Sorry for the third-of-a-year wait for the next chapter, but I really lost drive on this story. If it weren't for all the reviews, I might have just stopped entirely.
I am in the process of going back and fixing earlier chapters so they aren't as riddled with grammar and continuity errors.
Fan Yay!
The Apocryphal One Your concern is appreciated. I'll miss Jay and Crash, too, but I agree, the show must go on!
There was a Book to Remember Jay with Ruffled Feathers and Briar with Inner Light would be some sweet Tribe names for Jayfeather and Briarlight. I considered delving deeper into the Pack's naming ceremony but felt it would have ruined the mood of the chapter. I do plan on writing a mini-chapter that describes what happens with the Pack after Jayfeather and Briarlight leave. I'm going to tell you a secret, you have to promise not to tell anyone else... I actually hate SkyClan thanks to Erin Hunter's new series!
milosuperboi I can not begin to express just how much I appreciate you not being able to express how much you love my fanfic. :3
MistLion Don't get used to the uplifting chapters, it's about to get dark again. Maybe even too dark for whatever rating I put on the story. Craziness? How about a tsunami for craziness? Also I'm happy you liked the phrases I put in the chapter.
SavvySpirit I actually have acknowledged Jayfeather's "softness" in the story. Apparently, cats become less grumpy and angry when they aren't forced to live their life a slave to a destiny they never wanted. Of course I will always have Jayfeather be snappy when some other cat is dumb, but he hasn't really needed to snap at anyone recently.
Moonlight Talon of the Night I've been itching to write about the rest of Jayfeather's adventure. In the original version, Jayfeather and co. had descended the mountain by chapter 40, Ivypool was with them, and our bae was still trying to hide his affection for Briarlight to the others. Also, the mountain cats had just sentenced the baby sharptooth to DEATH, mua ha ha! I've had changes planned for literal years.
MarioManTJ That is some high-praise and I'm honored you feel that way. As for Jayjay and Cash getting love interests super fast, I thought I would poke fun at how youngsters don't really have a grasp of what love is and they just do what makes them feel happy. As for Jayfeather and Briarlight, they are both much more wise and experienced so you see the contrast of how it took them many seasons to get to where they are now.
Luna Moth 8 years is indeed a long time to commit to a story. Maybe even too long. I've been on the verge of quitting many times and it's gotten to the point where I don't ever see myself going full speed ahead again like I did years ago. The only reason I write at all anymore is because of the nice folk like you who encourage me.
nadilaandlaprashthefireandice I've been reading Warriors for many years and I've been trying to replicate the style for almost as long. I'm happy you think my writing feels like a real Warrior's story because that means all my hard work is paying off.
P D Val de Fleur You say these are some of my best chapters, but I've been going back and rereading my older chapters and some of them were absolutely smashing. Others were a bit rough around the edges so I've been making plenty of improvements.
xleafpoolx4xlifex I'm glad you love my story so much! Might I suggest you follow it so you get notified when it updates- since it could be months between update. I'm not shamelessly self-promoting my own work, I'm just being helpful. :D
Jayfeather's swishing tabby tail guided Briarlight's paws as she followed him up the mountain. Her front limbs were as strong and sturdy as they had ever been but her hind legs were struggling to keep up. Going downhill or even on flat ground she probably would have been fine, but they had been climbing the steep rocks for half the day. She let her gaze drop down to the pale stone earth in front of her.
The air was getting cooler, her hind paws were growing tired, and she was convinced the ground was becoming harder. She hoped Jayfeather would let them stop soon but she didn't voice her wishes because she didn't want him to think she was slowing them down. He promised he would stay out of my head without my permission so I can think whatever I want without him knowing. Great StarClan I wish we could take a break!
She glanced back up at him, searching for any sign that he had heard her silent plea, but he didn't show any.
The sun had started its decent towards the horizon in the direction of the lake territories. Soon the sky would be filled with orange and purple clouds and they would have to find a place to rest for the night. She was reminded of the story of when Bramblestar and Squirrelflight had journeyed with cats from each of the other Clans to find a new home after their first home was destroyed. They had discovered the lake after following the setting sun over the mountains, but now, Briarlight and Jayfeather were going the opposite direction, following the rising sun.
"How are you doing back there?" carried Jayfeather's voice over the gentle breeze.
He was much better at going uphill than she was and the vigor in his mew sparked a tiny flicker of shame in her belly. She had been traveling for moons and it felt unfair that she still struggled so much. "I'm doing fine!" she replied tartly, lifting her chin. She did her best to hide how exhausted she was but there was no way Jayfeather wouldn't immediately see through the facade. He knew her almost as well as she knew herself.
Jayfeather didn't stop walking but the fur along his spine spiked slightly at her tone. Briarlight braced herself for his response. She expected him to either reprimand her in his notorious prickly way or else offer some encouragement since he had to know she was exhausted. Instead, he didn't say a word and his silence cut her deeper than any scolding. She lowered her head guiltily, remembering what he had said just a few days ago. We are mates now so we have to be honest and open with each other. She knew her aching pads and rumbling belly were doing the talking for her so she decided she would catch them both something to eat once they stopped to rest. She would smooth things over once their belly's were full.
Onward they climbed. She thought she could see the crest of the mountain but it didn't seem to be getting any closer. She was looking forward to the journey back down the other side since it would be easier on her hind legs and also she would get a chance to see what the other side of the mountain looked like. She had only heard stories about the great journey from the old Clan territories but few cats born by the lake had ever seen it for themselves. According to her father, Graystripe, the old Clan territories had been centered around four giant oak trees and the Clans that bordered ThunderClan had been RiverClan and ShadowClan. ThunderClan now shared a border with WindClan instead of RiverClan.
She looked over her shoulder at the landscape they were leaving behind. At the base of the mountain were trees, the twolegplace she and Ivypool had been captured in, and beyond that she thought she could see the forest that surrounded the lake. It was hard to imagine how far they had traveled in under three moons. This could be the last time I see the sun set over my former home. I hope they are all okay down there.
"This is as far as we're going."
Briarlight stopped suddenly. Her paws stumbled slightly over themselves but she quickly recovered and straightened up. She turned back to Jayfeather who had his tail raised. His gray tabby pelt glowed orange and red under the last rays of sunlight. It wouldn't be long until darkness consumed the mountain.
"We'll find a place to sleep around here," he meowed, not turning around to face her. "Early tomorrow, we should reach the crest of the mountain and then be on our way back down the other side before sun-high. I've never traveled this exact route so I can't promise we won't get lost."
"We're on an adventure," she pointed out. "Getting lost is part of the fun."
He shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose. Let's split up and look for a place to stay the night. Hopefully there is some cave or crevice nearby that can shelter us from eagles, hawks, and any other creature that might be lurking in the mountains."
She grunted in understanding and they split up to begin their searches separately. Any other creatures- like a Sharptooth? There are wolves in these mountains but they generally don't bother cats. She took one last longing look at Jayfeather's disheveled tabby pelt before padding off in the opposite direction. It would be cool but also scary to see a Sharptooth; a giant mountain monster big enough to swallow a cat in a couple gulps. Fortunately for us, nobody has seen any in many moons.
The sun was almost completely below the horizon and long dark shadows stretched ominously across the earth. Briarlight could feel the cold begin to seep into her pads but she had grown accustomed to the evening chill through her time living with the mountain cats. She relished the chill knowing that as soon as they traveled down the mountain, the heat would be upon them with a vengeance. Newleaf would be over in just a quarter moon and things would only get hotter as they moved on into greenleaf.
Focusing on her current task, she weaved between the rocks and shrubs in search of a shelter. Her eyes were adjusting well even though the half moon still hadn't risen over the horizon. It had been a half moon the night before and she knew it would get even brighter as it grew into a full moon. I wonder where we'll be when the full moon comes. It won't be for many days so we'll have made it down the mountain by then. As she thought about their journey a pang of discomfort fluttered into her chest. She and Jayfeather had drifted apart slightly since they left the Pack's cave. They still cared deeply for the other but they had barely spoken to each other since that morning.
Her paws navigated the ground by instinct as the last rays of light disappeared and the clouds seemed to light up with fire. It was pretty to look at and she stopped for a moment to inhale the last few scents of the day. To her surprise, she thought she could smell smoke. Did a fire start somewhere? She looked around for any traces of a fire but the mountain looked fine. She took another deep breath, searching for the scent- but the smell was gone. She concluded that she must have imagined it and returned to her search.
It didn't take long before she found a crack in the earth just big enough for a cat to squeeze through. She was curious to see how deep it went so she crouched down to crawl inside. This could be a safe place to spend the night. Suddenly she heard pawsteps rapidly approaching and she straightened up. She was about to call out for Jayfeather to come see what she found when she realized the paws were much too heavy to belong to a cat.
She froze and held her breath as a huge shape emerged from the darkness. Its eyes glowed yellow and it let out a deep growl when it spotted her. Without a second thought, she ducked down and shoved herself through the opening in the rock. She wriggled inside frantically and gasped as her pelt tore against one of the jagged edges of the stone. The creature's jaws snapped shut behind her just as she pulled her tail all the way through.
She panted in the darkness with her back pressed against the rocky wall. For a few terrifying moment she could hear the creature's claws scraping against the ground as it tried to dig its way to her. She was trapped in a small cave and death was gnashing its teeth just a few tail-lengths away trying to eat her. Fear trickled down her spine like raindrops during a storm. Please just go away, whatever you are, she silently begged.
The creature stopped clawing at the dirst and let out a frustrated whine. It must have lost interest because its paws thundered away after a few more tense moments. Silence descended until the only sound she could hear was the blood pumping in her own ears. She took a few tentative steps towards the thin sliver opening in the rock, every muscle in her body ready to leap into action if the creature returned. She hadn't gotten a good look at it but she could imagine a giant cat monster many sizes too large. Was that a Sharptooth?
Something landed right outside the cave with a soft thud and she almost jumped out of her fur in fright. She quickly forced her fur to lie flat again when she recognized Jayfeather's scent.
"Briarlight! Are you in there? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she called back, limping towards the entrance. Her shoulder ached from where she had cut herself on the rock and her heart was still racing. She felt oddly calmed now that Jayfeather was close by.
"That's a relief," he replied. It sounded like he couldn't figure out how top reach her. She slithered through the cracks to join him.
"What was that thing? Was it a Sharptooth?"
"I don't think so," he meowed, pressing his head against hers once she had crawled out of her hiding place. His pelt shook slightly as if he was cold but she quickly realized it was because he was scared. "I'm pretty sure it was a wolf. It reeked like a dog and I've heard the Tribe cats mention them before. I was tracking it for a while and followed when I realized it was heading in your direction. I'm so happy you are safe."
"I was lucky I found a shelter that the wolf couldn't fit through," she meowed, chorusing his relieved purr with her own. "If I hadn't found it in time, or if the opening had been a bit bigger- or smaller- the wolf might have gotten me."
Jayfeather's whiskers tickled her muzzle as he began to wash the dust out of her pelt with his tongue."If I were still a Clan cat, I would have thanked StarClan for keeping you safe. This time, it was mostly just luck and your quick-thinking."
Briarlight pressed her head even harder against his and he stumbled slightly. "So now you won't even say 'thank StarClan' anymore? You really have gone all the way rogue."
He straightened up. Even though it was dark she spotted a twinkle in his eyes. "What we have is too precious for StarClan to understand." His tone suddenly become more serious. "You are bleeding! Did you get bitten?"
She craned her neck around trying to see her injury from where the rock had scraped her. In the heat of her terror she had almost forgotten about it. Now that her heartbeat was returning to normal she could feel the blood dripping through her fur. "It really hurts but no I wasn't bitten. I cut it on some rocks as I was escaping."
Jayfeather gave the wound a few quick licks. "I'll see what I can do. A scratch is vastly less worrying than a bite- especially a bite from a large powerful animal. We might as well use this cave you found if it's big enough for us both to fit."
"It is," she meowed proudly. She turned and limped carefully back though the crack in the stone. Fire rippled from the injury around her shoulder and she grit her teeth against the pain. I should have been more careful. I'll be so mad if this ends up slowing us down.
She sat down near the back of the cave and curled up against the freezing cold rock. To her surprise, Jayfeather nestled around her, using his body to keep her warm.
"Aren't you going to try and find some healing herbs?" she asked.
He shook his head dismissively. "I'll go in the morning. I need to make sure there is no debris in the wound and I'd like to wait a night to make sure the wolf is gone. I don't know how smart- or hungry- they are and I wouldn't be surprised if it came back to check on us."
"I guess that's makes sense," she meowed, resting her head on the hard ground as Jayfeather's tongue brushed methodically against her shoulder. To her surprise, she also felt strong paws kneading into her sore muscles. She let out a purr as her body relaxed. Her body was feeling the strain of their long journey and Jayfeather's meticulous paws were exactly what she needed.
"Before you go to sleep, can we talk?" he whispered softly.
"About what?" she mumbled dreamily. She didn't know why he was suddenly being really nice to her but she wished it would never end.
He took a deep breath. "I don't know if you're mad at me, but you've been acting snappy since we left the Pack's cave. I feel like there is something between us and I don't like it."
She closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. She had felt it, too. "I don't know what's happening but I feel like you've been really distant with me," she ventured. "You didn't stop even once today while we were traveling to check if I was okay and you hardly talked to me at all since we left the Pack's cave. We're both still reeling over the disaster, but it shouldn't be getting in the way of our relationship."
There was a moment of silence as Jayfeather carefully chose his next words. "I've done everything on my power to remedy the suffering caused by the tremble and I'm ready to move on. That isn't the reason."
"Then why have you ignored me all day? We used to understand each other so well." She hadn't realized that she was raising her voice to match her rising frustration.
Jayfeather's paws froze and she suddenly regretted opening her mouth. She desperately didn't want to lose what they had.
"I'm being distant?" Jayfeather muttered, standing up and taking a step away from her. "We used to hang out all the time but then one day you started staying away from me for apparently no reason. I thought I must have done something wrong."
Briarlight flinched. It was true that she had tried to become less clingy and possessive around him. She pressed her head against the stone wall. "Yeah, about that. Lark and Asphalt pointed out that I hang around you a lot so I tried being more independent. I really didn't expect you to notice any difference."
"Me not notice something? Especially when it concerns you?" He laughed sarcastically. "Not likely."
The sharpness of his tone put her on edge and she stood up. "Then why didn't you notice how tired I was today while we were traveling if you know me so well? I thought you knew everything about what I was feeling."
"Because you told me you didn't want me probing your thoughts anymore!" Jayfeather snapped hotly, his temper flaring up.
Briarlight's eyes widened. In the heat of the moment she had completely forgotten that she had told him to stop reading her thoughts only a couple of days earlier. He wasn't doing anything wrong and it dawned on her that the reason they had become distant with each other was entirely her fault. She collapsed to the ground as the fire burning in her chest puffed out in a whiff of smoke. She curled up on the floor of the cave. He has all the right to be upset with me. I never realized that I had given him an impossible choice where he loses no matter what he picks. "No, you're right," she mumbled miserably. "I forgot I told you that."
A moment of silence followed her apology. It had been a long time since she had heard him raise his voice like that. She didn't look up- she didn't want to see the look of disappointment or anger in his face.
"I'm not mad."
She lifted her head. It was dark but she could see that his blue eyes had become calm and soft.
"I tried my best to ignore your thoughts and feelings but it's like trying to cover your ears when the kits are screaming nonsense in the camp clearing. You can't tell what they are complaining about but you still know it's happening. I knew you were tired today while we were climbing up the rocks but I pretended not to notice because I didn't want to upset you. It looks like I ended up upsetting you anyways."
Guilt filled Briarlight's chest and she miserably pressed her head into his side. She hated herself for making the rift between them and then having the gall to blame him for it. Her words were muffled as she spoke into his fur. "That argument we had under the half moon was also my fault. All of this is my fault."
He wrapped his paw around her and pulled her closer to his chest until she could hear his heartbeat. "If I've learned anything from our time with the Pack, it's that cats make poor decisions when under stress. I'm not going to deny that this is mostly your fault- it is- but I know we didn't run this far away our homes and our family just to break apart after a couple mouse-brained spats."
She closed her eyes in relief that he wasn't upset and breathed in his scent. He didn't smell like ThunderClan anymore. Instead he carried the earthy scents of stone and dirt.
"If all of that nonsense is out of the way, I still wanted to talk to you about some things before we went to sleep." He lifted his paw so she could step back. "It's about that dream you had the night you left ThunderClan to find me."
She was happy that the subject was changing. "What about it?"
He lay down and continued. "You told me that you found a jay's feather in your nest soon after I left the Clan and I've been thinking about it. Did the feather wake you up from your sleep or did you have a strange dream?"
"Hmm, let me try to remember." She lay down beside him so their muzzles where just a whisker-length apart. "It wasn't a weird dream, I was just hunting a bird in a tree when the branch I was standing on snapped and I fell. I woke up before I hit the ground."
"Did you see anything strange or unusual before the branch broke?"
"Not that I remember. As I said, it was a pretty normal dream for me."
"What kind of bird were you hunting? Was it a blue jay by any chance?"
"Nope, it was a white wagtail," she responded quickly, vividly remembering that part of the dream. "I had never seen one before in my dreams so I guess that was different."
Jayfeather mumbled something as if he was talking things over to himself. "There's a chance it was-" he stopped mid sentence.
"A chance it was what? I always feel like you hide information from me," she meowed. She felt the frustration rise in her throat again but she swallowed it down. She wasn't going to start another heated confrontation over nothing.
There was a short moment of silence as his breath gently rustled the fur on her face. He gave her a quick lick on the cheek. "I did say we needed to be honest with each other. For as long as we are mates, no more hiding the truth." He took a deep breath. "There is something I have never told you, but it's important."
She pricked her ears with interest.
"Back when I was an apprentice, I had a vision or a dream that sent me back in time to before the Clans or Tribe were formed. I wasn't Jayfeather anymore, I was a cat named Jay's Wing. I met this she-cat named Half Moon and I guided her into becoming the very first Stoneteller of what would one day become the Tribe of Rushing Water. By the time I needed to return to the Clans, I had fallen deeply in love with her."
Briarlight's eyes widened but she kept her mouth closed. How many other cats know this story?
"Half Moon is a very ancient ancestor who is almost completely forgotten by time, but she never stopped loving me even though she died many seasons ago. She says she only has the power to see me one more time before I die myself and then we will be together in the stars- but I also love you, too!" he added quickly, as if detecting the unease that was cultivating in Briarlight's heart. "It's complicated, but I think it could have been Half Moon who put that jay's feather in your nest."
Briarlight blinked, confused. She felt jealousy prick at her insides that some other she-cat had stolen Jayfeather's heart before she did, but she couldn't understand why Half Moon would want them to be together. Wasn't Half Moon worried Briarlight would steal Jayfeather away? Briarlight craved to ask 'who do you love more,' but she didn't want to sound petty. Jayfeather was opening up to her and she was grateful.
"The white wagtail you said you saw in your dream may have been Half Moon," Jayfeather continued. "Wagtails are more common in the mountains than in the Clan's forest and Half Moon's fur is completely white. Also, I think Nettle and Flora said they saw a white wagtail right before they discovered the cave that had a connection with the ancestors. Helping the mountain cats has always been Half Moon's goal."
"W- why are you telling me all of this?" Briarlight stuttered, overwhelmed by this massive secret Jayfeather had kept from her. "Why would you tell me that you loved some other cat before you loved me? I don't know how to feel about this."
He reached forward and pressed his nose to hers, and for a heartbeat, all of her concerns disappeared. "I'm telling you all of this because I really do love you, Briarlight, and I know you are strong enough to handle the truth. Half Moon is a good cat who never meant any harm. I hope you get to meet her some day."
Briarlight wanted to look into his eyes but the sun had completely set outside and she couldn't even see the outline of his tattered ears against the blackness of the cave. Instead, she just breathed in his familiar scent one more time and forced her fur to lie flat after realizing it was spiked. The truth about Half Moon had come as a shock but she was happy he trusted her enough to tell her. "I hope I get to meet her some day, too."
Jayfeather let out a sigh that could have belonged to an elder. "Try to get some sleep. Tomorrow morning I'll find some herbs for your shoulder wound. We can talk about Half Moon whenever you want or we never have to mention her again. It's up to you."
"We'll see," Briarlight purred warmly. She gave him a lick between the ears and closed her eyes. She was too exhausted to keep talking. Half Moon can't be that bad if she wants me and Jayfeather to be together. I also can't blame her for falling in love with Jayfeather. He's so brave, clever, and committed to all the good work he does. She felt a flame of gratitude simmer in her heart as she drifted off to sleep. I am so lucky that he is mine.
Rawr. Took forever to update all the chapters and I'm convinced there is still a a menagerie of errors that I didn't catch.
