Title: Linking the Far Past with the Far Future
Description: In which murders are committed, lives are stolen, Clans are allying themselves with dark forces for the means of survival, and betrayals are becoming a regular occurrence. Growing up being abandoned by her mother, Bluecrest must lock away her hatred and sorrow for the good of RiverClan. But when cats begin turning against her, she loses faith in what she once thought was love.
Comment Notes: Thanks to all my lovely reviewers out there~ I'm afraid I won't be replying to any reviews unless they are asking questions. Otherwise, please know that I truly appreciate all your kind comments and feedback~
Author's Notes: Warriors belong to the Hunters and the Hunters only. I am not trying to claim ownership, so please, don't show up at my house with spears and swords. Nothing in this chapter is explicit nor is any gore extremely detailed. Cuz that would be gross.
Chapter 10
Missing what Used to Be
Bluecrest stretched lazily. It had been a day since the encounter with WindClan on the border, and her mind still refused to let her sleep. She crouched comfortably by the camp entrance as she kept guard.
Suddenly, a shape darted out of the waving fronds by the entrance, and Bluecrest recognized the gray, muscular shape as Stormstar, the leader of WindClan. With a jolt, she straightened up, a snarl beginning to form on her lips.
"What business does a leader of another Clan have with RiverClan?" she demanded fiercely, eyes smouldering. Stormstar looked at her in alarm, like he thought he could just charge into the RiverClan camp and expect to be completely ignored. Bluecrest might've laughed at the prospect had the situation been different.
"My Clan has been driven out, and we need to request shelter with RiverClan." His voice was calm, and he stood tall and defiant, though Bluecrest could see a spark of panic in his eyes. She understood. If RiverClan turned him down, then he would have no place to go. He must've been informed of ShadowClan and ThunderClan's alliance.
"Stormstar."
They both turned to see Sunstar padding up to them. The RiverClan leader dipped his head respectfully, though Bluecrest detected a hint of surprise in the golden tom's voice.
"We will allow you to shelter here. After all, we aren't fox-hearts who would turn away cats in need." He twitched his tail, looking slightly concerned.
Turning her head just a fraction of a whisker, she saw Stormstar's shoulders sag in relief as he followed Sunstar. Suddenly, he flicked his tail, and a huge, battle-scarred tom burst into the clearing. Bluecrest immediately crouched low in alert, thinking that they were about to attack. But in his jaws swung a tiny kit, which mewled pathetically when she was bumped carelessly along the ground.
"Stoneheart!" she exclaimed. The large tomcat glared at her through narrowed amber eyes and set the kit down. She immediately began struggling weakly towards the camp entrance. A heartbeat later a long-furred queen half-slid, half-walked into the RiverClan camp. Distress lit her weary green gaze when she saw her kit wriggling on the ground.
"Starlingkit!" she exclaimed, rushing over to her kit and covering it in affectionate and concerned licks. A stab of sympathy shot through her at the sight. The queen's cream-and-brown pelt was rumpled and her eyes were clouded with exhaustion.
"Softnight, we must keep going. You and your kits will be able to rest soon."
Bluecrest raised her head to look in the direction of the new voice. A gray-dappled she-cat was trudging in, followed closely by another cat, a tortoiseshell she-cat. The gray she-cat too held a kit within her jaws.
Softnight let her clouded green eyes flicker upwards for a heartbeat before dropping it back down. "Spottedflare, my kits are dying because I don't have the milk to feed them. First the rogues, now this…" she shook her head sadly, "I don't think I have the strength to nurse them back to full health."
Bluecrest looked on sympathetically, her heart clenching. "If you want, I could ask one of our queens to suckle them. Just until you've recovered." She spoke for the first time since Softnight had entered the camp, and she padded over.
"Come on, the nursery's this way. I'm sure Sunstar would approve."
Bluecrest nudged Softnight to her paws and took Starlingkit gingerly by the scruff. She walked steadily to the large nursery den, careful to keep the kit still. With a glance over her shoulder, she saw Softnight struggling along after her, paw steps unsteady. Spottedflare exchanged a few words with the tortoiseshell before turning and padding after Softnight.
Warmth rose inside of her as she witnessed Softnight's devotion to her kits. If only Whitedove had been like that, she mused, her heart dropping like lead. Ignoring the sinking feeling, she nudged a stray reed aside with her shoulder for Softnight to enter. The queen slipped inside cautiously, green eyes alert despite her weariness.
Spottedflare dipped her head and set her tiny bundle down in front of Bluecrest. "I have to help the rest of my Clan now. I trust you'll take care of Robinkit?"
Bluecrest nodded and watched the gray-dappled she-cat turn away and walk back to the camp entrance. Cats were beginning to file in, crowding the camp. Spottedflare spoke quietly to the tortoiseshell that she'd come in with and they both padded to the back of the group, where an elder limped along as steadily as he could manage. His companion, an old white she-cat, nudged him constantly to keep him going.
Spottedflare and the tortoiseshell she-cat murmured a few words to the white elder before they split up and padded to either side of the frail old tom, each supporting his weight as they made their way across the clearing.
Bluecrest bent down and nudged Robinkit to his paws, unable to carry him with Starlingkit in her mouth. Her shoulder was still pinning the reed back, and she guided Robinkit into the warmth of the nursery.
Bluecrest let go of the reed, feeling it sway against her side as she brushed in beside Softnight. Her eyes scanned the den before coming to rest on a heap of white fur. She set Starlingkit down so she could speak.
"Brightleaf." She reduced her voice to a soft whisper, coaxing the white she-cat awake. Brightleaf blinked drowsily, her hazel pupils dilating before becoming enlarged to adjust to the shafts of sunlight coming in through the roof and the contrasting gloom of the den.
"Oh, Bluecrest. What is it?" she murmured, raising her small round head to gaze evenly at the cream-silver she-cat. Moving aside, she gestured towards Softnight, who stepped forward hesitantly.
Bluecrest glanced at both of them before drawing a breath to speak. "Brightleaf, this is Softnight, a queen from WindClan," Brightleaf's eyes widened, "Everything will be explained later, but her kits are parched and she doesn't have enough milk to feed them all. Will you help suckle them until Softnight regains her health?"
Brightleaf's eyes underwent a series of emotions before finally settling on warmth and longing. "Well, I suppose I have some milk to spare, since Mintpaw and Graypaw are apprentices now." She moved her tail aside and watched without resisting as Robinkit and Starlingkit wriggled their way to her belly and latched on, suckling contently.
Turning to Softnight, Bluecrest saw the WindClan queen's relief. "Their brother Finchkit died two days ago because I was too weak to feed him." she murmured suddenly. Bluecrest felt bile rise up in her throat as she recalled Featherhaze's words.
Just the other day we lost Shellfur and one of our kits, Finchkit.
"I'm sorry, Softnight." Bluecrest murmured, letting her tail-tip rest comfortingly on her shoulder before whisking it away. Brightleaf looked stricken.
"That must've been hard." the white queen mewed, eyes soft with sympathy. Softnight nodded, her eyes unreadable as she wordlessly backs out of the den. After a quick thank you to Brightleaf, Bluecrest followed her.
Outside in the camp, it looked like Sunstar had already called a meeting and informed RiverClan what was going on. Now several warriors were guarding the entrance while WindClan ate, rested and shared tongues with their sheltering Clan. Bluecrest caught sight of Spottedflare sharing a mouse with the tortoiseshell she-cat near the waterfall, and she bounded over to join them, stopping only to snatch the smallest chaffinch she could find.
"Hey," she mewed awkwardly, standing in front of them and waiting for an invitation to sit down. Spottedflare and her friend glanced up before smiling simultaneously and gesturing to the ground in front of them.
"Go ahead." Spottedflare mewed, and Bluecrest settled down beside them.
"Hello, I'm Bluecrest. I take it you're Spottedflare?" the cream-silver Bengal asked politely as she nibbled on the wing of her chaffinch. Spottedflare purred.
"Yes, I am. This here," she indicated at the tortoiseshell, "is Petalstream, my sister."
Petalstream murmured a greeting, her ears pricked.
Before Bluecrest could say anything else, Nightstorm padded up to them. The senior warrior's eyes shone with compassion as she took in the two WindClan cats' starved figures. "Come with me, you two. We have nests prepared for you."
Spottedflare and Petalstream nodded, letting their exhaustion show as they yawned. Getting to their paws, they dipped their heads politely to Bluecrest. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Bluecrest." Petalstream murmured before she turned and limped after her sister.
The fawn-silver Bengal watched them go before returning her gaze to her fresh-kill. Suddenly she didn't feel very hungry. Her body felt cold without Stormrift's familiar warmth beside her. She immediately shook her head at the thought.
I don't need him anymore, the traitor.
With a weary sigh, she gulped down the chaffinch and winced as its dry feathers grazed the back of her throat. Getting to her paws, she trudged wearily off the warrior's den and slipped inside. Exhausted, she curled up in her nest and closed her eyes, deciding to take a little nap to rest up before helping around the camp.
A familiar pang made her chest throb painfully. She recognized it as loneliness, and she felt the realization sear her heart as she curled her tail around her body to keep her warm.
Stormrift, I miss you.
