cat.
"It's Dusty," She flicked her small tail in annoyance.
"Stop being a nuisance," Saber gave the small cat a hard stare. Autumnsun interjected.
"You can see Whisper later, we're taking him to Forestfire, check in with Breeze first," Autumnsun said softly. Dusty nodded before running off toward her mother.
"You have a way with kits," Saber commented looking at her.
"Yeah and you don't," Whisper rasped out with a short chuckle.
"Whatever you're going to die soon anyways," Saber stated nonchalantly.
"Saber!" Autumnsun gave the black tom a sharp look.
"It's the truth," He mumbled.
The rest of the helping Whisper toward Forestfire was left in a silence Autumnsun could tolerate without it getting uncomfortable. When they stepped into Forestfire's little cove they spotted was the small pretty ginger she-cat sleeping on one of the set up moss beds and a silvery she-cat standing over her. When they were inside the silver she-cat looked up and previewed the scene with her blue eyes.
"What happened?" She asked concern evident in her voice.
"Nothing," Saber stated as they laid Whisper down on a bed in the far corner, away from the sick patient.
"But Whisper is-"
"Fine."
Autumnsun took it as Saber wasn't in the mood to talk anymore.
"He just got into a little fight with Aura, nothing to worry about Faith," Autumnsun reassured the pretty silver she-cat. Faith nodded her head before giving a glance toward the entrance.
"Forestfire went out to get some things, you can leave if you want and I'll tell her about Whisper when she gets back," Faith suggested. The reddish brown she-cat watched as Saber walked out the entrance without another word. Autumnsun followed.
"Why don't you take Mirror out and go check on Aura and Ghost," Saber suggested looking over to see the beautiful fluffy white she-cat playing with Dusty and Whisker.
"What if something happens in camp?" Autumnsun asked also looking at her apprentice who was having quiet a bit of fun running about.
"I have Flash, Hawk and Jumper with me, so I rather you go check on Ghost and Aura, I just realized I don't like those two together," Saber said fixing his pale green eyes on her.
"Where's Graves?"
"I sent him on a tiny solo mission,"
"Meaning?"
"He's spying on the Clan cats,"
"Saber!"
"I feel like you've been saying my name a lot today."
"It's necessary for all the times you don't seem to think about other,"
"I think about you all the time,"
"W-what?" Autumnsun faltered staring at him.
Pale green eyes met dark golden ones.
"Like the fact that right now you're not doing what I say and I'm getting a teeny bit angry,"
A flick of a tail and a scrutinizing look took place, neither noticing Mirror who had been sitting their looking at the two.
"Saber said teeny," Mirror chuckled which earned her an annoyed look from his royal highness.
"Just get the job done, Autumnsun," Saber said walking away from the two she-cats. When he was out of sight Mirror decided to speak.
"He doesn't like me very much," The white she-cat stated looking up at her mentor.
"Saber doesn't like much of anyone," Autumnsun said nudging Mirror playfully. She started to walk in the direction she saw Aura and Ghost take, Mirror padded after her.
"He likes you," Mirror almost ran into Autumnsun; the reddish-brown she-cat had stopped almost suddenly when the words left the smaller she-cats mouth.
"That's questionable," Autumnsun shook her head and began walking again.
"Well he's mostly around you or alone; he only addresses you by name directly, like if I wasn't here I'm sure he'd use my name, but as soon as I get into hearing distance I'm either being ignored or called a pest," Mirror meowed, though she didn't seem quiet glum about the whole being called a pest part.
"I don't think-" Autumnsun was cut off as a familiar voice spoke out. She turned to see a cinnamon brown she-cat with green eyes coming out of the Elder's Den, which really was a small enclosing of rocks with soft moss bedding for two.
"Mirror, Autumnsun, what a nice day it is today isn't it?" The brown she-cat commented walking up to the two.
"Alira!" Mirror jumped forward and touched noses with the older she-cat.
"Still as energetic as ever," Alira commented giving her an appraising look.
"I expect nothing less," Autumnsun voiced. The white she-cat padded at the ground, ears heating up.
"Well what are you talking about?" Alira asked looking at the two.
"Saber's dislike for everyone," mewed Mirror looking over at her mentor.
"Saber doesn't hate everyone," Alira mewed, tilting her head curiously at the two.
"Easy for you to say, he treats you like a queen," Mirror shut her mouth quickly only mumbling apologies.
"That's because she was friends with his mother," Autumnsun looked at Alira who looked at her with slight surprise in her green eyes.
"Saber had a mother!" Mirror looked between the two's silent glances with curiosity.
"Saber mentioned it," Autumnsun coughed uncomfortably under Alira's stare.
"I'm sorry it's just that I'm surprised Saber said anything," Alira meowed still looking at her.
"What was she like?" Mirror interjected.
"I'll save that one for when you have to change the bedding again," Alira meowed gently. Mirror nodded eagerly.
"We should get going, Saber told us to go check on the others," Autumnsun said motioning for Mirror to follow her –
Autumnsun was cut out of her flashback by Saber's silent presence by her side. The black tom was giving her an lazy annoyed look that he had perfected very well. Autumnsun looked back at him.
"What?" She asked him.
"Go to Forestfire," He mewed.
"Why?"
"Your shoulder,"
"In a few,"
He glared. She glared back.
"Now."
"Why?"
"You're useless to me if you're hurt," Just like that Saber walked away from her. She would never admit it, but she felt a deep pressure in her chest. A feeling she couldn't identify nor did she want too. Before she could walk to Forestfire's den a yowl rang out through the camp. She looked over to see Aura standing their flanked by Ghost and Hawk.
"They want to discuss a bargain," Aura spoke out loudly. Her eyes fixated on Saber. Autumnsun could see her gang mates gathering around. Even Moon was sitting comfortably outside with Breeze by her side. She couldn't see Forestfire or her patients Whisper or Honeybee anywhere.
"A trade for their clan mate I suppose," Ghost also said eyeing the Clan cat that was still being watched by Graves.
"Well then let's pack it up," Saber watched as every cat but Ghost looked surprised.
"What do you mean?" Dove asked.
"We're going to be paying the Clan cats a visit, a new era has begun,"
AN: Well tell me how I did. This was mostly about the Sun cats just like the first chapter was more about the clan. The next chapter will be a mix.
The possible next POV's for the next chapter will be: Duskclaw, Forestkit, and Mirror or Duskclaw, Snowypaw, and Dusty
I'm not sure yet. Anyways. Review!
