I really should start updating faster. At this rate, I'll never finish, and I adore this fic. I really do. D: Anyway, I'm excited, because this chapter is in another character's point of view. :D
Would like to thank the reviewers who actually stuck with me throughout my WB and I'll promise that I won't make you wait so long this time. XD Maybe a month, because I'm busy with school. Actually, I won't promise. Just realized I have a whole bunch of assignments to do when I get back to school. ;_; So we'll see.
Thank you: Robinstrike, Honeycloud of RiverClan, Waffle dah Cat, Anonymous, and Pixeljam. :D
Chapter III
A paw prodded him harshly on his flank, and he heard a familiar voice growl, "Wake up, Xavier."
He blinked open his blue eyes for a moment, his blurry vision making it difficult to make out Marci in the dim light of the den. He grunted and closed his eyes again. It was just after dawn and it was freezing, not to mention he was exhausted. Didn't he, the heir of Roma, deserve a little rest? Xavier had underestimated Messengers; they had more stamina than he gave them credit for. The white-gray-and-black Lieutenant drifted back into the warm blackness of sleep, but not for more than just a couple of heartbeats before Marci nudged him again, harder than before.
"What?" he groaned, lifting his head and struggling to keep his eyes open. He was beginning to get annoyed now.
The gray Messenger stuck her head close to his face and snarled, "Just because you're the heir of Roma doesn't mean you get special privileges. Wake up. Now."
He mulled over how to respond. Xavier smirked and stood, stretching luxuriously. The Lieutenant purred, "Yes, Empress."
His sarcastic assertion of authority seemed to affect the Messenger, because Marci's green eyes flashed, and she opened her mouth to spit out a retort, but apparently thought better of it. "I'm glad you're awake. Now come on, the leader of ThunderClan wishes to see us in his den."
.
They climbed up ledges to enter the Emperor –rather, leader's den. Firestar was not the only one in his cave. A pale ginger she-cat, the ginger tabby tom from last night, a gray tabby tom, and a dark brown tabby tom sat with him.
To protect him, Xavier realized. In case we try to kill him. Do they really think we are that dishonorable? To murder their leader in cold blood?
"So Firestar," began Marci respectfully, "have you thought of our offer? If you join us, you will receive protection, become part of us, help us conquer the world."
"I have thought of it, and I have discussed it with my warriors," replied Firestar, his eyes giving away nothing.
"And?" Xavier prompted, already knowing what the answer would be, yet retaining a faint hope that the leader would agree to join them. He wondered if Marci felt like this right now.
The ThunderClan leader cleared his throat and glanced at his warriors. "We've decided not to join. We have our customs, you see, our beliefs. We don't want to lose that. There have been Clans for countless seasons, and to give up our way of life just because two strange cats tell us to will not be tolerated. Our Clans have been threatened again and again, and we have always prevailed. We have no reason to believe that there are better ways of living than in a Clan, only different but equally efficient traditions."
"I see," murmured the Messenger, sounding slightly disappointed, as if their decision caused her grief. "You know what happens now, don't you?
"We suffer the consequences of our decision?" muttered the gray tabby, his blue eyes somewhat amused. Xavier couldn't help notice how glazed over his eyes looked, almost as if he was blind.
The white-furred Lieutenant blinked and wondered aloud, "Perhaps some of your Clan could come the capital of our nation –Roma. They would see how we live. Perhaps your Clans and Roma are not as different as you believe."
"Or you could try being a cat of Roma for a moon or two, and decide then, whether or not you wish to be part of us," Marci added. Xavier suspected there was more to her idea than that. But what was it?
And suddenly it dawned on him. Of course. Once a cat of Roma, always a cat of Roma. As soon as they agree to become a province, they will not be able to break from us. They can rebel, but they will always lose. He stared at the dark gray she-cat, astounded by her brilliance. It was obvious that the Messenger would get the ThunderClan leader to agree by any means necessary.
"We are proud cats, you two," Firestar insisted sternly. "It wouldn't work. If war is the only way, then so be it. We are not joining Roma. I believe I speak for the other three Clans as well."
"War is not the way to escape from us," growled Marci, her fur fluffing up slightly as she stepped backward slowly, green eyes glinting ominously. "Death is. Now come, Xavier. We must speak to the other three Clans. Perhaps they will listen to reason."
The heir of Roma dipped his head respectfully to the leader of ThunderClan, not really minding being ordered around by Marci. She was doing her job; he understood that he was there only to protect her, and he should not be getting in the way. But he was, because he was a cat of Roma too, and he was the future Emperor. Xavier had begged Caesar to let him tag along. He knew that he had to take an interest in all aspects of their way of life. Of course, it didn't mean that he'd ask to protect the Messenger if it hadn't been Marci.
He coughed and meowed a farewell to the ThunderClan cats. The Lieutenant flicked his tail and led Marci out of the den, and climbed down to the clearing of the Clan's… what did they call it? Camp, yes.
"Make sure they leave ThunderClan territory." He heard Firestar order his warriors as they too emerged from his den.
Xavier wasn't annoyed at all by this, but Marci seemed to take offense. "You don't trust us to leave?" She challenged, her dark gray fur bristling in resentment.
"No," the she-cat named Icecloud replied. "We don't."
The Messenger glared at her, but went left the camp without a word, the heir and a couple of Clan cats following her. Marci glanced behind her and asked a warrior, "Which way to the nearest Clan?"
"WindClan," began the tom, "Would be that way." He nodded his head toward the other Clan's territory.
"Thank you," Marci replied, her pace quickening.
"Why do you even try? We said no, and I'm sure the other Clans will throw you out –not respectfully like us, either. We're a bit friendlier," the warrior tom's voice grew bitter as he spat out the last word.
"For Roma," she said simply, and they didn't speak until they'd reached the outskirts of ThunderClan territory.
"Cross that stream and you're in WindClan land," instructed the warrior.
"Thank you very much," Marci responded curtly, and gave the ThunderClan cats a polite nod. Xavier followed her example. They crossed the stepping stones to WindClan, and stiffened as the wind became more intense on the moors. The cold breeze pierced through their thick pelts.
"I guess we know why they're called WindClan," the heir of Roma joked.
The Messenger merely snorted in irritation. The Lieutenant felt a prickle of frustration. Every time he tried to joke around with Marci, she shot him down. Why was she always surly with him? She wasn't always so serious; Xavier had seen her around with her few close friends, and she would be kidding around with them just as any cat did with friends. No, he was pretty sure it was him exclusively; he was the problem, and he had no idea why.
He tried again anyway. "Ready to be chased out by the other three Clans?"
To his surprise, the dark gray-and-white she-cat nodded and gave him a small teasing smile. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Ω Ω Ω
WindClan's response was exactly as they'd expected. They were shot down, humiliated, and were chased off. Xavier had been ready to fight, but he knew that the Clan cats weren't exactly eager to kill. So the two Roma cats were driven away to RiverClan.
Hunger rumbled in the Lieutenant's stomach; he wasn't used to going so long without eating, but he was determined that if Marci could make it, so could he. Luckily, RiverClan was friendlier than the smaller, scrawnier WindClan cats and they allowed the two visitors to eat some of their fish.
"Thank you," the two Roma cats meowed graciously.
Once they'd finished, the blue-gray she-cat named Mistystar, the leader of RiverClan, strode up to them. It boggled Xavier's mind that a queen could be a leader of a Clan. It was taboo in Roma for a she-cat to have any sort of power; Marci and the mates of highly respected toms were exceptions. He wasn't exactly sure why the dark gray-and-white she-cat had become the head Messenger. That title had always been reserved for toms. The Lieutenant wondered about this every day, and he felt like he should know the answer, but the memory was forgotten, erased. Xavier shook his head to clear it.
"Well, you two, I assume you've a very good reason for coming into our territory," began Mistystar, her blue eyes clear as ice.
Marci straightened and gave herself a couple licks before replying. In her emerald eyes Xavier could see a deep respect for the RiverClan leader. "Oh, yes, Mistystar! Xavier and I have come a long way to speak with you and the other Clans."
"And for what reason, Marci?"
"We wish for you to join Roma," announced the Messenger, in a tone of voice that was unnatural for her. Surliness, arrogance, annoyance, cunning –these were all things he was used to hearing in Marci's voice. The dark gray she-cat's tone had none of that. Instead, it was eager to please, warmly polite. Xavier was surprised that he didn't like it. It was so unlike the Marci he knew that he found himself detesting this tone she had, this high-pitched, gleeful attitude. She continued to tell the RiverClan leader all about their home in that tone, and it aggravated him so much. "We need more cats, more territory, and we've come to request that you join us."
That was it. There was no mention of the fact that if Mistystar refused, Roma would attack. It was just a friendly proposal. The Lieutenant knew that this was wrong, so he added, "If you don't, you'll suffer the consequences of your decision."
Marci turned her head and glared at him. He wondered again why she was acting so strangely.
"Consequences?" the blue-gray leader repeated, her whiskers twitching in amusement. "Like what?"
"You die," Xavier responded bluntly.
The Messenger hissed, "Shut up!"
"It's the truth!" he retorted.
Marci's eyes flashed and he could tell that she wanted to claw him. Nevertheless, she took control of her temper and turned back to the RiverClan leader, her voice a syrupy purr. "There's really no need for violence. If you join us willingly, you'll become a province of Roma, with all its privileges. If not, I am afraid my companion is correct. Most of you will die, and the rest of you will be taken as slaves." She said this as if she didn't want it to be true.
She's manipulating Mistystar, Xavier realized, feeling quite foolish now.
The leader sighed and glanced from the Messenger to the heir. "Well, I certainly don't want my Clan to die," she said with a grin.
Marci was trying not to show her surprise, and he too was dumbfounded.
"So, is that a yes?" asked the dark gray-and-white she-cat, obviously attempting to keep the astonishment out of her voice.
"I'll think about it. I make no promises. In fact, it is very possible I will refuse. But I'll think about it."
It was not a victory, but it certainly was no defeat.
So now all we have left is ShadowClan. Wonder how that'll go. Why I didn't just have the three other Clans in one chapter? I tried, but it didn't fit. This seemed to be a better ending for a chapter. Plus, you know. Pacing. Can't go too fast now! ... But if the plot's moving too slow, do tell me. I'd like a little feedback on that.
Why is Mistystar appearing to agree? ... Well, I just thought that RiverClan would be the Clan that would be the most open-minded to this whole "Join Roma" thing. Don't know why; I just felt it fit them. *shrugs*
So. If you want to, you can review. XD
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
~Coqui's Song
