Woo!
Review Replies!
ASoBS- You're welcome! Glad to be cooperating!
Featherfrost of StormClan- I didn't get the reference, and no offense taken about the name. Rather it be basic than mary-stu, like Gleamblitz or something cringy like that
Kitkat- Ya, I agree with you. That was going through my head as I was writing it.
Onwards!
He was walking a second ago.
Arrowkit felt himself being dragged across the mooring by his mother, Silverfur. He had no idea why she was so wroth; it hit him in waves that pulsed against his body, syncing with the rapid beating of his heart. He wasn't hurt, he could walk on his own, but no matter how much he struggled to get out of her grasp, she just held more tightly. She wasn't taking much care to avoid bumps, so he would squeak in pain every time he hit something, but Silverfur padded on, the steely glint in her eyes reflecting the hot sun's fire.
Finally, they reached by the mossplace near the nursery, just out of ear-shot from the rest of the cats, when she dropped him. Determined to not look weak, he dragged himself to his paws and looked her square in her eyes.
He wished he hadn't.
They were firery blue furnaces, cold on Arrowkit's body. She wasn't shaking, but the aura around her tremored, as if the trees themselves feared her wrath. Every last hair on her pelt was raised, and her muscles were taut. He thought she looked like a porcupine, but didn't dare voice his thoughts out loud.
The air crackled aroud them with suffocating tension.
"What exactly, do you think, was that?" she asked. Her voice was low and cool, but strung out, as if she'd been yowling in pain for a while.
Arrowkit took a deep breath and dipped his head before answering. "Uh, Bigpaw said I was slow, and he called me stupid. He's not even that fast!" He looked up at his mother, only to find her same furious gaze.
"You didn't answer me. What did you do?" Her pelt, impossibly, bristled more.
Arrowkit looked back down and studied his paws. "Erm, I scratched him."
Silverfur's eyes bored into his back. "And?"
Arrowkit gulped. "And I called him some mean names. But he deserved it! He's been all of that since I was born!" he said when Silverfur opened her mouth to speak.
Silverfur tried again. "Who showed you those words?"
Arrowkit studied his claws now. "Erm, Redscar. Wait, were those bad words?" He had never spoken a bad word in his life. He stared helplessly into his mother's eyes.
Still cold, she said, rather to herself, "That mangeball. I'm going to shred his pelt next time I see him."
Arrowkit leapt to his father's defense. "But those words put Bigpaw in his place! He is a worthless apprentice, who can't even train! He deserved every last insult!" His tail was flicking back and forth, an open challenge to Silverfur.
To Arrowkit's surpise, Silverfur drooped her tail and looked at the ground, but the ferocity of her tone didn't waver. "You know what? You sound just like Redscar!"
Arrowkit felt a deathly icy hand grip his chest. He felt his paws shuffle, and he realized he was backing away. Panic stricken, he shook his head vehemently, sending stars to the edge of his vision. He couldn't be Redscar!
All of the sudden, everything was spinning. Arrowkit was afraid. Why was everything spinning so fast? He wasn't chasing his tail.
He saw the ground rush up to his face, really fast. But before he hit, he felt something grab him by the scruff. He never had the chance to see who.
I've never seen so many stars... was the last thing he thought before the night took him.
The first thing Arrowkit felt when he arose was a soft, raspy tounge gliding across his pelt, making him warm. He let the smooth movement comfort as he slowly opened his eyes. He was in the nursery, in his normal corner, with Silverfur, who was licking him. He looked up in her eyes. Anxiety seized him as he remembered the past events.
"Mama," he began. "I'm sorry-"
"Shhh," soothed Silverfur. "I know, little one, I know."
He buried himself against his usual spot, where he could hear her heartbeat, his best source of relief.
Th-thump, Th-thump, Th-thump, Th-thump.
Her heartbeat was cool against his whole body, and he felt the familiar syncing of his heart to hers. At once, his breathing became slower, and he closed his eyes, prepared for another nap, when-
"You have to apologize to Bigpaw, Firekit, Smallfoot, and Oakstar."
He froze mid breath. He'd forgotten about the results of his actions. He let his breath out and, regretfully, wriggled his way out of his mother's bosom. "Let's go, then."
She bristled in suprise. "Already? Are you sure?"
"Yes, Mama."
She sighed. "Okay let's go. But before that, I have to let you know something." She turned on him, eyes blazing. "If you do that one more time, there will be problems. You understand?"
Arrowkit flinched. "Yes." he squeaked.
"Good." Immediately, ber neck fur lay flat. "It just scared me, you do that to me. It scared the fur off of me."
With a nuzzle, they padded out of the nursery to meet a full moon. Smallfoot would no doubt be tending to Bigpaw, and Firekit would be sleeping. Oakstar would be at the Gathering.
They padded across the moor, lit up by the moonlight. The sky was clear, deep black, and full of stars, save a single cloud half hovering over the moon. Arrowkit didn't know what that meant, so he was calm, but Silverfur stopped and stood rigid.
He looked to his mother questioningly. The cloud passed from the moon, and Silverfur relaxed.
Arrowkit relaxed, not knowing he was tense. Silverfur looked over to him, eyes full of affection.
It was odd. Silverfur was there, but she was... well, silver, rather than her usual gray blue. Her pelt was full of stars, and she was so beautiful...
It all vanished the instant before Arrowkit had a chance to fully study the vision, and he shivered. Instinctively, Silverfur pressed against his own pelt, milky warmth flooding his senses. He felt hungry suddenly. They kept walking.
The medicine cat den was almost pitch black. Arrowkit pressed towards his mother, afraid of tripping over herbs or something. Silverfur wrapped her tail over Arrowkit's spine as she guided him across the den to Bigpaw's nest.
Bigpaw didn't look too bad. He only had a couple claw marks down his flank, and a small bite mark on his tail, but nothing else. It was the defeated look in his eyes that hinted why he was there in the first place.
"Ah! Here to apologize, I suppose."
Arrowkit spun to the side to locate the sound. Smallfoot had just come out of another room and was padding towards the couple. She didn't wait for a response. "Well, get on with it. I have to dress his wounds once more." With that she stalked out of the room, plumy tail catching starlight before she disappeared to another room.
Arrowkit suppresed a shudder. What was he going to say? He leaned against Silverfur, who started to duck out of the den. "Arrowkit, you have to do this on your own."
"What!?" cried Arrowkit, hackles rising. "Mama-"
But she was already gone. Arrowkit shivered. He looked into the other tom's eyes. They gazed after Silverfur, clouded with emotion Arrowkit couldn't recognize. They suddenly focused on Arrowkit, making him jump in suprise.
"Well?" he said sharply. "Get on with it. I want to be out of this dingy fox-hole as soon as possible."
"Don't make me bring you yarrow!" carried the voice of Smallfoot.
Bigpaw flattened his ears. "Annoying she-cat," he mumbled.
"That's it! You'll be making dirt until you're a warrior when I'm done with you!" Smallfoot's voice was slightly muffled by something, probably herbs. This was an open taunt to Bigpaw, he wouldn't be a warrior for many moons. He hissed his frustration.
Get on with it.
Arrowkit gulped, and he studied his paws. "I-I'm sorry about what I did," he choked. "It was uncalled for, and I was being stupid." He let his gaze slowly raise to Bigpaw's. Suprisingly, Bigpaw's eyes weren't full of the usual malice, but curiosity.
Hastily, Bigpaw mewed, "Yeah, yeah, okay- where did you learn those moves?" The white tom leaned toward the kit. "My mentor never taught me that."
He was talking about Tumblefoot, the brown tom who had different leg size for each leg. He had been his mentor before Bigpaw was punished.
"I was going off of instinct," he lied coolly. Under no circumstances would he reveal that he'd been training with his father, Redscar.
"Really?" he prodded. "Well, when I was on a border patrol a while ago, there was a border sqirmish with ShadowClan. And the moves you used on me were oddly similar. to the cats I fought." There was a condescending tone to his voice. "Have anything to say to that?"
Arrowkit tensed. "In case you're too mouse-brained to noticed, I'm half ShadowClan." he spat, and he felt his skin prickle under his pelt. "I ought to have some resemblance to those mangepelts." He usef the word Silverfur used about Redscar, and was proud of it. It made him feel like he was more like his mother, rather than Redscar.
Anything but that.
Bigpaw sneered. "You've been listening to too many elders' tales. Now go away," he added with a dismissive flick of his tail as he lay back down. "I have aching wounds."
Ignoring the taunt, Arrowkit made his way back up to the moonlight. He thought he heard Bigpaw mew "Sharp tongue for such a little kit." He didn't acknowledge it as he met Silverfur.
"How was it, dear?" came the calming mew of Silverfur. She was standing just outside the medicine cat den, fur a glowing gray in the fading moonlight.
"Arrowkit did well."
Smallfoot padded up beside them, smelling of herbs. "He apologized with a straight face."
Arrowkit tried to meet the medicine cat's gaze, but she kept her eyes steady on Silverfur. Why was she hiding him and Bigpaw's exchange?
Silverfur didn't notice. "Well done, my kit," she mumbled proudly. "Did you apologize to Smallfoot?"
"No need." butted in the medicine cat. "He was sincere enough that it melted into my pelt. I have forgiven him." Smallfoot added, eyes narrowing in affection. "But don't do that kind of thing again, you hear?" Her voice was edged with yet another emotion he couldn't identify.
"Yes, Smallfoot." he replied calmly, dipping his head respectfully.
"Good." The she-cat whisked around, whipping her plumy tail over Arrowkit. "Leave now. Oakstar's coming back. And my patient, as he so deliciously put it, has aching wounds. He must need more yarrow!" She raised the last part to where Bigpaw could hear it, and the hiss of reply could've been heard from ThunderClan.
Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she trodded back down the gloomy den. "Cheeky furball..." she muttered as she disappeared into the den.
Silverfur nodded at Arrowkit, and they moved on.
Arrowkit gave a hasty apology to Oakstar, who gave him elder duties for a moon, and they headed towards the nursery, where Firekit stood. The ginger kit was just finishing a game of moss-ball with Lightkit, Whitekit, and Gorsekit, who was arguing about who won. The two tom-kits were bristling as they spoke.
"That was clearly my score!" the gray kit started, "You're just jealous because you lost!"
The defendant flexed his claws. "Gorsekit, if it goes into the opposite side from me, that's my score." Arrowkit was impressed with his friend's level tone that was edged with warning, his calm gaze patient as the mountains yet fierce as a badger. He'd be a good leader one day, he reflected.
As if per summons, Firekit turned and met Arrowkit's blue eyes. His tail tip twitched, and he flicked his ears at Gorsekit. "I have to go. This isn't over." He trotted up to Arrowkit's flank and gave him a thoughtful sniff. "You've been up the medicine cat den," he meowed. "Did you get hurt after all? You didn't look like it when Bigpaw went in there."
"No, he didn't, thank StarClan," Silverfur meowed. "He went to apologize to Bigpaw and Smallfoot, which is what he's doing here now." Her words ended in an edge as her eyes grazed across his pelt, searing through his skin. Arrowkit gulped. Firekit looked at him expectantly as he met his gaze. They were green pools of sympathy that soothed his ruffled fur. He hadn't realized he was shaking until he stopped. He had the sudden urge to lash out at Silverfur; he hadn't done any wrong! He put the belligerent fool in his place! In fact, he showed him that was being a lazy fur ball and needed to train more on his own. Maybe he wouldn't have lost if he had prepared! Stupid little-
With a jolt he realized that grass he was standing in was in shreds, and that Firekit was backing off. Panic seized him, and he flung himself upwards.
"I'm so sorry!" he began, "I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have said those things, I'm sorry I said them, I'm sorry I-"
The words were flowing out fast as Firekit silenced him with a flick of his tail. "That's okay," he mewed, "Just don't do it again! I thought you were a different kit back there!" he added good humoredly.
Relief swamped Arrowkit like wind in his fur. "Thank you!" he meowed, "Do you wanna play tomorrow? I have this really cool game idea!"
"Of course." Firekit replied, "I also hav-" Before he could finish, he heard the agonized wail of his mother.
"Rustkit! What are you doing up so late? Get back here this instant!"
The group of kits flinched, and Firekit sped off toward the nursery. "Maybe not tomorrow," he yowled from his shoulder.
Arrowkit's tail drooped.
"It's okay." Silverfur wrapped her tail around her son as she guided him to the nursery. "I'll play with you tomorrow."
"You don't have to, Silverfur."
Arrowkit sped around and was surprised to see Spottedflame walking towards them. "I'm confined to camp tomorrow, so I can take him off your paws." He flashed a warm gaze at Arrowkit that filled him from nose to tail tip. He was a fun tom, or so he'd heard from the other kits that clumped on the other side of the nursery.
"Really? What happened?" came the tense reply of his mother. Arrowkit tensed. What could possibly go wrong now?
"Don't worry, it's not a cough. Some apprentice from RiverClan about ripped my forepaw apart. It was after the Gathering, so that's why it didn't really end early. It was completely unprovoked, I had no idea what made them do it." He shook his head. "It was probably a hot-headed bet. Apprentices these days!" Arrowkit looked at his paws; sure enough, one was messed up, a splint wrapped around it.
Silverfur looked, too, and gasped in horror. "Oh my goodness! You weren't exaggerating! He really did-"
"She." he corrected her.
"She-cat?" Silverfur sounded horrified. "Did that? What happened afterwards? Did they moon cloud over?"
"Actually, no, it didn't." There was tautness in his mew. "It kept shining as it did the second before." His ears twitched.
"What? Why? She broke the truce! It should have-" She stopped and looked down at Arrowkit, who's ears were pricked. "Oh, all this in getting into my kit's head. We'll talk tomorrow." She rested her tail on his shoulder. "Thank you. It means more than you know that a tom acts in a father's place for him. Not that I'm telling you what to do-"
"Ah, cut it out," the yellow tom mrrowed. "I'm confined to camp anyways, and besides, I kind of like him." His ethereal gaze rested on Arrowkit once more; his jaws parted in shock.
"You like me?" he couldn't himself from squeaking. A warrior tom liked him? This was the best night ever!
He exchanged an uneasy glace at Silverfur. "I see," he mumbled. "Of course." The spotted tom replied to Arrowkit. "Silverfur's my friend and Clanmate, and I'm friends with all of her kin." He dipped his head down to meet Arrowkit's. "And that includes you."
Arrowkit could barely suppress himself. He was a warrior's friend!
Spottedflame sighed wistfully. "I remember when I was a kit. I wasn't the most behaved, that's for sure. Or the wisest apprentice."
"Right you are!" Silverfur mrrowed. Remember that time when you tried to chase a rabbit off of the territory? Oakstar was furious! Or at our first Gathering, when you nipped a ShadowClan tom from behind? You were confined to camp for half a moon!"
Arrowkit suddenly felt drowsy, and he felt his mother's fluffy flank suddenly. Silverfur turned around. "Oh, sorry, he's sleepy. It was a long day for him." She flicked Spottedflame's muzzle with her tail tip. Thanks again, Spottedflame."
The tom replied, but he couldn't focus on much more than his mother's tail as it guided him to the cozy den.
All he could think before he crumbled in his mother's chest was the fact a warrior likes him.
AYYYY I'M BACK!
Alright, so I'm mouse-brained enough to not have tried my computer yet! Whaaaat? This is a thing, and it's on my laptop!
So I'll be using this for now.
AND SPOILERS FOR THE CANON!
IVE READ EVERY LAST BOOK EXCEPT THE MANGAS, THE DAWN OF CLAN (and related titles,) THE NEW SERIES, AND THREE OF THE SUPER EDITIONS!I AM GEEKING OUT WAY TOO HARD! First off:
DoVeWiNg Is FaKe
I mean, Tigerheart or Bumblestripe? Come on, girl.
AND OH MYgoOdnEss Lionblaze and Cinderheart's kits!
Bramblestar and Squirrelflight got back togethherrr
I hated how Stick accidentally killed his own daughter, Red. That was in SkyClan's destiny, and you can bet on a one shot on Stick after the battle with Dodge.
Jake hype!? Firestar's dad!? I CaNt EvEn
SO MAD AT MILLIE FOR NEGLECTING HER OWN KITS SAVE BRIARLIGHT! UGH!
If ya'll wanna PM me on the books, I WILL talk more. There's so much more I wanna say, but I'm tOo LazY
I'm on Moth Flight's Vision rn!
END CANON
So I found this youtuber name Blixemi, who makes his/her original warriors songs! I HIGHLY recommend him/her, My favorites are 'Walk without the Stars,' an Ivypool feature, 'One not Two,' a Feathertail feature, and my very favorite, 'I'll be Complete,' which is, surprisingly, a BRIARLIGHT FEATURE! Other features include Mapleshade, Hollyleaf, Brightheart, and others! It's not underrated as it sounds; it's really well executed music with emotion brimming to the max. All of it. Check it out!
QOTD: How did the apologies go? Silverfur and Spottedflame's exchange? Firekit?
See ya,
Cobra~