hello hello hello!
i'm not leaving this chapter to the last minute (shock horror)
anyways , i've worked out a slightly tentative upload schedule. usually, I'll try to update each of my fics every day, but days that i'll probably end up just updating one will most likely be Friday, Saturday and Wednesday.
qotd: if I was to update the earlier chapters (probably chapters one to five) would you go back and read them?)
review replies:
Honeyferns: she really does man. and they should have! it made so much more sense than Crowfeather and Leafpool, they literally spoke twice lmao.
SomeStormLeaf: moonscar really does need to just have a nap and calm down lmao. emberlight's kits will probably materialise next chapter! warriors family relationships make me sad, it's probably just because the Erin's don't keep track of them very well. ravenxbarley is elite!
Crystalshine of Lightclan: yeah of course I'll take name requests for the kits! i'm thinking she'll probably have about three. i love sunkit as a possible name. in this chapter, moonscar doesn't pull a moonscar! also believe me i want foxstar dead! send in death suggestions lmao. and thank u for such a long review!
Duskspiral: It's a thing that has only brought pain and suffering. And ravenxbarley is an elite ship!
feel free to review and pm me! hope you enjoy this chapter.
Moonscar had done something rather rash, and quite unlike her.
She was letting another cat in.
She didn't quite know what to think about her decision. She'd made it very brashly last gathering, and at the time, it had made a lot of sense.
Last gathering, she'd approached Berryfoot. The Windclan warrior had looked shocked when she'd approached her. Before Berryfoot could open her mouth, Moonscar had told her that she needed to see Sheepfur. She'd then added that she wanted to meet him on the border, in a quarter moon from then. She'd made the decision shortly after a conversation with Emberlight, where she'd laughed until her ribs hurt. Then, it had clicked. She loved Sheepfur. She couldn't shut him out any longer.
She wondered for a few moments about if he'd taken a Windclan she-cat as his mate. She then figured that Berryfoot would have probably mentioned it if that had happened. Berryfoot wouldn't allow her to be hurt like that, as much as she'd looked angry when Moonscar had approached her.
It was the night of the arranged meeting, and Moonscar hadn't told a soul about what she was planning to do.
She figured that everyone would notice eventually anyway. She'd have to bring Sheepfur back to Thunderclan with her, if he wanted to come, that was. (Please, Starclan, let him want to come.)
He'd then have to undergo a retraining, and then Foxstar could choose to rename him, if she didn't agree with his Windclan-given name. Moonscar was slightly sceptical about that new feature of the warrior code. She supposed it did make sense. It was a sign that you'd cut all ties to your former clan, and were fully dedicated to your mate's clan. She wasn't too sure that Sheepfur would accept it though. His name had been given to him by Slatestar, and as crazy as the former leader had turned out to be, he had still been Windclan's leader. The most respected cat in the clan, the cat Sheepfur had looked up to.
A name given by Foxstar probably wouldn't have the same meaning behind it. She would probably name Sheepfur after his injured leg, and the limping gait that had come with it. It would be such a typical Foxstar thing to do.
Moonscar had really wanted to tell Emberlight, but the relationship she had with her sister was strained as it was. She didn't want to put any more pressure on her, or their whole fragile sisterhood would crumble. And even if Moonscar knew she'd have to deal with Emberlight in some way soon, she didn't want to upset her sister. Hopefully, whatever Starclan asked her to do wouldn't be too extreme. Maybe they'd just ask her to get Emberlight to apologise? Maybe, they just wanted Emberlight to properly feel remorse for her actions, so she could get into Starclan?
Moonscar's heart was flooded with relief. She almost skidded into a tree with joy, such was her happiness. Of course! She thought. Starclan don't want Emberlight dead, they just want to make sure she can join them when she does die. That meant that she was doing a really good thing. She was ensuring that her sister could make it into Starclan. The reason for Starclan being so threatening, was just that she listened. It all made so much more sense.
Moonscar practically skipped towards the Windclan border. She felt like all the worries that had filled her ever since that battle against Windclan had lifted off her shoulders, like a sparrow fluttering from a tree. Even her struggles as deputy seemed less pressing, less overarching.
She arrived at the border, her thick fur fluffing up in the wind. It was a chilly night, and there were clouds in the darkened sky. Moonscar looked up and worried for a brief moment about if there would be rain. The clouds certainly looked fat enough, and she shivered. She really hoped it wouldn't rain. When it did, the water tended to drip from her fur for much longer than other cats. It wasn't very fun, being cramped in the warrior's den with soaking wet fur.
Suddenly, she stopped caring about the clouds above her, and the brimming rain. There was a movement on the moors, and as she pulled herself out from behind the trees, she could see who it was.
It was Sheepfur. He was walking slowly, cautiously. His leg was dragging, just slightly, but Moonscar thought he was padding along much better than when she'd last seen him. There was less of a pronounced limp. Moonscar had only noticed it because she was looking out for it. The white Windclan tom looked anxious, his head whipping around for a patrol. He wasn't accompanied by Berryfoot, Moonscar noticed.
Moonscar took a deep breath, and stepped further out from behind the tree. She coughed subtly, and Sheepfur looked up with a start. His eyes narrowed when he saw her, and he walked quickly towards her.
Moonscar dipped her head towards him when he arrived, but he didn't return it. He just sat down, and wrapped his thick tail around himself.
"Hello." Mewed Moonscar, at a slight loss for words. What did she say? What did he want her to say? She wanted to start the evening off on the right foot. That would mean… she'd have to apologise for storming off. That was why he was looking at her like that. Lost, and rather… angry. He looked angry.
"What do you want, Moonscar?" Huffed Sheepfur. Moonscar sighed.
"I wanted to… I wanted to apologise." She said, and Sheepfur's eyes widened. "I shouldn't have run off like that, I just… panicked, I guess. I'm not used to cats… caring that much about me." She explained, flicking her ears back. As she was saying it, she knew it was a half-lie. She was used to cats caring that much. Emberlight cared deeply for her, and she knew Lilyflower and Sharpgaze had. Ravenwing had cared for her, and Smokeshadow did too, even if he showed it weirdly. Even Foxstar cared for her, in some sick, twisted way. She just wasn't used to being able to care back. But she knew she wanted to.
Sheepfur stepped closer to her, and Moonscar flinched. She didn't back off. She was tired of running, tired of running away from this sweet Windclan tom who had been nothing but kind to her. "I… I forgive you." He said in a rough voice. "Does this mean I'm moving to Thunderclan?" He asked.
She sighed. "If you still want to. I'm… I'll let you." She mewed gently. Sheepfur nodded. Moonscar could tell that he was still processing it, and she sat still, and let him.
"So you want to be mates?" He asked. He said it casually, but Moonscar could see his ears flick back, and his eyes grow soft. He was scared, Moonscar realised. Scared that she'd run off again.
"I do. I want that." Moonscar answered, ashamed of how jumbled and stiff her words sounded. She didn't want to admit her feelings like that, she wanted to show him. She wanted to say it as beautifully as he had all those moons ago.
"Not straight away." Sheepfur blurted. "It's been six moons, we should get used to each other again first."
Moonscar nodded, hesitantly. "Yes. Yes, that would be wise." She mewed. "But… but with you in Thunderclan. No more sneaking about."
Sheepfur grinned at that. "No, we will trouble this border no longer."
"That tree is probably sick of me hiding behind it." Moonscar snorted. Sheepfur laughed along with her, and the tension left the clearing like a fast flowing stream.
"Do you want me to leave Windclan now?" Sheepfur asked, tilting his head.
Moonscar cleared her throat. "Whenever you want to. I mean, you'll probably have to let Berryfoot know."
Sheepfur nodded thoughtfully. "I'll have to talk her into coming again. And I have to collect my pelt, and let Stormstar know…" He stopped talking because of Moonscar's confused expression.
"What's a pelt?" She asked.
"You don't have pelts?" Sheepfur exclaimed. Moonscar shook her head. "Well, it's the pelt of the first rabbit we catch. We display it in our dens, and when we become warriors, the leader decorates it with berry juice and feathers. It's supposed to summarize who we are as warriors."
Moonscar blinked. "Wow. That's really interesting." She mewed. "We don't do anything like that." She grumbled.
Sheepfur looked disheartened. "Poor Thunderclan."
"Yep." Moonscar said. "So, what's on your pelt?"
Sheepfur brightened up. "Well, Slatestar made it. It's got a kestrel's feather- it's one he found as an apprentice. And there's a blotch of berries shaped like a cloud." He explained.
"Cool!" Moonscar chirped. "What do you think mine would look like?" She asked, genuinely curious.
Sheepfur blinked, and looked up past Moonscar, deep in thought. "Well." He started. "I think yours would probably have a hawk feather on it - to represent the struggles you've been through - and some kind of claw marking. To show your strength."
Moonscar closed her eyes, trying to imagine what the pelt would look like. She could just about see it, in her mind's eye. "I like the sound of that." She mewed, and Sheepfur purred.
"Look." Sheepfur said, laying down on the grass. "The stars are out." He mewed, and his voice was soft.
Moonscar looked up. Through the fringes of the trees, she could see that those troublesome clouds had cleared out of the way. There were stars. She laid down next to Sheepfur, and stared up at them. She could see her warrior ancestors laid out in the sky, twinkling brightly. Just above her, she could see a collection of four stars. She took a deep intake of breath.
It was a sign. She'd lost four cats, and there they were, looking down on her. Lilyflower, Sharpgaze, Ravenwing and Snowflight. She blinked up at the sky, and smiled. Next to her, Sheepfur was trailing his paw lazily, pointing up at the stars.
"I think that's Slatestar." He said. Moonscar squinted at where he was pointing. A lone star stone brightly in the night sky. She nodded sleepily, and rolled over. She didn't really want to leave, not now she'd found Sheepfur again. Even if it did mean falling asleep on Windclan territory.
She let herself drift off. As she was falling asleep, she thought she heard Sheepfur say something, but she couldn't quite make out his words. She just felt his soft tail entwine with hers, and his head fall against hers. She felt safe. She felt secure, and she felt warm.
She felt like she was home.
hope you all enjoyed this chapter! didn't update yesterday because i was working on unfulfilled prophecy, but this chapter is like 1.6k actual words so yayyyy
also sheepfur is pretty dumb in this, he hasn't spoken to her in 6 moons and they're back together again. but he's quite a naive character, so i felt like it fit him. next chapter will be him settling into thunderclan, and him and moonscar will actually communicate. but will berryfoot join them? get ur views in in the reviews :D