Icestar's revelation
So…this is Saffron Rising chapter 4. It's longer than the other chapters (mibby I should've broken it down)
I don't own Warriors, but I do own Saffron! He's an OC!
Again, please review, and please give thorough, helpful reviews (not ones that either call it really good or awful). These will help make Saffron Rising better!
It wasn't until after sunhigh that Sprucestripe emerged from the warrior's den as her usual energetic self. "Hi!" she called, bounding towards Saffron and touching noses with him. "Ready for some fighting?"
Saffron nodded.
"Okay!" she sprang out of camp and to the training clearing. "So, you know how to fight? Because there's lots of fighting moves."
"I'm good on the basics," Saffron replied, "But if there's some crazy jump-on-your-opponent's-head-and-claw-their-nose, I don't-"
"No, no, silly, we'd never do anything like that!" Sprucestripe teased, batting his ears playfully. "We're supposed to use good moves! Like this!"
She demonstrated a move where she crouched, skidded across the clearing before flipping over and clawing the air.
"The trick is to land underneath your opponent and attack their belly," Sprucestripe explained. "Once, when AuroraClan crossed the border, I used it on one of their warriors. I think his name is Weaseltail. I wonder if he still has scars. Why don't you try it on me?" she added. "Remember, keep your claws sheathed!" She stood at the other end of the clearing.
Saffron tried to mimic her but wound up sliding too far, going straight under her and hitting his head on a tree. It took him several minutes to recover from banging his head, and several more minutes for Sprucestripe to stop laughing.
"Well, that was quite interesting!" she chuckled. "If you use that in battle, make sure you hit an AuroraClan cat with it!"
"I'm not going to use it in battle," Saffron snapped, annoyed. "And why an AuroraClan cat?"
"Because AuroraClan is always crossing the border," Sprucestripe explained. "Sometimes, they try to steal herbs and-" she froze and stared at Saffron.
"Sprucestripe? Are you okay?"
"Saffronpaw," Sprucestripe gasped, "What if Stonejaw caught an AuroraClan warrior stealing herbs from that herb patch and they killed him?"
Saffron considered her theory. "Would an AuroraClan warrior really do that?"
"They wouldn't want Stonejaw telling the rest of the Clan about the herb-theft!" the tabby continued. "And AuroraClan would do that! They're crazy!"
"How is it possible that every cat in an entire Clan is insane?" Saffron asked.
"They're naturally insane," Sprucestripe replied dismissively. "AuroraClan's been insane since Aurorastar founded it."
"Is it just me, or is everyone in LavaClan biased against AuroraClan?"
"Saffronpaw, you don't get it. We have a reason to be annoyed with them. They're always crossing boundaries and trying to steal stuff."
"I can't blame them!"
Sprucestripe stared at him like he was insane. "What do you mean?"
"I mean look at their territory. Hardly anything grows there, much less medical herbs! Can't you think about things like that for once and not just about your precious Clan?"
"It's not just about LavaClan; it's about the warrior code!" Sprucestripe was face to face with him now, her voice almost desperate. "You have to understand, Saffronpaw, the warrior code is the lifeblood of the Clans. Without it, we're not the Clans!"
"Well, I've spent nearly all of my life outside of a Clan and I've done just fine!" Saffron growled. "What makes the Clans so great anyway?"
Sprucestripe didn't answer. She turned away from him and padded several steps away before speaking. "Let's work on some more fighting."
They fought for several more minutes. Sprucestripe kept shouting at Saffron for attacking the invisible foe's throat. "You shouldn't kill unless it's absolutely necessary," she scolded.
"My claws are sheathed," Saffron replied angrily. "I'm just sending them a warning call so that they're just they'll run."
"Your fighting tactics are very unusual."
"So?"
"It's just that…I don't know. Let's go back to camp. You've worked hard; get something from the fresh-kill pile."
Once they reached the LavaClan clearing, Saffron chose another squirrel from the fresh-kill pile. The fresh-kill pile was looking a bit empty, but Sprucestripe reassured him that Sparkpaw and Firepaw would bring back plenty of prey from their assessment. He noticed the rocks where he and Mousenose had spoken were now being used by two sleeping elderly cats.
"Saffronpaw, I've had another vision."
Saffron looked up to see Pinewhisker standing next to him. "What'd you see?" he asked, heart pounding; hopefully, this had nothing to do with him.
"Navystar – the leader of AuroraClan before Icestar – and I were in a forest, and it was full of light. Navystar told me 'Something terrible is about to happen to my Clan. When it happens, you will know what to do.' And the light in the forest flickered, and then it went out and I woke up."
"And…what do you think it means?"
"I don't know. I just don't know." Pinewhisker sounded frustrated. "I've never been spoken to by a DreamClan cat that wasn't originally from LavaClan…But what's that supposed to mean? Wolfscent, Saffronpaw, I'm a medicine cat, not a warrior. I'm a terrible hunter, I can't fight, I can only heal. So unless there's a plague in AuroraClan and Flickerlight dies before anyone gets cured, I'm not going to be of any help."
As the sun began to swiftly approach the horizon, the two ginger apprentices entered camp, carrying large clumps of prey in their mouths. Their mentors followed them, also carrying fresh-kill. Emberheart, head held high, and Smokestar, brought up the procession. They placed the prey in the fresh-kill pile before the two apprentices went to stand at the foot of the hill, where Saffron had been apprenticed. Smokestar climbed to the top and yowled, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey come forth for a Clan meeting!" The Clan assembled below her as she began to speak.
"I, Smokestar, leader of LavaClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn," Smokestar recited in a loud, clear voice that seemed to pierce the night. She looked down at the two apprentices, who stared back up at her solemnly. "Sparkpaw, Firepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do," the siblings answered as one.
"Then by the powers of DreamClan," Smokestar continued, her voice becoming even louder and more powerful, "I give you your warrior names. Sparkpaw, from this moment you will be known as Sparkwarmth. Firepaw, you shall be known as Firewish. DreamClan honors your courage and your loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of LavaClan."
Sparkwarmth? Firewish? Saffron thought, shuddering. Those are the worst names I've ever heard! I seriously hope that Smokestar doesn't try to give me a name like that!
Smokestar stepped down the hill and rested her muzzle on Sparkpaw – or now, Saffron reminded himself, Sparkwarmth's - head. The new warrior licked his leader's shoulder. As she repeated this process with Firewish, the voices of the Clan began to rise, calling out the same thing, over and over:
"Sparkwarmth, Firewish! Sparkwarmth, Firewish!"
"The new warriors will guard the camp in silent vigil," Smokestar called over the voices of her Clanmates. The crowd parted to allow Sparkwarmth and Firewish to take their places flanking the hollow tree tunnel.
As the crowd dissolved, Saffron found himself next to Spiritpaw, who was heading towards the fresh-kill pile. "What if Smokestar gives them a name they don't like? Can they ask her to change it or something?"
"Smokestar's good at giving names," Spiritpaw replied. "She always give names that fit the new warrior perfectly. I think DreamClan helps her. Firewish! I like that name. I hope my warrior name is Spiritwish, or something else cool!" he turned his head to stare into Saffron's eyes. "What do you want your warrior name to be?"
"Saffron," the golden tom replied bluntly.
Spiritpaw's eyes grew wide. "But that's not a warrior name! You know, warrior names have two parts. And they can't end in kit, star, or paw. C'mon, Saffronpaw, what do you want to be named when you become a warrior?"
"Saffron, because it is my name!" Saffron growled, becoming frustrated. "It's just one word and one word only."
"But you're name is Saffronpaw!" Spiritpaw sniffed. "Don't you get it? It shows you're an apprentice!"
"But I don't care to be an apprentice, thank you very much! Or a warrior, for that matter!"
"Then…what do you want to be?"
"Saffron."
"I'm going to be a warrior first!" a young female voice called.
"No, mouse-brain, I'm going to be a warrior first!" another voice, also belonging to a young she-cat argued.
"No you aren't!"
"Yes I am!"
Grumbling, Saffron opened his eyes, sat up and began to groom. It was just before sunrise, from what he could tell. Spiritpaw was already gone; a brown and white she-cat and an auburn tabby were still in the den, however, and were bickering.
"I'm going to be a warrior first because you can't catch squirrels!"
"You couldn't beat a kit at fighting! I'll be a warrior first!"
Redclaw stormed into the apprentice den. "Shame on you two for fighting over such silly things! Warriors must learn to stand together as a Clan, or it will descend into chaos!" He noticed Saffron stumbling to his paws. "Saffronpaw, meet Sprucestripe by the entrance tunnel; you're going on the morning hunting patrol."
Saffron found Sprucestripe, Mousenose, a grey she-cat with emerald eyes and Cindertail waiting by the hollow log. After introducing the green-eyed she-cat as Jadepool, they set out, Cindertail in the lead.
Once in the thick of the pine forest, they spread out, looking for prey. Jadepool was the first one to find something; Saffron spotted her burying a mouse.
"Why'd she do that?" he asked Sprucestripe after finding her. "I mean, bury her kill."
"She's just storing it; she'll come back for it later," the warrior replied. "I suggest you do the same."
Over the next few hours, Saffron caught two mice and one squirrel. Rather than follow Sprucestripe's suggestion, he hid them under the fine matting of pine needles that covered the forest floor. Just as he was preparing to pounce on a bird that had fluttered to the ground absent-mindedly, Cindertail yowled, "Patrol, regroup!" Startled, the bird flew away. Saffron retrieved his catches and met up with the others, all of whom were carrying fresh-kill.
"Everyone here?" Cindertail asked thickly, looking around. "Good. Let's go."
They returned to camp, which had a rather drowsy feel to it. Emberheart and several others were gathering near the entrance. As he passed them, Spiritpaw yelled, "We're going on the midday border patrol!"
That's wonderful, but I don't really care, Saffron thought. Though Spiritpaw's enthusiasm was cute, it was getting a bit annoying.
After putting the two mice in the fresh-kill pile, Saffron went to his usual eating spot at the foot of the hill to eat the squirrel; after all, he had caught it. Emberheart had told him that cats hunted to feed the Clan and not themselves, but if they were members of the Clan, wasn't that technically their prey? Not that Saffron considered himself a member of LavaClan, which made it make even more sense that he ate his own catches; after all, it would be rude to take their snacks.
Sprucestripe seemed to appear out of nowhere beside him. "Why don't you get some good rest, Saffronpaw? The middle of camp is a great place to sleep during the day."
"Sleep? Why?"
The tabby she-cat licked his head. "You've earned it. Besides, I imagine you'll be up quite a bit tonight!"
"I thought Smokestar doesn't want cats outside of the camp after sundown," Saffron replied, confused.
"There are a few exceptions. Get some rest." She turned and padded towards her sister's den.
Deciding to test out her suggestion, Saffron moved to the center of the camp, where several LavaClan cats were basking in the sunlight. Even as he settled down, he could feel its warmth lulling him to sleep.
He woke up around sunset when somebody stepped on him. This somebody turned out to be a rather distracted-seeming Pinewhisker, who apologized far more than she should've before rushing off.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey assemble at the foot of the hill for a Clan meeting!" Smokestar yowled from her perch on the hilltop. Instantly, cats began to rush to their positions, and Saffron had to jump out of the way to avoid being trampled by them.
"Tonight is the night of the full moon, and the night of the Gathering of all three Clans," Smokestar announced. "The cats that will be attending the Gathering will be Emberheart, Sparkwarmth, Firewish, Sprucestripe, Saffronpaw, Barkclaw, Spiritpaw, Ashflower, Redclaw, and I. All cats attending the Gathering, please meet by the tunnel leading out of camp." She stepped down from her post and headed towards the tunnel; several other cats, including Saffron, followed her lead.
"Oh, hooray!" Spiritpaw whispered as the group slipped through the tunnel and began to follow the path through the forest. "I've never been to a Gathering before! I hope the other Clans aren't scary!"
As the huge white moon began to rise in the sky, they reached the TempestClan Bridge. Their pace slowed down as only two cats could cross the narrow bridge at the same time. Otherwise, Sprucestripe explained, it might collapse from their weight and fall into the river far below at the bottom of the gorge.
Once they crossed the bridge, they were able to move faster across the whiskery grasslands of the TempestClan territories. Several times, Saffron sensed the raw smell of the TempestClan cats. Slowly, a dark shape grew on the horizon. As they began down a small hill, Saffron caught his first glimpse of Blackstones.
Large ebon rocks formed a rough circle around a clearing of short, smooth grass; cats moved about the grass, chatting casually. The moon seemed to shine directly above them, its silvery light glinting everywhere. The sky seemed fuller of stars than ever before in Saffron's life. The largest of the stones was directly across from a gap that led into the circle. Two cats sat on it: a grey-and-white tom and a dappled grey she-cat.
As the rest of the LavaClan cats mingled with the others – though cautiously, Saffron noticed – Smokestar crossed directly through the clearing and climbed onto the largest stone of all. She yowled, and the chattering cats fell silent and took their seats. Saffron found himself sitting next to a dark grey she-cat, a ginger and black tabby and a tom the color of storm clouds.
"This Gathering is now in progress!" the dappled she-cat on the rock announced. She turned to Smokestar. "Would you like to start off with your announcements?"
Smokestar dipped her head slightly. "No, no, Rainstar, I'll go last."
"That's funny," Saffron heard the grey female hiss to the others. "Normally, Smokestar loves to go first so she can jib about her perfect Clan."
Saffron stiffened. Evidentially, Smokestar wanted to save her accusation of AuroraClan for last, as the big finale.
"Okay, then, I'll go first," the she-cat, Rainstar, decided. "Prey is running well on the territory, considering that it's nearly bareleaf. Despite," she added, "We have hardly any trees to be bare!"
Several cats laughed at Rainstar's joke. She continued, "We have one new warrior: Tigerheart." She gestured at the ginger and black tabby, who blinked embarrassedly. Several cats called out "Tigerheart! Tigerheart!" as the storm-colored tom winked at her.
"A badger was found on our territory; however, after the whole Clan pretty much came after it, it fled," Rainstar finished. "That is my report. How about you, Icestar?"
"The river is still quite abundant with fish," Icestar declared. "Nothing dangerous has entered our territory, and we too have a new warrior: Stormstrike."
This time, it was the grey tom's turn to be embarrassed as a few cats called out his name and Tigerheart nudged him playfully.
"Also, Owlwing's kits have been born: they are a healthy male and female, and have not been named yet." Pride emanated from Icestar as he spoke. "That's my news. You're turn, Smokestar!"
Smokestar's face was serious as she spoke. "The forest prey is only beginning to vanish, and we are stocking up. The wolves have not crossed into our forest from the mountain."
Wolves! Saffron thought, alarmed.
"We have two warriors: Sparkwarmth and Firewish." The siblings stood up proudly as their names were called; Saffron heard Tigerheart give a hiss of disgust.
"Also, the warrior Stonejaw was found dead two nights ago." She swung her head around so as to stare into Icestar's eyes. "An AuroraClan cat killed him."
Icestar took a step backwards, shock emitted from him.
"Yes, Icestar, you heard me right," Smokestar growled. "We know it was one of your Clan. What do you have to say?"
"What do I have to say? What do I have to say?" Icestar spluttered.
Rainstar spoke up. "Why do you accuse his Clan of such a crime, Smokestar?"
"There was an AuroraClan cat's scent on Stonejaw's body," Smokestar snapped, glaring at the two other leaders. "What other evidence do we need?"
"Which cat's scent?" Rainstar asked, sounding curious.
"How am I supposed to know the individual scents of every cat in his Clan?"
Icestar seemed to recover from Smokestar's accusation. In a much stronger voice, he called, "I don't know anything of this death. However, I do know that I was not the killer, nor did this cat die on my orders. I don't even know why one of us would do such a thing! I swear this on DreamClan! And if that isn't strong enough evidence for you, Smokestar, I'll find the real killer and leave it on your doorstep!"
"Well," Smokestar hissed, her voice icy, "If it is a cat of your Clan, I will expect you to punish them as thoroughly as the Warrior Code allows. Got that, Icestar?"
The two cats glared at each other before Rainstar tentatively mewed, "The Gathering is hereby closed."
The cats stood and began to exit Blackstones as the leaders climbed down. Saffron, as he was swept along, heard Tigerheart mew, "Goodbye, Stormstrike. May all the lights in the sky shine down upon you."
"And you too, Tigerheart."
Saffron glanced around and realized the dark grey she-cat was staring at him. She quickly looked away, shyly, as Saffron rejoined the LavaClan cats.
Realization struck Saffron, and it had nothing to do with the broiling Clan politics threatening to explode at any moment. It had nothing to do with the code.
It was about how pretty the grey she-cat was.
