A/N: Hilo everybody! Welcome back to another chapter of Embers and Ashes. I am gratefully now officially on Spring Break. *Mini celebration* The thing I'm looking forward to the most is sleep tbh. Now, back to Flarepaw's perspective.
Thanks to Celtic Silver and Emberflame1706 for following and/or adding this story as a favorite!
Reviews
Slytherin Buttercat- Thank you, I didn't really know how I felt about that beginning portion, but I'm glad it worked out in the end. I'm rooting for everybody too lol. Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.
Key Storms- Don't worry, more of all the other apprentices would come sooner than you think. Hope you have a nice day too!
FalconwingTheWarrior- Yup, if there is one thing I'm good at, it's writing emotional scenes. You'll just have to wait and see. Thank you!
Emberflame1706- Thanks for joining us on this wild ride! I am a dudette, and my favorite character is probably either Flarepaw (go figure) or Sagepaw. Maybe also Darkpaw? I have lots of favorites. More of Whiteshadow's past will be revealed in a couple of chapters from now, so hang tight. I never make it known, but Yellowpaw's parents are actually Scarletfur and Blazefang. Thank you and you will find out their warrior names when that time comes (not for a while from now).
Shadowmist of ShadowClan- Hello Shadowmist! Is it possible to add people as friends on here? If there is, I don't know how haha. Thank you!
WolfFang (Guest)- Hooray, they're alive! *Throws confetti* Really? I felt like it was lacking something, idk that's just me I guess. Lol, Whiteshadow has a lot of fans. Don't worry, he'll be making reappearances here and there for a while now. Yeah, that's where I didn't like it, that most of the chapter wasn't even about the main character. I didn't even intend for Windpaw and Rainpaw's part to be that long, it just sort of happened. Hmm, your hunch might be correct there. I am not offended at all! Everybody is entitled to their own opinion on these matters. This is actually the first couple I have in every single one of my stories that is LGBTQ. I was so close to excluding it, but I felt it was very necessary, especially for Windpaw's backstory. But anyways, there would not be too much about them. This story is, after all, revolving around Sootpaw and Flarepaw. Yes, there may be instances where, like last chapter, I write in other character's perspectives, but that's to show everybody what is happening there. Anyways, point is, there won't be a lot about them in general. Hope that works out for you! (I am also socially awkward and sensitive, so we're in the same boat lol)
PheonixRune- Thank you! And you are correct! This chapter is called "Always."
Sharpbreeze- Heya Sharp! It's totally fine, you can take as much time as you need reviewing lol. Anyways, thank you! Lol, I just realized that I'm very evil. When one pair of characters is having a good time/progressing in terms of a relationship, the other is suffering XD. Sorry not sorry. Aha, so somebody actually thought about strength in other terms besides strength. You are completely correct. Page 9? Holy cow! We've reached the single digits! We're getting closer to page 1. Can't wait to see the day when we are there.
The Unnamed Guest- Oi I think. Thankfully, I'm able to see it this morning. I just started Spring Break, so hooray. Yes, Rainpaw is very sweet. And yes, there is a rule against harming kits. It is usually enforced by the Grand Royal, but it is just common courtesy I guess. Since kits aren't mature enough to understand, they would wait until they are apprentices before they usually start… attacking them I guess. Is that what you think? Hmm, guess again. Rainpaw is clanborn. Yup, it was Sootpaw's chapter after all. I feel like everybody might hate me after what I make him go through in these upcoming chapters. Don't hate me please! I will gladly accept your rogues, thank you! There ancestors train him? Or maybe just Flarepaw trains him? We'll see, we'll see. Thank you!
Thanks to everybody who reviewed, followed, and/or added this story as a favorite!
Let's get started!
…
The pain she felt was indescribable.
It was accompanied by sore muscles that screamed whenever she moved even the slightest in her nest. The den itself felt stuffy, her mouth dry- presumably from being asleep for a while. She didn't know how long it had been, it just felt more than a day since the fox attack. All she craved for in this moment was to feel the crisp, cool air of the approaching Leaf-bare wind.
Her cravings and unpleasant emotions that followed her pain were all washed away when she opened her eyes to see none other than the Commoner sitting in front of her nest. Her heart thrummed noisily in her chest, settling her into a surprisingly relaxed demeanor when he looked up at her, tears shining in his eyes.
She couldn't quite place what it was that brought her this joy, but then again, she didn't question it as she sent him a warm smile.
Any normal day, she wouldn't seem so inviting. Any normal day, she would never smile in a way that was so… real. Flarepaw never thought the day would come where she didn't feel the need to wear her mask of serious stillness.
But this isn't some normal day.
"Y-You're… you're awake…"
His voice was shaky and breathless, as if he was scared this was all just a dream. As if she wasn't really awake in this moment. Flarepaw felt her lips quirk more, as if begging her smile to grow. It was flattering how he seemed to look at her as if she was the most mystifyingly beautiful being in the world. Her silver-blue eyes glimmered in jovial amusement, flashing in pain only when she tried pushing herself up and her covered-up wounds disagreed with her. She succeeded in sitting up, grimacing in pain the whole way.
"You're awake…"
"Yes, you've said that already."
She didn't understand why her statement made him laugh, but she would always remember the pure joy it emitted as it reverabted in the den. Flarepaw blinked once, and the next thing she knew, he was much closer than before, his forehead gently placed on her shoulder and his muzzle tilted towards her neck. She inhaled sharply, her body tensing slightly from the contact of another. For a few moments, all she could do was sit there, listening to the sound of him breathing and feeling his breaths against the fur of her neck.
Slowly, she- too- leaned forward to place her forehead against his shoulder. Flarepaw finally found the breath she had been holding, her eyes closing gently. She could feel his shoulders shaking, his whole body in fact was shivering, and she knew it wasn't because of the temperature of the moderately warm den. It was almost as if he was laughing, almost as if he was crying…
"Please…"
Her ears quirked and her eyes opened again as she turned her head slightly, barely able to see his face hidden against her shoulder. Flarepaw could only stare at him in confusion, waiting for him to finish his sentence. Maybe he was just talking out loud? Was I not supposed to hear that? She had never felt her curiosity grow to such extreme levels before. Her silent question was answered when he suddenly pulled back, just enough so he could meet her gaze. The sheer intensity in his eyes made the golden-yellow color of them swirl. It reminded her, then and there, of the colors that appeared during a sunset.
It took her breath away without her realizing it.
"Please… don't you ever do that again."
"You-"
"Please. Please promise me you won't do that again."
Flarepaw could only stare back at him. The sunset in his eyes was blurring with unshed tears. It only occurred to her now that he wasn't trying to boss her around. He was scared of this happening to her again. She felt the smile from before threatening to show up once more.
"Don't run into trouble anymore, then I won't need to save you."
"Me?" The Commoner blinked at her in confusion before he looked directly at her once more. "You did that… for me?"
"I don't need you thinking that I try to put myself into situations where I am practically throwing my life away. I fight every battle for a reason. I had many reasons to fight that fox alone… you were just one of them."
"But… you said-"
"I know what I said. I did do it for my brothers too. But really, when comparing all three of you, all of you are similar."
"How? I'm not a Noble nor a Servant. It's like you said… I'm a Commoner."
"I'm not talking about ranks. All three of you… saved me… one way or another."
"What?"
Flarepaw couldn't look at him as she spoke. This specific conversation was long overdue, and if he hadn't avoided her, she would've been able to thank him sooner.
"Do you remember Target Practice?"
At the mere mention of it, he flinched; his gaze wandered to his shoulder that still bore the scar left behind by her father.
"You stood up for me when nobody else could. You've surprised me many times over. I hate not knowing whether you're the bravest tom to walk this earth or the most idiotic. I keep making assumptions about you, but time and time again you prove me wrong. You were there by my side, even though you didn't have to be."
Flarepaw lifted her gaze to meet his, her smile returning smaller than before, but just as genuine. She couldn't understand why it was simply so easy to smile when around him, she gave up questioning it at this point. Something in her mind seemed to click as she looked at him with nothing but sincerity and gratitude.
"Thank you… Sootpaw."
It was amusing how he drew in a breath when she said these words, his eyes wide with disbelief. His name felt strange on the Grand Royal apprentice's tongue. Gold met silver for a brief moment, and the tom merely looked at her in an understanding matter. As if he knew how difficult it was for her to deal with her emotions and wear them so freely on her face. As if he knew how much it really meant to her to finally call him by his name.
Despite all the pain they've been through thus far, the two would always remember these moments shared between them.
"You welcome… though, really, I should be the one thanking you. You were the one that got injured for us."
"Speaking of which, how is… everybody else."
Sootpaw allowed them to easily slip into conversation, but the almost shy smile on his face never left as he spoke with Flarepaw. They both acted as if their entire conversation prior to this one didn't happen, never occurred. But the two of them would always remember it.
"The only ones that were severely injured were you, Sagepaw, and Grand Royal Gingerpaw. They woke up relatively early, suffering no long-last injuries I think, but I don't really know. They'll also have to stay in here a while longer."
"How long has it been?"
"What?"
"How long has it been since the fox attack?"
He was silent for a beat longer than normal, his voice coming out in a quiet murmur that she was barely able to hear.
"Three days."
"Three days? Is that why you looked so surprised when I woke up?"
"I just… I thought you were never going to wake up…"
"Oh come on," Flarepaw felt a playful smirk make a home on her muzzle. "This world can't get rid of me that easily, not without a fight."
Sootpaw chuckled softly, grateful that she was comfortable enough to relax around him. His own smile never left his face, and it felt as though a weight was lifted off his shoulders now that she was awake. Only a few moments later did his mood become foul, his eyes narrowing slightly at the mere thought of her father.
"Wildfire didn't come with us… when we went to go save you."
Flarepaw stiffened slightly, but only for a few moments. So, I was right. He never showed up after all.
"I knew he wouldn't… he doesn't like wasting energy on those he believes don't stand a chance."
"And that doesn't bother you?"
His voice was one of disbelief, his fur bristling slightly. Flarepaw could only shrug in response, not trusting her voice enough to remain still. Of course it bothers me, my own father thought I was too weak to survive. Her smile disappeared from her face, her brows scrunching slightly as she tried to hide her disappointment.
"That's just… not right. He doesn't deserve to be called a father if he behaves like that."
"Why does it bother you so much? It's not a big deal-"
"Of course it's a big deal! You didn't see him, Flarepaw. He didn't even care enough to even pretend to want to come with us. He wasn't even doing anything! He was just… sitting there."
"If it doesn't bother me, it shouldn't bother you."
"You can't look me in the face and honestly say that it doesn't bother you that your own father didn't care whether you died or not."
The two sat in silence, fury bubbling in Sootpaw's golden yellow eyes and Flarepaw's silver blue ones as hard as stone. She gritted her teeth slightly before exhaling heavily, turning away from him as best as she could without flinching from her sore body.
"You… just don't know him like I do. Please, let's just… stop talking about him… please?"
Sootpaw opened his mouth before blowing out small sigh, frowning slightly at the pleading expression on her face.
"Fine."
"Look who decided to finally wake up."
Both apprentices turned towards the entrance of the den where the medicine cat now stood, having appeared without either of them noticing. Roseberry's unfathomably dark blue eyes were shining with a mischievous and relieved light. Without another word, she padded forward, greeting the Grand Royal apprentice by licking the top of her head. Flarepaw felt her eyes close instinctively, a purr threatening to rumble in her chest and tears forming slightly. The aging medicine cat would always do this, silently telling the apprentice that there was still a motherly figure there when her own mother couldn't be.
"I thought I told you to be more careful?"
"I guess I never learn."
Roseberry sniffed in agreement, licking the top of Flarepaw's head once more and gently pressing her nose against the newly created vee on her left ear.
"No, you never learn."
Stepping back slightly, the medicine cat's eyes hardened as she inspected Flarepaw's wounds, looking for any that might've reopened or worsened while she was gone. Classic Roseberry…
"Commoner Sootpaw, will you please go notify the Grand Royal that Flarepaw is now awake. Bring him to me."
"M-Me? You… you want me to go get the Grand Royal?"
"Your name is Sootpaw, is it not?"
"Yeah, yeah, but I… I'm just a Commoner."
"So?"
"What makes you think he would even consider listening to me? Let alone, talk to me?"
"Sootpaw, just go tell him Roseberry asks for him. He'll figure out the rest on his own."
The Commoner glanced at Flarepaw when she spoke, looking back at the medicine cat before nodding slightly. He was clearly nervous about speaking with the Grand Royal. Nodding his head once more, the tom stood up and left the room. He has no problem bad-mouthing a Royal, but he suddenly becomes a blubbering mess of words when thinking about the Grand Royal?
"It's certainly surprising seeing you be friends with a Low Rank."
"You're not going to scold me like how a normal High Rank would if they found out I even consider talking to a Low Rank?"
"I don't care who you choose to be with. As long as they can make you smile as much as you are now."
Flarepaw blinked at the medicine cat, only now realizing that she was indeed smiling without knowing it. Roseberry chuckled slightly, immediately getting into the normal routine of replacing the cobwebs on her wounds. The apprentice let out a relaxed sigh as a comfortable and familiar silence fell between the two of them. With the cobwebs now gone from her body, the medicine cat took a step back to look at her. A frown was on her face.
"I'm afraid I couldn't stop it from scarring."
Flarepaw looked down at the large scars at her sides, in the same places where the fox's teeth had punctured her skin. Some of her fur grew around it, but a majority of it would never grow back. The skin was pink, a fresh scar. They formed a U-shape, from where the fox's muzzle wrapped around them. They would remain there forever, no matter how much she tried to fix it. The she-cat blew out a soft breath as she looked back to the medicine cat.
"I'm still alive. That's all that matters."
"Yes, but those scars will always make it that much harder to forget."
"These scars are proof that I was strong enough to beat this ordeal. It means, I survived."
Roseberry cleared her throat silently, most likely trying to hold back tears as she stepped forward once more, pressing her forehead gently against Flarepaw's.
"You've grown faster than you were supposed to… all because of the hardships you've gone through. If I could take your place, I would make it so you will never have to feel any kind of pain ever again."
"You don't need to worry about me anymore, Roseberry. If I can get through all the pain the world has thrown at me so far, then I can get through anything and everything."
The two sat in peaceful silence once more, their foreheads touching gently and both of them holding in tears. Their moment was only disturbed by someone clearing their throat at the entrance of her den.
Roseberry was the first to pull away, glancing behind her shoulder to see none other than the Grand Royal. The golden yellow of his eyes appeared exponentially dull when compared to the bright colored eyes that belong to Sootpaw. The Commoner stood beside the leader, looking very out of place and exceedingly nervous.
"Greetings, Grand Royal."
Flarepaw remembered to bow her head, lifting it only when her leader responded in a similar manner. Roseberry glanced at the Commoner, who simply stood in his place; appearing as though he wanted to look at the leader, but chose not to.
"Thank you, Commoner Sootpaw. You are dismissed now."
"But-"
The Commoner stopped himself, glancing at the Grand Royal out of the corner of his eye and sending an almost desperate look to Flarepaw. The she-cat bit back a chuckle before he let out a sigh, turning to walk away, but not forgetting to bow his head as he dismissed himself.
"I am glad to see you awake now, Grand Royal Flarepaw. How do you feel?"
"Like I've just been attack by a fox, Grand Royal."
This, surprisingly, elicited a small laugh from him. It was closer to a snort or a chuckle, the air releasing from his lips as they quirked into a small smile before it disappeared.
"I'm assuming you called me to discuss her training?"
"Not only hers, but Noble Sagepaw and Grand Royal Gingerpaw's as well."
"I will allow the special trainings to continue to those who want to do it, lead Royal Whiteshadow will supervise it. As for the Grand Royal apprentices, training will resume; I am not allowed to stop Grand Royal Emberpaw from working with her mentors. Once Flarepaw and Gingerpaw feel better, they will need to catch up."
"I was afraid you'd say that."
"I may be the Grand Royal, but even I cannot change tradition when it comes to the Grand Royal apprentices. I apologize, Grand Royal Flarepaw."
"No need to apologize. I've fallen behind before and caught up once, I can do it again."
"You shouldn't have to do it again."
Roseberry muttered underneath her breath, letting out a heavy sigh of disdain as she worked on wrapping her wounds in a thin layer of cobwebs again. Clearly, she was against the Grand Royal's decision, but she did nothing else. The Grand Royal shuffled the weight on his paws, clearly uncomfortable.
"You hate my decision."
"I just think she shouldn't have to go through this again."
"She's not alone, Gingerpaw will also have to catch up when the time comes."
"Gingerpaw doesn't have to be here as long, and he also doesn't have to worry about catching up again. Flarepaw does."
"Perhaps you're showing favor?"
"Perhaps you're too scared of what the others will say to make the decision you want."
Flarepaw remained quiet, even though all she wanted to do was speak up, listening closely to their conversation and holding her breath. Roseberry was never one to hold her tongue when speaking the truth, no matter who she was talking to. The Grand Royal was already used to her attitude, having worked with her his entire life as the leader and often having to consult with her. He respected her decisions as the two held a mutual friendship. The two often buttheads, but their arguments were seen as simple conversations to some. Neither broke out yelling or clawing at each other, they were mature with all of their disagreements and respected each others wishes, but also pointed out the flaws in the others arguments and kept each other in their place. It was a mystery who really was the higher rank in situations like these.
"I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I'm also not going to simply stand around and watch you make the wrong decisions just to please others. Think carefully, Redstar, and consider all of your possibilities. I will notify you consistently when either of their conditions change."
"You have my thanks, Roseberry. Get well soon, Grand Royal Flarepaw."
Flarepaw mumbled a "goodbye" as she glanced at the medicine cat. She, too, appeared to be lost in thought. The two remained quiet as the elder she-cat worked. Once she was finished, Roseberry stepped back to look at her once more before cleaning up any excess cobwebs.
"I will send an apprentice to get you some prey and water, as well as something to soothe your pain a bit."
"Thank you, Roseberry. For everything."
"You don't need to thank me. This is what I do." The she-cat, once again, licked the top of Flarepaw's head before whispering. "I watch over my family."
Flarepaw purred quietly as the medicine cat left and she was alone with her thoughts once more. Standing in her current state wouldn't be the wisest decision, even so, it didn't hurt to try. Dull pain spread through her body as she stood on her shaky paws, blowing out a breath to mask her discomfort.
It does hurt to try.
Sitting back down, the she-cat slowly went back to laying down on her stomach. Resting her head on her paws, Flarepaw let out a heavy sigh, reveling in the silence of her den. All of the conversations she had would remain in her mind forever.
She will always remember the words she heard and the ones she spoke.
…
"She's being ridiculous!"
The sound of bark snapping echoed around the empty clearing, save for two figures there. One was closest to the source of the breaking sound, a log that served the purpose of a training dummy was now split in uneven pieces of two. His light brown fur was bristled, both with anger and to shield from the cold breeze that blew by as violently and furiously as his anger was flaring. The other was a calmer figure of black and grey, her icy blue eyes silently watching the rage the other swam through.
"So stupid!"
The tom tore his claws through the branch, managing to get a small splinter in the pads of his paws and causing his growl to deepen. His breaths came out in a pants as he tried to control himself; though, he wasn't doing a very good job at doing so. The she-cat sniffed suddenly, her tail flicking gently against the grassy ground and her gaze focusing on the tom.
"Are you done throwing a temper tantrum, Oak? Or are you going to keep assaulting that poor log and pretending it's our glorious leader?"
"Shut it, Cherrypaw!"
Said she-cat simply shrugged in response, a yawn splitting her jaw as she scrunched her eyes in boredom.
"First she even considers pausing our training just so that weakling can recover, now she wants us to train with her every day! Do you know how much time that's going to take away from our own training?!"
"I know, I know; you've expressed your… opinions on this predicament already. Calm down, Oak. Yelling about it isn't going to get us anywhere."
"How can you be okay with this?"
Cherrypaw scowled slightly, looking away from him as she dug her sharp claws into the ground.
"I'm not okay with it. I just do a better job than you at hiding my distaste."
It was Bramblepaw's turn to scowl at her, relaxing only slightly to pull the splinter from his paw with his teeth. The two settled into a tense silence that weighed the air down around them. Cherrypaw blew out a sigh soon after, glancing at him once more with a more relaxed manor.
"It's not so bad. If she's leaving Berrypaw's training to us, it actually works in our favor."
"What do you mean?"
"Can you be so clueless, Oak? Not only will we be able to supervise what she knows, we can also learn how she fights, how she moves, how she thinks in a fight. Leafstar has given us the perfect opportunity to knock Berrypaw from the top three. By the time assessments come around, she will be severely undertrained… and she'll have no one else to blame but our wonderful leader."
The two were silent once more, Bramblepaw allowing her words to sink into his mind and Cherrypaw giving him the time to do so. Only a few moments later did he chuckle, sending her a devious smile.
"When did you become so smart?"
"I'm offended. I've always been smart. You just haven't given me the time of day to prove it."
"I feel like I missed out on many great plans."
"Well? There's plenty of more plans that I have in mind, if you're willing to listen to them."
"As long as those plans give us our home back in the future, I'll listen to whatever you say and do whatever you order."
Cherrypaw smiled, her icy blue eyes glittering triumphantly as she teasingly flicked his nose. Bramblepaw blinked at her, his eyes shining as they met hers.
"Oh, Oak. I always knew you'd come around someday."
Cherrypaw stood, brushing her muzzle across his coyly. As she turned away from him, she glanced behind her shoulder at the dazed tom.
"Let's begin, shall we?"
Bramblepaw blinked at her before his smile returned, following her as she led him out of the clearing and to the place where Berrypaw waited for them.
Everyone will always remember…
Forestclan will return home one day.
…
A/N: Hooray! I finished this chapter a lot faster than I thought. Good or bad? I hope its good.
…
Question of the Day
So, sooner or later I'm going to be doing some special "episodes" or chapters that reveal the backstory of some of the side characters (characters like Stormclan's Grand Royal apprentices, Forestclan's Grand Royal apprentices, characters like Yellowpaw and Rowanpaw, etc…)
My question to you is this; Whose backstory do you want to learn about the most?
Some characters (like Whiteshadow, Redstar, Sootpaw, Flarepaw, etc…) will have their backstory revealed as part of the story, so it will happen naturally at one point or another. As such, I will not be counting requests for any of theirs.
…
Please review, favorite, and/or follow!
Let me know what you think of this story and please give constructive criticism to where you see fit.
If you have time: please check out my other story: Renegades.
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Thank you and peace out!
~Wolfcreations18