Disclaimer;
FAAA! -tackles- I don't own Warriors, just all the characters and the plot.
XP Okay, so I'm on the tail-end of this story. F I N A L L Y
It's not very long. 0,o
I'm thinking there are going to be three more chaps. XP
I totally realized that there is no way for Orangeh and Asseh to be born without a Russetstripe...
Heh...
Oh well, I'll just pretend he's in there, I just don't write with him because he's not mine to control. -cackles- I won't put him in the allegiances but he exists SOMEWHERE in WindClan. -cackles again-
Leader;
Darkstar- Dark gray tabby tom
Deputy;
Wailingcry- Sandy colored she-cat*
MedicineCat;
Bravespirit- Snow colored tom w/ ginger patches and vivid orange eyes
Warriors;
Softfeather- Pale gray tabby she-cat
Crowtalon- Black and white tom w/ ice blue eyes
Wirepelt- Dark brown tom
Jaggedtail- Brown tabby tom w/ a broken tail
Tranquilpool- Blue gray she-cat w/ bright green eyes
Brightcourage- White tom w/ tortoiseshell patches
Emberfang- Dark gray tom w/ ginger flecks
Windywhisker- Gray brown tabby she-cat w/ golden-orange eyes
Kindredheart- Fluffy tortoiseshell she-cat
Blackblizzard- Tall white tom w/ black patches of fur and golden-orange eyes
Shadedjay-Blue-gray she-cat w/ dark blue eyes
apprentice; Ficklepaw
Petalwhisker- Pale blue-gray she-cat
Pebblespot- White she-cat w/ blue gray patches
Apprentices;
Ficklepaw- Small black, brown, and ginger tortoiseshell with golden-orange eyes
Queens and Kits;
Wailingcry- Sandy colored she-cat(w/Crowtalon)
Sandkit- Pale sandy colored tom-cat w/ white paws
Coldkit- Black and white she-cat w/ long whiskers
Elders;
Hollyreign- Once beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat w/ golden orange eyes
Snowclaw- White tom w/ long hooked claws
Moonwhisker- Silver tabby she-cat
Frostedpetal- Silver tabby she-cat w/ a white muzzle
Chapter Eleven- Mother
Ficklepaw stalked the outer edges of the camp with a confidence he had never had before. Well, he had it recently. Now the young apprentice padded confidently through the shadows, almost daring his old demons to rise up and face him. He wasn't afraid of Doomkit before, he knew how to combat the specter now. Still, he didn't know he had once been mad. Somehow he hadn't made the connection. Yet.
The tortoiseshell tipped his head to the side as he padded along the border of the camp. Frostedpetal was padding towards the medicine cat den, a purposeful look flashing in her bold eyes. The elderly she-cat poked her head in the den, and withdrew after a heartbeat, her eyes clouded slightly. Ficklepaw padded up behind her, "What's going on Frostedpetal?"
The she-cat jumped as though startled, and looked at the apprentice with surprise. "Oh, Ficklepaw. I was looking for Whiteface, or Bravespirit. I think Hollyreign is sick." Frostedpetal seemed to notice the way his golden-orange eyes hardened with distaste and she added solemnly, "She is sick in the head Ficklepaw. She never meant to kill-"
"Doesn't make it right." Ficklepaw meowed curtly, and pushed passed her. His good mood had vanished like the morning dew in the afternoon sun. Fox-dung! Why did Hollyreign have to screw everything up? The smaller cat glanced at Frostedpetal and meowed, "I think Blackblizzard went to look for Whiteface. Shadedjay and Bravespirit left awhile ago to find Blackblizzard."
"Thank you Ficklepaw...and...could you go and be with her." Frostedpetal meowed, and flattened her ears at the death-glare he gave her. "Ficklepaw please, the she-cat doesn't need to be alone right now. It's your duty as a WindClan cat."
"That's low." Ficklepaw replied, quirking his lips up into a small smile. Still, his golden-orange eyes hardened a little at the prospect. "Fine, I'll go."
With that the young apprentice turned his paws toward the elder's den. As he ducked inside he was aware of the change in atmosphere. Hollyreign was curled into a small ball, shudders wracked her form violently. The air seemed thick with death, and the other elders were nowhere to be seen. Ficklepaw awkwardly twitched his ear and sat a mouselength away from the she-cat he so bitterly hated.
Even with his anger at her he felt a twinge of sympathy. Compassion was in his nature, and watching Hollyreign writhe with agony made him feel uncomfortable. The she-cat cried out as if something had attacked her, and her eyes focused dazedly on his. Ficklepaw felt as if some cat had set his pelt aflame. Every nerve suddenly screamed with fear, he wanted to run out. Hollyreign's eyes softened and recognition flickered in their pained depths.
"Fickle...paw." She rasped, her voice grating against her throat almost worse than his did. Self-conciously the apprentice lifted one small paw to caress the scar tissue on his throat. Hollyreign's eyes followed the move and she moaned as if physically struck. "My fault, my fault."
Part of him yearned to scream at her, to let her feel the agony of guilt for waht she had done to him all those moons ago. Yet he found himself staring wordlessly at his paws, unable to deny her words but also incapable of confirming them. "You are ill...Hollyreign." He spoke her name carefully, and her ears perked forward as if she couldn't afford to miss a word he said.
"You came...to see...me?" Hollyreign let out a rasping chuckle that somehow turned into a keening wail. Ficklepaw flinched, and looked outside, wishing that Frostedpetal would return so that he could flee this place never to return. What had she said? That she THOUGHT Hollyreign was ill? It felt as if the entire den was tainted with death. He shuddered. "My fault, I ruined you. Broke Doomkit. Oh Doomkit, I'm sorry, please forgive me for being so..."
"Be quiet." Ficklepaw said, completely intending the words to be harsh and angry. They sounded soft though, almost gentle. Ficklepaw cursed himself and glared at his paws. Why couldn't he bring himself to hurt others? To turn all the pain he felt into righteous justice? Ficklepaw trembled as Hollyreign stretched out a paw and touched his. "Don't..."
"Please forgive me." She pleaded, "I don't know if I'll go to StarClan...I...don't deserve it Ficklepaw. But please, please tell me you forgive me. So that I can at least make it through my death feeling relief."
"I..." Ficklepaw felt the words stick in his muzzle. Compassion wrestled with hatred, he felt as if he were on fire and yet doused with the coldest water at the same time. The apprentice took a hesitant step forward, and then scrambled backwards. "I..."
"PLEASE!" She wailed, her eyes flashing in desperation. Ficklepaw's heart thudded with pity and rage. What did he feel for this cat? She was his mother...but had she ever meant to kill Doomkit? What if it had been like his visions? Where she had been so sure that the monsters were there, convinced? NO! It couldn't be the same thing it couldn't! "Ficklepaw, I'll never be...at peace..."
"You...said..." Ficklepaw trailed off. Oh it would be so easy, just to toss this she-cat's heart on the ground and stomp over it. Hatred made him want to do it. To scream in her face that she was nothing to him but a burden. That she had ruined his life, and killed his closest friend. She had, she had destroyed the fibre of his mind...was his mind destroyed? "I'm not insane!"
"What dear?" Hollyreign rasped, unaware of Ficklepaw's internal struggle. Ficklepaw backed away, baring his teeth at her. Suddenly his rage had no cap, and he felt that if he didn't leave he'd end up killing Hollyreign himself. The mere thought made his stomach churn violently and his head swam dizzingly.
"I'm not insane!" Ficklepaw snarled, "I'm not YOU! I'll NEVER be like you! I won't destroy the lives of those I love! You're pathetic Hollyreign, you...you..."
Oh her look was so shattered. So wounded. It tore at Ficklepaw's heart so violently that he let out a little whimper of agony. Hollyreign looked at him with eyes clearer than he had ever seen them. Eyes that were from before his kithood, but they were filled with so much sorrow that it felt as if with that single look he was suffering years of torment. "I love you."
Ficklepaw's heart wrenched, and she placed her head on her paws. Her breathing slowed, and before he could even think to move it stopped all together. The entire den was filled with a silence so oppressive that Ficklepaw was sure that he had gone deaf. The apprentice stared down at Hollyreign's still form, trying to feel...something. Why agony? Why this guilt that slammed into him from all sides.
"You could have lived longer...couldn't you?" Ficklepaw meowed miserably, his voice tight with pain. The apprentice backed out of the den, "But I killed you because I'm heartless and I couldn't forgive you..."
Why should he HAVE to forgive her? She destroyed everything dear to him! She took his closest brother, his best friend, and ended his life before he had a chance to even really taste it! Still, something stirred in his mind. She hadn't meant to do it...she never meant to do it. Ficklepaw spun around to flee and ran head-long into Softfeather. The she-cat blinked in surprise at him.
"Ficklepaw? You look like you've seen a ghost!" The she-cat exclaimed. Ficklepaw flattened his ears on his head uncomfortably, thinking of Doomkit's haunting spectre that had once padded at the corners of his mind. What if Doomkit returned because of what he did to Hollyreign? Or WORSE what if Hollyreign started stalking him. Cold fear stirred in his belly. "Ficklepaw?"
"N-nothing...no, I mean. It's something." Ficklepaw choked, "Hollyreign just died."
"Oh...oh no." Softfeather said, but in the way that told Ficklepaw she had no idea how to react to this news. She was watching him carefully and meowed softly, "I'm...sorry?"
"Me too." Ficklepaw said softly, and pushed passed her.
Blackblizzard sat silently at the entrance to camp. Hollyreign had been buried as the dawn light began to streak the sky. Now as the sun made it's way to the top of the sky he stayed very still. Whiteface and Hollyreign, both of them had died at the same time. Yet the entire Clan seemed more affected by Hollyreign's passing than the medicine cats. She was INSANE and the Clan still had more respect for her passing than Whiteface's.
It made Blackblizzard feel a twinge of guilt. True, Whiteface had been a bitter cat, but certainly part of that was because his Clan did not respect him. The warrior felt a wave of despair wash over him. Because of Blackblizzard this cat would not live to see another day. Even though it was fairly warm the warrior found himself shuddering.
"You okay Blackblizzard?" Darkstar meowed, Blackblizzard blinked at the leader in surprise. The gray tom-cat stared at him with gentle green eyes and meowed softly, "Losing those you care about can be terribly painful...I realize that there has been too much heartbreak for you recently. I would not judge you, no cat would, if you were to take a break from your warrior duties for a few days."
Blackblizzard blinked in surprise, and turned his sun-colored gaze away from the gray tabby. Finally he shook his head a little slowly, "No, thank you Darkstar. I...If there is anything I've learned through these experiences it is that life is precious. You can't sit around in a dark corner and mope."
"That is a wise thing to say, for a cat your age." Darkstar commented, and Blackblizzard realized for the first time that Darkstar was old. His dark muzzle was beginning to turn silver, and he moved a little stiffly now as well. "You and your brother are so young...yet you've seen more pain than any cat in this Clan. I fear for you...and Ficklepaw."
Blackblizzard's stomach lurched. Had Darkstar noticed Ficklepaw's odd behaviour? The warrior blinked nervously at the ground before meowing softly, "We have each other, and as long as we're together we can face anything. I know it. But...Darkstar...I don't think that Ficklepaw feels much for Hollyreign's death. Why should he, when she tried to kill him..."
"You did not know? Ficklepaw was with Hollyreign when she died. He was fairly shaken by the ordeal." Darkstar meowed, some surprise leaking into his rumbling meow. The tabby shook his head at Blackblizzard's clear surprise, "That apprentice has a very compassionate heart. That is both a strength and a weakness Blackblizzard, remember that because of his willingness to love those around him Ficklepaw may find himself getting easily hurt."
For some strange reason those words had a ring of prophecy to them. Blackblizzard shuddered and meowed, "I can keep an eye on him, don't worry Darkstar."
"You forget that all cats grow and change Blackblizzard." Darkstar meowed solemnly, "In fact...though I should tell Shadedjay first but you are his brother...Ficklepaw's assessment will be tomorrow. If all goes well he will recieve his warrior name. It is high-time he has had it. Ficklepaw has proven to be a level-headed cat."
"I'm sure he'll be excited Darkstar." Blackblizzard meowed, dipping his head respectfully. A stirring of happiness for his brother welled up. Ficklepaw would be a warrior soon. Certainly that counted for something? It meant that Blackblizzard had succeeded in curing his brother! That Ficklepaw would live a normal life despite the trauma he had suffered.
FAH! -facepalm-
This took forever and a half to get done. Hit writer's block halfway through. :3
Sorry it's short...
