Yup, if this chapter and the last had been combined, it would have been over 7k words. Future Typholius werz here to trim this chapter down. It was a little too wordy before.
Moonfinch You do know Erin Hunter is actually a pseudonym for a group of mostly women who write together, right? And thanks for the reviews! If Jay and Briar had kits, I'd imagine them to be tabbies with blue eyes... IF they had kits... just saying as a hypothetical... not that they would... maybe... who knows...
Pokeninjafan19 I'm glad you are enjoying it! Those earlier chapters were a lot of fun to write. Bramblestar's Storm was a massive disappointment for me as well.
MistLion I'm focusing more on character development and relationships with this story. I'm constantly looking for interesting ways different characters can interact with each other :)
WarriorsAce55 That really means a lot, friend! I really do hate what Erin Hunter has done with the books after The Last Hope, so I try to take everything I dislike about the books and spin it in the opposite direction. I have big plans coming up.
Guest Thanks for all the reviews! I also noticed you checked up on some of my older poopier stories so thanks for that, too. :D
It was getting late. The fiery orb in the sky was beginning to glow red and set behind the horizon casting jagged shadows across the rocks. Far below, the twolegplace was beginning to shine with sparkling lights at the same time as the stars began to appear in the sky.
Briarlight panted as she ran but the ache in her hind-legs only exhilarated her. It was a euphoric reminder that she could hunt with her friends again after so many moons of having her belly pressed against the earth. She looked around eagerly for something to chase as the Tribe cats around her slowed to a steady trot. She was getting good at making mental landmarks of the rocks and shrubs so she could find her way back to the cave if she ever got lost. The land looked nothing like ThunderClan but it was starting to feel like her new home. She even memorized most of the Tribe cats' names and she was already in the habit of looking up for hawks. And there's no rule saying a medicine cat can't choose a mate here in the mountains.
The older tom who was leading the patrol, Gray, raised his tail to signal the others. "This has been our most reliable hunting area over the past moon," he meowed loudly. "Find whatever you can and what we catch now goes straight back to the cave. It will be dark soon so return home whenever you think you're ready. Perhaps Night's kits will eat well tonight and finally stop keeping us all awake with their mewling."
A rumble of laughter spread between the cats and Briarlight added her own. The prey-hunters had already caught a couple of mice to share with the patrol, but most of their catch was being carried with them to bring back to the Tribe's cave. She herself hadn't caught anything yet but that wasn't from a lack of trying. She was doing her best to listen to Brook's advice.
"Is it okay for me to wander off to do my own stuff?" Cash asked hopefully as the other cats began spreading out in all directions. His paws and pelt were matted with mud and his shoulders were slumped. He had grown bored of hunting after his first few failed attempts and instead decided to jump in the puddles of cold mud left over from the rainstorm. Briarlight had been opposed to it because inevitably she would be the one who helped clean it all off, but one of the cave-guards had said 'Let him roll in the mud. The Tribe do it all the time to conceal their pelts and scents while hunting among the rocks.'
"As long as you stay within sight of one of the cave-guards," Gray told him, giving the young tom an approving nod. "There aren't as many hawks this season but that doesn't mean a hungry one won't take the opportunity to snatch you up if it sees you all alone."
Cash wasn't fazed at all by his warning and did a little hop of joy. "Thanks, I won't go far."
Briarlight watched Cash scurry across the rocks towards a particularly lumpy mound of boulders big enough for a cat to climb up, but solid enough that it wouldn't fall over if it was jumped upon. He wasn't a kit anymore, but his sense of wonder and adventure was just as keen as Briarlight's had been when she was still an apprentice.
"Can I go with him?" whispered a voice nearby. Lark approached Gray nervously, but her longing eyes were following Cash as he zipped away. She spoke softly as if she didn't want the entire patrol to hear, but most of the patrol had already gone in search of prey anyway. Only Briarlight, Gray and Brook were aware of the request.
Gray opened his mouth to answer, but Brook quickly stepped forward. "Go ahead, Lark," she meowed to her daughter. "He'll be safer with a cave-guard with him."
Gray didn't seem offended that Brook had interrupted him, and instead closed his eyes briefly and nodded to the to-be. "Do as Brook tells you. She's as wise a cat as any and I trust her judgement."
Lark's tail shot straight up and without another word, she darted across the stones in the direction of the boulder pile that Cash was already sitting at the top of.
Gray's calm gaze met Briarlight's for a moment before he too raced away to join the others in the hunt. Briarlight was left along with Brook who had her head turned so she could watch Lark race away.
"Those two are becoming good friends," Briarlight observed, padding over to stand by Brook's side. Lark had just reached the boulder pile and was calling up to the tom perched above. Cash stared at her with round eyes but after a short exchange of words, he flicked his tail for her to join him and she scurried up.
"We are friends," Brook purred, her eyes still fixed on the two young cats. "But they will probably become closer than just friends if given the chance."
"Oh?" Briarlight narrowed her eyes, watching the pale brown tabby form of Lark as she climbed gracefully up the rock pile like a squirrel would a tree. Cash seemed completely stunned by her presence, but he scooched over to give her room at the top. It hadn't even occurred to Briarlight that some cat might be interested in the tom, but she supposed it wasn't unlikely that a young she-cat might be attracted to his kind and thoughtful nature.
"We don't have any rules against finding love outside the Tribe," Brook meowed, her tone distant as if she was reliving a memory. "I still clearly remember when he and Brambleclaw's group stepped into the Cave of Rushing Water all those moons ago."
Briarlight realized Brook was talking about her mate, Storm. Long ago, a group of cats from each Clan had been sent by Starclan to find the badger named Midnight and ultimately a new home for all the Clans after their first home was destroyed by twolegs. Storm and his sister, Feathertail were the cats representing RiverClan.
Brook shook her head and let out a small sigh. "Every cat in the Tribe was convinced, including myself, that Storm was the silver cat foretold in the prophecy to save us from Sharptooth. Alas, it turned out to be his sister who sacrificed herself to kill the beast."
Briarlight tried to picture Sharptooth in her mind. The stories said it was a giant sand-colored cat-like creature ten times bigger than a regular cat. She shivered as she imagined the monster tearing through the ThunderClan camp, tossing the warriors into the air as if they were leaves. "Feathertail was very brave," she murmured softly. It had been many moons before Briarlight had been born but the RiverClan warrior's sacrifice would never be forgotten.
"We are wasting daylight," Brook meowed after a moment, ripping her gaze away from Lark to look at Briarlight. "If you are going to be living with us, it is important you learn how to hunt our prey. Do you still remember all the things I told you on the way here?"
"I do," Briarlight meowed confidently, raising her chin. She had been listening eagerly to every tip and trick the Tribe cat had given her.
Brook purred. "Very well. There's a grouse nearby; find it and catch it."
Briarlight's 's eyes grew wide with surprise. "I'm still not strong enough to catch something so big. Some other cat should try or it will be wasted fresh-kill."
But Brook only shook her head, her whiskers quivering with amusement. "A cat who does not believe in herself is a cat who surprises herself most often."
She's as wise as any cat from StarClan! The Tribe cat's warm gray eyes were encouraging and Briarlight conceded. "Fine, but don't blame me if we return to the cave empty pawed."
A purr of laughter rumbled in Brook's chest and she nodded her head in the direction of the rocks. "Try finding it that way first," she advised.
Briarlight nodded and dropped into a low crouch. Ears pricked, she stalked across the boulders in the direction Brook had suggested. Why do I have a feeling the real reason she wants me to hunt is so she can watch Lark and Cash some more? Briarlight cleared her head of the nagging thoughts and instead focused all of her senses on the land around her.
It didn't take long before the rustling of feathers caught her attention. She still couldn't see it, but the thing had to be huge. Maybe not quite as big as a hawk, but still big enough to knock her to the ground, and the idea of tumbling off the edge of a cliff was not appealing. She was finally free to choose her own fate and she wasn't going to choose fear and self-pity anymore. Plus, she wanted to have some useful skills to show off to Jayfeather the next time they met.
With a taste of the air, she located the bird somewhere ahead. The wind was blowing towards her carrying the warm scent of prey and guiding her paws. Not even a rabbit could have heard her carefully approaching as she stalked across the boulders towards the bird foraging a few fox-lengths away. She still couldn't see it because it was behind some bushes but she could tell it was bigger than most of the prey that lived by the lake. But that didn't dissuade her. She told herself that the bigger it was, the more mouths it would feed so she needed to take it down.
She weaved between the larger boulders and followed the cracks and dips in the uneven terrain. There were no trees or ferns to hide behind so she used what little cover the mountainous land provided. She crept closer until the warm rich scent of the bird filled her nostrils and her mouth began to water as she anticipated the taste. Assuming I don't mess this up, the Tribe will eat well tonight. With a sudden burst of energy, she launched forward through the bushes as fast as she could with claws outstretched. The bird didn't notice until it was too late and she sank her teeth into its long skinny neck.
"Fantastic catch, Briarlight!"
"Thanks, Brook, I used all the skills you taught me," she mumbled through the feathers. She had dragged the huge bird back to where her friend was sitting on the rocks. Cash and Lark were still side-by-side on the boulder looking out over the edge of the mountain.
"Clearly," Brook purred once Briarlight had made it over to her. "For a Clan cat, you are exceptionally talented at catching birds."
Briarlight's chest filled with pride at the Tribe cat's praise. "I used to climb trees a lot when I was an apprentice. Even though I haven't tried to hunt a bird in a long time, my body hasn't forgotten how to jump."
"You'd make a fine Tribe cat if you decided to stay with us," Brook meowed, flicking her tail at a tabby tom who was approaching them. Briarlight remembered his name as Sheer Path Beside Waterfall. The cave-guard padded over to them and noticed the dead bird.
"I'm here to escort you back to the cave. Excellent catch, by the way," Sheer added, eyeing the bird with excitement as if imagining himself eating it.
"I can't take any credit for this one," Brook told him. "It was all Briarlight."
"Oh? Then congratulations Briarlight, something that big will help us a lot." He dipped his head respectfully.
Briarlight nodded back to the Tribe cat as he lifted the bird up in his strong jaws and began to carry it away. Briarlight was thankful because there was absolutely no way in StarClan she would have been able to lug that giant creature all the way back by herself.
"It's been a good day," Brook meowed, standing up and reaching her paws forward in a stretch. More loudly she called, "Cash, Lark, we're heading home!"
Briarlight closed her eyes and stood still for a moment while the other cats padded away along the mountain. It was easy to get comfortable with the places and faces around her, but she wished she knew what Jayfeather had planned. Did he expect to stay with the Tribe forever? She had a nagging feeling her mate wouldn't be content settling down in a land that he was already so acquainted with. The whole point of leaving the lake was to get away from what was familiar.
She let out a small sigh and looked down at her paws. A flicker of happiness lit in her heart as she remembered that in two days, assuming the meeting between the Tribe and the Pack went well, she could be with Jayfeather again. Then they could talk about their future together.
=0.0=
Cash padded beside Briarlight as they climbed up the rocky ledge behind the waterfall and into the cave. The young cat moved with a jovial spring in each step which meant his chat with Lark must have gone well. "Do you want to tell me what happened between the two of you?" Briarlight asked as they reached the top and the ground flattened out again.
"She was just telling me about stuff," Cash stated simply. "Like what it's like to live in the mountains and the fights that happened between the Tribe and the Pack. Did you know that one of the Pack cats tried to join the Tribe once, but was turned away? Stoneteller refused to let any Pack cat join the Tribe because he was upset about one of the recent attacks they had made on the prey-hunters."
Briarlight's eyes widened slightly. Stoneteller had left that information out when he was talking to Jayfeather about making peace with the Pack. She would make sure to tell Jayfeather when they next met.
It seemed like most of the Tribe cats had already returned from hunting and Briarlight and Brook were some of the last cats to make it back. A pile of fresh-kill that consisted of two mice and Briarlight's grouse sat by the edge of the cave wall. Since only a couple of cats were huddled around it, she figured most of the cats had already eaten their share.
"Hunting is usually good after a storm," Brook meowed as she passed her. "Most animals take shelter from the rain and then come out in greater numbers afterwards to forage or escape from their flooded dens."
"It sure looks like it," Briarlight meowed in surprise. I never thought about that, but it makes sense that the hungry critters would come out as soon as the weather cleared up.
Brook padded deeper into the cave to join her Tribemates while Cash and Lark padded over to the fresh-kill pile to share a mouse. Briarlight's stomache growled impatiently but she remained by the cave entrance. There was one more thing she wanted to do before going to sleep. She looked over to a young white she-cat who was standing guard. "Is Sol here?" she asked.
The Tribe cat looked at her with surprise for a moment, but then meowed, "No, he's still out hunting- I think. He hasn't returned to the cave all day."
"Okay, thanks. If anybody asks where I went, tell them I'm just outside." Briarlight padded back out to the ledge and climbed down the rocky slope to where the waterfall became the river that snaked away across the mountain. The color was draining out of the sky as the ground turned dark gray. The temperature was dropping since the sun had completely set but she found a comfortable boulder to sit on that gave her a clear view of any cat who might approach. Sol never says what's on his mind, but he might know something that could help us make peace with the Pack.
The grays around her were becoming almost black and she shivered as an icy gust billowed through her fur. The rain had washed away the last of the snow but it could be moons until the warmth of newleaf reached so high in the mountains. Briarlight wasn't sure how the seasons came and went in this new land but they clearly didn't work the same as by the lake.
She curled up on her perch and wrapped her tail around her paws to keep warm. As the night engulfed the mountain, she suddenly realized how beautiful the view was. The air was calm, the sky was wide, and far away past the shimmering expanse of twolegplace, she thought she could see the lake. The moon was barely a sliver in the sky so the Clans wouldn't be having a Gathering but she still wondered what her former Clanmates might be doing. Ivypool is probably somewhere in the twolegplace right now on her way back to home. I hope she's keeping herself safe.
Stars filled the cloudless night sky but there was still no sign of Sol. Briarlight felt a worm of frustration wriggling in her belly because she wanted to talk with him in private, but she also was starting to lose feeling in her toes from the cold rocks. Maybe he just decided to leave and go back to wherever he came from, she thought to herself. Or perhaps he's gone to try and make trouble with the Pack so there won't be peace. That sounds like something he might do. Either way, Briarlight was starting to lose hope of getting the conversation she had been wishing for. She looked around one more time but all she could see were the rocks and shrubs. She gave a defeated sigh and turned to head back up to the cave.
"Were you waiting there for me all this time?"
She froze, gritting her teeth as icy frustration trickled down her spine. "How long have you been spying on me?" she growled, spinning around. "How long were you going to sit watching me freeze before you let me know you were there?"
The tortoiseshell tom stood up from where he had been lurking behind a boulder and his yellow eyes seemed to glow in the darkness as he stared lazily at her. "You looked so peaceful sitting there. I didn't want to ruin the moment," he meowed sarcastically.
Briarlight wanted to puff herself up and hiss at him for making her stay out in the cold, but if she wanted to get information from him she couldn't make him mad. She let her fur relax. "I wanted to ask you a few questions," she meowed calmly. "It will only take a moment."
Sol shook his head. "Sorry, but a moment is too long. I'm hungry and tired. Goodnight."
He padded towards the stone path that lead up to the cave but Briarlight stepped in front of him, blocking the way. "Why are you here?" she asked assertively, refusing to let her uncomfortable vigil be in vain. "You're hiding something because I know you don't like me, or Jayfeather, or anybody else here. Why don't you go off and find someone you actually like? What is making you stay?"
For a moment, Briarlight wondered if the bigger cat was going to attack when he stopped and stared down into her eyes with cold contempt. "Move. I'm not wasting my breath on a medicine-cat's forbidden love-interest."
But Briarlight didn't budge and her eyes narrowed at the slight. She wasn't sure if she could win if a fight broke out, but it was night and all of the Tribe would be up in the cave by now. She could call for help if she needed too. "Why are you so mad at everyone all the time?" she spat, unable to keep her fur from puffing up any longer. "What did some cat do to you that made you hate everybody so much?"
"So a blind cat fell in love with a deaf cat, I see," Sol cooed sourly, ignoring her question. "I said move. You must not have heard me the first time."
"No," Briarlight growled, surprised by her own confidence. Something about the rogue put her on edge and she wouldn't put up with it anymore. "You tell me why you followed me and Ivypool to the mountains or you can leave. A traitor with secrets doesn't belong here- not after you tried to destroy the Clans." She unsheathed her claws and dropped into a battle stance.
For the first time since meeting the rogue, she saw genuine surprise flash across his face. His eyes looked like small twin moons in the darkness and he opened his jaws to respond before closing them again. He took a tentative step away from her, clearly unnerved by the sudden hostility.
"Are you deaf?" Briarlight growled, coining the rogue's own words. "Give me a reason to let you stay. You have never done anything worthy of honor and it was only out of the kindness of our hearts that we protected you. But that kindness has run out and you are no longer welcome."
Sol didn't move, the shock in his eyes slowly melting back into his regular cold and calculating stare. He showed no sign that he intended to leave by his own capacity so Briarlight bared her teeth and prepared for a fight.
"I'll tell you why," Sol suddenly meowed, his voice cracking slightly in a very uncharacteristic way.
Briarlight stopped, standing up and let her lips slide back over her teeth. "Go on, tell me," she growled. She wasn't sure if this was some sort of trick so she stayed on her guard. But the next look Sol gave her shook her to her core. His yellow eyes brimmed with grief and pain and his whole body shook like a leaf in a strong breeze.
"I- I wanted to-" Sol stammered, looking down at his paws while a flash of anger darted across his broad face. "I just didn't know any other way- I've hated for so long! I just want it all to stop so I can forget about what happened."
Briarlight didn't know how to react. No warrior's training could have prepared her for this. "Tell me what happened," she ventured, nervous that Sol might still attack if he became agitated. "What made you hate the Clans so badly?"
He looked up at her, his eyes cold again as if he had regained control of his emotions. "It's a long story."
"We have plenty of time," she meowed encouragingly. She felt enthralled that such a large secret was about to be revealed. Sol had been meddling with the Clans while she had only been a kit, so it almost felt like she was becoming part of a legend. The cat who found out the truth about Sol. "I won't tell any other cat if you don't want me too," she added, though secretly she would probably tell Jayfeather everything because he would need to know.
But the rogue shook his head. "I'm trying to change who I am, but I don't know how. You can tell anyone you like." He took a deep shaky breath, as if his tired mind was trying to challenge every single hateful fiber of his body. It was clearly taking a massive effort for him to summon his next words. "It all began with..."
Yaaaay, another chapter to breach 4k words! Those always feel satisfying.
