Yeah, sorry for the wait… I've just been really busy with school and everything. This isn't exactly the best chapter ever, but oh well. Also, anyone who wants to know a little more about the other clans, and the basic plot of how Bleach became Bleachstar, send me a PM and I'll send you the statistics and a kind of overview of what happened before Articpaws kidnapping. Other then that, enjoy! (I'll try to update soon)
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The mouse got away. Spadeheart, who had been watching Articpaw stalk her quarry, couldn't honestly say he was surprised it got away. She'd managed to snap a twig when she was almost within pouncing distance, which had scared the rodent into a tangle of tree roots. Apparently, being cooped up in a den void of loose rocks and twigs had made her careless as to watching where she was walking.
Spadeheart smiled at her, walking over to flick her shoulder with his tail. "You'll get it next time." He meowed encouragingly. Articpaw looked up at him, apparently grateful for the black-and-white cats enthusiasm. She'd never been good at hunting. "Maybe we'll try hunting rabbits? They can't do much except run away or dart down holes." The cream-colored she-cat nodded, getting up quickly and pelting off in the direction of the hill near Cobalts den.
The bi-colored tom took her challenge and chased after her, gaining on her smaller form with each bound.
Articpaw glanced over her shoulder briefly, putting on another burst of speed as she saw him getting closer. "No fair! Your legs are longer!" She yowled, dodging around a tree.
"You challenged me!" He reminded her as her sprung over a knarled tree root. Articpaw saw the light that meant the end of the forest and meowed triumphantly. Short legs or not, she was still going to beat Spadeheart. She burst through the tree line with another triumphant mrrow, only to have her momentum carry her right into Cobalt, and propel them both downhill in a mess of limbs and fur.
They hit the bottom and Cobalt disengaged himself immediately. Articpaw almost laughed at how he looked. His fur was fluffed up, making him appear almost twice his size, and he wore a comical look of surprise and readiness to fight with whatever force had knocked him down. He seemed to relax as he noted who it was, and opened his mouth to speak. Articpaw had no doubt he wouldn't have anything nice to say by the outraged look on his face.
"Articpaw!" His words were cut off by Spadehearts concerned voice. "Are you alright?" He was racing down the hill and only slowed when he was close to them. "Did you hurt yourself?" He demanded.
Cobalt seemed indignant at Spadehearts interrogation of the cream-colored cat. For some reason, he bit back his words and set to licking his fur in an attempt to get it to lie flat. "Sorry Cobalt." Articpaw murmured. "I should have been watching where I was going." He looked up from his licking and regarded her emotionlessly. Articpaws mind wandered to the conversation she'd had with the other cats in the cave. He wasn't being hostile at the moment, there was that. But he wasn't being exceptionally friendly either.
She turned to Spadeheart, who seemed to be examining her for injuries. "I'm fine Spadeheart, thank you for your concern." He looked her over one last time, before nodding and looking hesitantly at Cobalt.
The diluted tortoiseshell huffed, turning his back on the two cats. The sound of laughter drew their attention away from Cobalts irritable figure. Dallas and Alex were rolling around a short distance away and laughing themselves stupid by the look of things. "Did ya see his face!" Alex mewed between laughs. Their good time was cut short as Cobalt leapt onto the brothers and proceeded to beat them senseless.
"Oh my…" Spadeheart watched as Cobalt kicked Dallas in the face and chomped down on one of Alex's hind legs. "How about those rabbits?" He trotted off in a different direction then the fighting cats. Articpaw was dimly reminded of a moment back at Rainclan camp when Quickstar had pushed them back into the nursery when Rexfur and Dewsparkle had started fighting. He hadn't wanted Articpaw and her two siblings, Silverpaw and Shimmerpaw to start imitating the warriors.
Thinking about her two sisters brought a pang to Articpaws heart. She missed them terribly. She looked up to see Spadeheart had come back to stand over her and was looking concerned. "What's wrong, Articpaw?" She shook her head.
"It's nothing, I was just missing my sisters…" A look of understanding crossed Spadehearts face.
"I know what you mean." He meowed, settling down next to her. "I don't know what I would do if I ever lost Ashscatter." He studied her face for a minute. "Speaking of which, he's probably better at catching rabbits then me." Articpaw smiled up at him, and nodded. She followed him back to Cobalts cave, being sure to give the violent rouges a wide berth.
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"Foxbrush! That was uncalled for an unexceptable from a warrior!" Razorwing yowled at Foxbrush and Shadedmoon. The former of which looked back at the clan deputy with a too-innocent expression.
Shadedmoon had been curled up asleep, when Foxbrush had come along and promptly sat on him. If she had to guess, she'd say that the "unacceptable part was where she'd started chewing on his ear.
"Relax Razorwing!" Foxbrush sighed. Razorwing could be such a stickler sometimes. "I was just waking Shadedmoon up to tell him that Quickstar would like a word with us." Razorwings eyes narrowed and Foxbrush had the satisfaction of seeing the brief anger flash in his eyes. Razorwing was always slightly jealous that Quickstar talked about clan matters more with his siblings then his deputy.
That had been a big surprise to Rainclan, Quickstars choosing Razorwing as the deputy. Everyone had assumed he'd either choose Foxbrush or Shadedmoon. Truthfully, Quickstar had chosen Razorwing because choosing either of his siblings would have been one of the biggest mistakes he ever made. No one knew better then he how immature the two cats could be. Both siblings knew the reason behind his choice, and respected their older brother for it.
Foxbrush and a tired-looking Shadedmoon padded off towards Quickstars den with an angry Razorwing glaring at their backs.
"Foxbrush says you wanted to talk to us?" Shadedmoon meowed simply when they saw the silver tom laying in his nest.
Quickstar raised his head and seemed to be sizing up his brother and sister. Eventually he sighed and looked down to study his paws. "I've been worried lately." He admitted.
The two younger siblings exchanged a brief glance. Quickstar was always worried about something, but this seemed different. "The full moon is approaching, and Cobalt hasn't returned Articpaw to us yet." He continued, still looking down at his paws. "I realize this can mean a number of things, but I worry that perhaps we were wrong about him." Foxbrush stiffened slightly. She understood Quickstars words better then Shadedmoon.
Could Cobalt have really betrayed them? Or had he simply failed in his mission? Or maybe he had succeeded and was just taking a while in returning to them. But no matter what happened, they could almost count on the fact that Bleachstar wouldn't respond well.
Quickstar looked up at his siblings, his most trusted cats, and opened his mouth to speak when a sharp yowl in the camp cut them off.
"Quickstar! Quickstar, come quick!" The three cats recognized the voice of Riverstone, one of the older warriors. Quickstar frowned, Riverstone had taken his apprentice Weedpaw and Winterstorm out on a patrol not too long ago. They were back much too soon to have patrolled properly.
Quickstar pushed himself to his paws and emerged from his den flanked by Foxbrush and Shadedmoon. All three stoped in their tracks when they caught sight of Winterstorm.
Quickstars mate was pretty, and usually drew attention her way, but it was the small furry bundle she held by the scruff that drew their attention. It was a kit! A small, grey speckled white kit hung from the diltuted tortoiseshell queens mouth.
Upon catching sight of her mate, Winterstorm placed the fuzzy bundle on the ground and padded slowly towards Quickstar. "We found him on the west border, he appears to have been abandoned. The poor thing." She mewed sympathetically. Quickstar nodded and stepped closer to the speckled kit.
The small thing shied away from him, looking up with big, fearful eyes. He felt someone bump into his flank and turned to see Shimmerpaw standing by looking concerned.
The white she-cat turned her attention to the small kit. "Father, we can't turn him away. He's much too young to survive on his own." Quickstar sighed, knowing she was right. He wasn't heartless, and he probably wouldn't have turned the kit away, but Shimmerpaw was always cautious. He glanced over Shimmerpaws shoulder to see Silverpaw talking to Winterstorm and Willowbranch.
The gray tom nodded. "Shimmerpaw, take our little friend here to the nursery. See if Willowbranch will accept him." She would, of course. Willowbranch was known for her big heart.
Shimmerpaw grinned. "Thank you father." She leaned down to pick up the kit before pausing and looking quisicaly back up at her father. "Is there any news on Articpaw?" she mewed quietly.
Quickstar battled with himself, before shaking his head. It was best neither Shimmerpaw, Silverpaw, or Winterstorm knew about Cobalt.
Shimmerpaw nodded sadly, as if that was what she excpected, before picking the kit up by the scruff and trotting off to the nursery. Quickstar looked up where his siblings were sitting. To anyone else, the small reddish queen would have looked comical sitting next to the big long-haired black tom. But Quickstar saw the somber expressions on their faces, and sent a silent prayer to Starclan for the safe return of his daughter.