The Rise of Snake: Chapter Six
Characters:
BloodClan:
Fallen: Leader of BloodClan; tom; an orange cat with black ears, tail and brown tabby stripes, he has a single white paw and green eyes; lanky but muscular
Lost: Deputy of BloodClan; shecat; blue/gray pelt with silver eyes, has only half her tail; small (resembles a main coon)
Leader's Advisors: (They give out advise to the leader and help with the trainers on assessing and placing a new cat)
Diesel: tom; tortoishell of brown, hazel, and white with brown eyes; average but built
Broken: tom; pale yellow and white tabby with a broken tail tip from a battle long ago, has blue eyes; large
The Guards of BloodClan:
Cathair: Advisor of the guard; tom; dark brown pelt with gray paws and spots along his back and tail, his chest and underbelly are white and he has bright green eyes; massive, but hunched over
Baylor: Captain of the Guard and son of Cathair; tom; white pelt with a gray spot on his neck, back, and flank, he has brown paws and ears. He also has one black spot overlapped by the gray one on his shoulder, his eyes are a bright green; massive and muscular
Hail: trainer; tom; Brown with black spots and silver flecks; large
Sleet: trainer; shecat; silver tabby with one black paw and gray eyes; petite
Fang: trainer; tom; a brick red with a white chest and brown eyes; lanky
Titan: trainer; tom; calico, has ice colored eyes; massive
Jasper: tom; Black and white tabby with turquoise eyes; bulky and decently sized
Jagged: tom; brother of Jasper; Gray and black tabby cat with a white streak that goes down his muzzle, has sky blue eyes; also bulky and decently sized
Owl: shecat; dark and light brown tabby, has a black line that stretches down her back; small
Rose: shecat; sister of Rose; a yellow shecat with a red hue and a white chest and paws, she has green eyes; petite
Fox: shecat; sister of Rose; orange pelt with a red hue, has white paws and a black tipped tail, also has deep green eyes; petite
Willow: shecat; light gray shecat with a dark gray face and back, fades out into a silver under belly and she has hazel eyes; large
Quake: tom; all black with yellow eyes; massive
Stitch: tom; gray with one black paw and crimson eyes, got his name after he was caught by the cutter and released neutered; large
Frostbite (Frost): tom; brother to Ghost and Smoke; silver body with white tipped paws and nose, has ice blue eyes; lanky
Smoke: shecat; sister to Frostbite and Ghost; smoke brindled with a pale gray, has a white chest and tipped ears, also has gray eyes; small
Ghost: tom; brother to Smoke and Frostbite; pure white with a silver tipped tail and ears, gray eyes with flecks of ice blue; large but lanky
Wander: tom; brown and black tabby with a white chest and has orange eyes; massive with lean build
Vic: tom; ginger and brown marbled, has a white muzzle and rings under his eyes; small
Wolf: shecat; Persian cat with a silver and brown pelt, has blue eyes; built but short
Shade: tom; red with a darker red belly and brown eyes; average
Nettle: shecat; sister to Havoc; Siamese, has blue eyes; petite but tall
Havoc: tom; Siamese, has blue eyes; massive
Titus: tom; long black pelt with a red-ish hue, has a white chest, paws, and tipped tail with pale green eyes, large and built (recruit)
Fade: shecat; tawny short coat with a dark brown mask on her face, legs, ears, and tail. Has a white chest with bright sea blue eyes; average and lean, has a longer tail than most (recruit)
BloodClan Cats:
Mags: shecat; a light brown tabby cat with a bobbed tail and strange purple eyes; average and lanky
Butler: tom; deep gray undercoat with a black overcoat (deep gray coat catches in the sun), and a single white paw and light yellow eyes; large and lanky with some build
Salem: tom; pitch black pelt with a gray paw and red spot on his tail and back, has one red tipped ear, has bright green eyes; large and built; mate to Harper
Luke: tom; white with black ears and tipped tail, has bright green eyes, average
Murk: tom; shaggy gray coat with white paws, has light blue eyes; stocky
Harper: shecat; mahogany red with a white face and underbelly, has a black spot over her left eye and on her right forepaw, has tawny eyes; average; mate to Salem
Rogues:
Blue: tom; silver gray cat with dark gray rings around his eyes and a black patch on his face, has stunning blue eyes; large and lean
Thatcher: tom; dark brown pelt with a sandy brown chest and paws, has white stripes on his face with brown eyes; large and built
Macie: shecat; light golden pelt with a yellow underbelly and light brown ears and tipped tail, has light blue eyes; average and lean
Posy: shecat; white with cream ears and tail, had a black muzzle and bright green eyes; carrying kits; average and lean
Maple: shecat; a deep mahogany pelt with golden swirls, a white chest, muzzle, paws, and tail with one red spot at the end of it. She has soft blue eyes; petite with long legs
Snake: shecat, daughter of Baylor and Maple; a long golden pelt with darker golden/mahogany swirls, a white chest, paws, underbelly, underside of tail and tip of tail. Also has bright green and lively eyes with silver woven into them and dark brown ears; petite with long legs
Ace: tom, son of Baylor and Maple; has a thick dark brown pelt that darkened into a black as it neared his belly and down his legs, his face is black with dark brown tabby markings strewn across it, has a single white paw and soft blue eyes; Massive like his father
Soot: shecat; daughter of Baylor and Maple; a long silvery smoke pelt with dark gray paws and tipped tail, has white tipped ears and muzzle and a dark gray spot on her shoulder like her father's, one eye is soft blue and the other a green; petite with long legs
Cats from the Past:
Kronos: Previous Deputy of BloodClan; tom; had a sleek tan pelt speckled with black spots, and a single white toe on his left paw, ice blue eyes; descendent of Scourge (his father's grandfather was Scourge's brother aka Quince); massive and built
Vito: rogue; tom; had a typical brown tabby pelt but unusual eyes, one was orange and the other brown; average and lanky
FeatherMist: descendent of the Clans; shecat; had a sleek water tight silver pelt with light gray markings and soft white undertones, her paws, chest, and the tip of her tail were snow white, she had light blue eyes; petite
Snow: Cathair's mate and Baylor's mother; guard; pure white fur with no markings; had blue eyes; petite
Heads up, this has a scene that may disturb some readers and I want to apologize in advance for Cathair's story and the events coming up, but don't leave because it gets a whole lot better. All of this is needed and will make sense later in the plot. Trust me, anywho thanks for being so awesome!
Cold, why so cold! A silhouette of a small cat, outlined by the Harvest moon, ran across the moor, which was freshly decorated with white powder. Her breath turned into a fog as she heaved out into the frigid air. Her lungs burned, and her eyes watered from the unforgiving wind that whipped at them. Almost there!
The shecat lengthened her stride until she felt the tendons strain from the effort. The frost bit at her ears and nose, and if it wasn't for the way her muscles burned she would be chilled to the core. Almost as if to test her, the sky started to produce small white flakes. She ignored the cold sting of the flakes when they ensnared themselves into her long pelt. "Remember to keep your back straight but arch your flank before you push off, it'll give you more speed and endurance." The voice ran clearly throughout her head. She concentrated on her next stride, collecting her hind paws beneath her and thrusting off launching herself forward. Her spine ached from the effort to remain straight as every instinct told her to collapse into the deceiving blanket beneath her paws.
"Don't stop, even when you feel like you can't take another step. Keep going, push past that. If you break this barrier then nothing can hold you back." She could recall her mentor's words, echoing through her mind.Her legs threatened to betray her, everything was telling her to stop. No! She inwardly yowled, refusing to give into temptation. Her spirit and determination outranked her body's limits, and she felt like she was flying. Her paws, numb from the bitter cold, barely touched the ground as she glided across frozen dirt. Her hind claws extended for more traction, pulsating her forward even more so. Soon, the screaming of her muscles dulled to a low moan.
She took in the sky above her, deep blue with bright stars that gave it life. The moon, being a Harvest Moon, was unusually big and bright. The scene was enrapturing, and a thought flashed across her mind like lightening in a storm. Who's up there?
A bitter wind tore across the moor, battering at her pelt with little mercy and she snapped back into focus. An old rotting log loomed up ahead, its height standing taller than she. The shecat raced towards the log fearlessly, then skidded right before coiling her muscles up to make the leap. She pushed off hurtling over the log almost effortlessly, and as soon as her paws met the stone cold earth again she continued to slice through the crisp blades without so much as pausing to breathe.
Her heart pounded within her breast, pumping as much oxygen to her muscles as it could manage. Her senses were on fire, nothing escaped her notice. Not the faint gleam of a rabbits eyes that huddled beneath a bush as she ran by, or the Night Hawk that flew from the shelter of the trees several foxlengths in the opposite direction. Not even the mouse shifting beneath the hardened ground snuggled in its warm burrow. She was filled with a peace that wasn't common to her; she almost felt one with the wind and the stars above.
Up ahead, she could trace the silhouette of another cat, alone and waiting at the edge of the forest. He sat patiently beneath the canopy of the trees that shielded him from the snow. Her muscles, despite her long pelt, rippled beneath her frame. You won't fool me this time. The shecat grinned as she neared, preparing to meet the tom head on.
She braced herself to collide with him, running tactics through her head. She was so close, her eyes brightened with determination as she pelted the last few tail lengths. The tom jumped up and redirected his paws to bolt away, eluding her grasp. What?! She hissed in frustration, and dashed after him in the forest.
The tom masterfully dodged briars, tree roots, branches, and anything that most any cat would trip over. From experience, the she cat ran after him, weaving through the entangled woods just as easily as he did. Her small frame gave her an advantage over his bulkier one, and she gained ground over him. The tom glanced behind him, gasping in shock. He swerved sharply to the right, in the direction of the Twoleg dens. Her eyes widened in shock, No, not there! She hesitantly swiveled after him.
The tom showed no intention of changing paths as he leapt over a small white fence, which surrounded the Twoleg's territory. The shecat forced her muscles to abide to her will, as she flew over it. Her mind began to fog, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to keep up this much longer. The tom crossed the Twoleg's territory and scaled up a small cherry tree that was left naked due to the change of seasons. He leapt off of it and landed on the Twoleg Den's roof, and made haste to disappear behind the building to StarClan knows where. The she cat refused to be deterred and launched herself onto the tree, hooking her claws into the bark and scaling it as fast as she could manage. She didn't hesitate to leap off its familiar feel onto the strange tar like surface, in pursuit of the tom. She reached the other end, where she last caught sight of him. Once I catch you I'll make you pay. The place left her feeling unnerved; she knew she was dangerously close to BloodClan territory. Why here, of all places!
She didn't want to pause, knowing that once she did it would be hard to continue. But as she couldn't catch sight of him she was forced to concentrate on her breathing so that she could manage to scent him. Her lungs screamed from the effort as she delayed breath to them, but her efforts were futile as the scent of the twolegs drowned out his own. After a moment, she caught a faint trace of the tom; he had jumped down into the alleyway. She then leapt off from her perch to a window sill below, then onto the paved alleyway beneath that. Her paws began to unthaw as the pavement was slightly warmer than the snow, and it left her feeling drained as the dull moan began to return. She pushed it back, and concentrated on following the scent back out to the moor.
The shecat sent a silent thanks to StarClan and trotted onto the welcoming plains. She flicked her tail, staring off into the moor. The blades were slightly parted, and she quickly padded up to it inhaling his scent. She began at a steady lope, slightly giving in to her body's demands. The scent lead her to a ditch, and as she neared it the tom leaped out from the brush barreling into her.
She yowled with annoyance and rolled beneath him, gathering her hind paws beneath his abdomen shoving him off before he had a chance to pin her against the ground. Her every being protested when she forced herself up onto her sore paws. The tom had already made it to his feet, and was charging at her. She hissed at him challengingly, and as he pounced on her she leapt up catching him in the gut with her head.
The tom landed with a thud, and struggled to catch his breath. As soon as the tom was visibly hindered she bounded in and out of his grasp, scoring marks into his pelt. The shecat boldly charged at his throat when he slammed his paw into her cranium knocking her aside. He rolled over onto his paws and leapt on her barely missing her throat with his teeth. The shecat slid out from beneath him and sprung at his throat which he mistakenly left vulnerable. She caught it in her jowls, eyes alit with fire. He fell back, startled to have been outdone. She didn't relinquish her grip on his jugular, teeth taunting him ready to pierce the life that pulsed beneath the skin. He fell limp, defeated.
The shecat released her hold and collapsed onto the ground, her sides heaving trying to meet her lung and heart's demand. Her body was now numb, nerves cut off from the cold and the strain. "I-" she paused to take another breath, "got you, this time." The words were cut short; she couldn't keep up with her heart. It threatened to burst out of her chest.
The tom sat up, hunched over from exhaustion as well, "You're coming along." He managed to force the sentence between his own breaths. They both looked up at each other, grins spread across their faces. "Don't tell your father that I led you that close to BloodClan territory though."
"I- won't." She managed to gain better control of her breathing by this point, and the nerves began to spring back to life, much to her dislike of course. The two sat in silence for several moments longer, content with just taking a moment to rest.
"You've done well with your training. We need to work on your conditioning some more, you almost didn't keep up with me." The tom finally spoke up, voicing his opinion.
"Your not going to make me climb trees again are you?" Snake frowned at the thought. "I mean, I can climb them, but I hate having to jump the branches."
"You hate jumping the branches because you haven't perfected it." Nook began to groom his chest.
"I'm not a squirrel; I'm not supposed to be perfect at that."
"That's why you need to be perfect at it." Snake sighed, she knew there was no use in arguing.
"Nook, do you think FeatherMist would be proud?" The question caught him off guard, and he flinched. Nook cleared his throat and gave his chest a few awkward licks, trying to regain his composure.
"I'm sure she is Snake." It hurt him to talk about his mate, but he swallowed down his pain. The shecat didn't seem to pick up on his discomfort because she continued.
"Have you seen her lately?" Snake perked her ears in interest, eyes trained on him awaiting his response. His ear began to flick, as it did when he thought back to his mate, which was often.
"Actually… no. No, it's been many moons since I've seen her." He cleared his throat again, trying to mask the pain that threatened to spill.
"Maybe she's waiting for something special," Snake remarked. Nook looked at his paws, something special. Maybe…
Caterwauls drowned out his commands; Baylor slammed his paw furiously into the camp dirt kicking up more dust into the air. He yowled at Fang as loud as he could muster, his voice shaking the cats around him. The tom easily ignored him, and advanced still at Thatcher. The rogue had swooned the seasoned guard Sleet. Fang was furious, he had claimed her as his, didn't matter whether she agreed or not but he has had his eyes set on her for moons.
Thatcher was easily avoiding the tom's blows, Fang grew more crazed with each empty slash. Thatcher swerved when Fang dove for him and bit into his tail. Fang howled in anger more than pain and he swept his hind paw under Thatcher's legs knocking him to the ground. The tom fell with a thud, and Fang pounced on him, every claw mark was scored with pure hatred and jealousy. Baylor had enough, and he stormed off his perch over the camp. No cat dared show any resistance as he forced his way through the crowd, gritting his teeth.
He quickly reached the middle and fury burned through his pelt. Somehow Thatcher managed to slip out of Fang's grasp and latch himself in a tight battle with the tom, rolling across the camp floor spilling each other's blood howling with rage and loath. Baylor dared to look up to see Sleet, mouth gaped open in shock. Stupid crow food! The Captain of The Guard rushed in and grabbed which ever cat he could manage and pried the tom away from the other. Fang writhed out of his grasp and dared to charge at Thatcher who still laid on the dirt. Baylor caught his flank with unforgiving reinforced claws and yanked him back. Fang screeched with unrelenting hatred and turned to attack who ever held him back. Baylor bashed his paw against his head sending him to the ground.
Fang stared up at Baylor with a fire that would've consumed most any cat. Baylor snarled a challenge at the tom and braced himself. Fang quickly bounced up and lunged at his Captain's throat. He lowered his head and lurched forward crashing Fang's mandible against his cranium. Fang staggered back in shock, pain blocking his sight. Baylor hooked his forepaws into Fang's cheek and threw him into the ground, and the tom couldn't find it in himself to stand up on his paws. The camp was dead silent, even Smoke didn't risk opening her mouth.
Baylor looked around the camp, ears flattened against his head. Sleet was huddled against Thatcher, who had his tail wrapped boldly around her. Cathair had crawled out of the dog house to see what was going on, Baylor flashed him a glare that told him to get back inside. Being Leafbare, and as old as he was, it wouldn't be hard for the tom to contract something.
Baylor stood high, sweeping his eyes across everyone around him. "If this foolishness continues," he paused to make sure everyone was listening, "you will all be forced to do recruit tasks and I swear to you that I will personally go out of my way to make sure you don't get a moments rest from dawn to dusk. I will make sure that by sunhigh you will feel like you got hit by a monster. Do not test me!" He narrowed his eyes, the fur on his spine bristled making him look even more intimidating than he already was. His attention snapped back down to Fang, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust at the tom. Fang had regained enough strength to lift his head, and his eyes smoldered with pure loath.
"As for you Fang," he bore his gaze into the tom beneath him, "you are relieved of your duties as a Trainer and now demoted to a Guard." Fang's face fell, his eyes widened with shock, he stuttered as if trying to come up with some retort or protest but when nothing flowed out Baylor snickered at the pathetic tom. He turned his attention back to his guards, and after a moment of scanning the crowd his eyes landed on the perfect replacement. "Wolf, step forward." The shecat stared at him for a moment in disbelief, but quickly obeyed. She padded briskly out of the crowd and stopped in front of him, her eyes searching his face. "Wolf will be the new Trainer." His voice rang out clearly, reaching every cat's ears. Titan was the first to yowl his approval, and soon every cat followed behind him. She straightened her posture, head held high taking on her new position. Baylor winked at her and took one more moment to revel in Fang's utter look of shock and humiliation. He didn't bother to muster the chuckled that rumbled from his chest, Fang didn't seem to hear him.
He turned away and padded up to his father who hadn't moved an inch. "I meant for you to go back inside you know." Baylor brushed past him gently, and disappeared into the den. Cathair looked out into the camp and the cats below, a forlorn smile faint on his lips. He soon turned around and hobbled into the den after his son.
"Since when do I take orders from you?" He croaked, laying across from his son. Baylor sighed and shook his head. "Exactly." Cathair choked the word out, his throat stung and he tried to clear it out and he visibly winced in pain.
"You ok father?" Baylor eye's clouded with worry, and he began to notice how feeble the tom had begun to look. It's not like he didn't look poor in the first place, he did, but age was now more evident than ever.
"Just the cold nagging at me like it has for seasons." Cathair forced the words out, putting on a lopsided smile. He broke into a series of coughs, the kind that began as a hack but ended in a wheeze and over again in a viscous cycle.
Worry etched Baylor's face, "I'll fetch you some water." Without giving the chance for Cathair to complain he dashed out of the den. Before long he returned with a mouthful of soaked moss. He placed it carefully at the elder's paws, and waited patiently for him to lap it up. Cathair stared at him blankly, and didn't move to take a drink. "The point of me getting this water was for you to drink it, you know."
"I don't need it, I'll stop by the creek later if I want to." The stubborn tom rested his muzzle on his paws.
"You do need it, and you will lap it all up," Baylor shot his father a look that clearly said he was serious. Cathair sighed in defeat; he didn't have the energy to fight.
"You're just like Snow," he bent down and lapped at the water. Baylor froze, and he thought back to his mother, white as snow and just as stunning. Everything about her was, and forever will be, perfect. Baylor stared down at his paws, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. One day, she had disappeared and Cathair refused to tell him why. Viper was devastated, though she never showed it. It wasn't long after when she let her cockiness get the best of her, and she was left handicapped for two sunrises before he relieved her of her suffering. Baylor studied his father, who was still lapping at the moss.
"You never told me what happened…" he gently pressed his father. Cathair flicked an ear in response, but said nothing. "Please tell me, I need to know." Cathair stopped lapping the water, and glanced up at his son.
"You're too young," the tom uttered his pathetic excuse. He looked back down at the moss, and poked at it with a claw disinterestedly. Whatever happened, Baylor could tell it still affected the elder to this day.
"I'm no longer a kit, and I hold the position of Captain of the Guard in BloodClan. I deserve to know." Baylor sat tall, curiosity tearing at his mind. Cathair sighed, and sat up to meet his son's gaze. Baylor noticed that Cathair's spine had curved with age, and he was no longer taller than him.
"Fine, I will tell you. Bone knows how much longer I have left anyways." A sudden hardness passed of Cathair's features, and for a moment he looked like the cat he used to be. "Snow had given birth to you and your sister, after moons of me fretting over her." A smile played at his lips as he thought back to happier times. "Reaper allowed me to spend a few sunrises with her before having me return to my duties and he moved her to that hollow just outside of camp. She didn't like the idea, but she coped with it and focused on rearing you guys. It wasn't long before you two opened your eyes and ears to the world, and became a paw full. You got into all kinds of trouble, you don't remember this but you had once found yourself in the way of Kronos." Cathair paused for a moment to see if Baylor could recall the cat, and after a moment his eyes brightened with recognition.
"The deputy before Fallen… didn't yo-"Cathair raised his tail to silence him, and cleared his throat again before continuing on.
"He stumbled over you, and fell into a tree. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal but a branch tore into his eye. He immediately lost sight on his left side, and he turned on you ready to strike you down with a simple slash being as small as you were. Snow heard his yowl of pain, and she described it as a gut wrenching feeling that struck her and she knew you were in danger, and she raced to where it came from. Right before he brought his claws down on you she barreled him out of the way howling with a mother's fury. He toppled to the ground, which was rare being as massive as he was. He took pride in that too, and I assume being knocked over by a kit, its mother, and losing sight in one of his eyes in the same day was too much. He leapt to his paws ready to slaughter her for hurting his pride, and he would have if I didn't come rushing in." He closed his eyes softly, a shudder passed through him. "But I had left my post to aid her. I remember not even thinking, going exclusively by instinct, I tackled the tom into the ground and shredded him. Reaper eventually showed up and pulled us apart, pissed that almost my whole family had attacked his deputy." Cathair grinned at the thought, light slowly coming back to the elder's worn eyes.
"So I was given recruit responsibilities for the next moon, and Snow and our kits were forbidden to leave the hollow and the area around it. That wasn't enough for Kronos though; he wanted some ones blood spilled as payment for his eye, and his pride. Scourge's blood flowed through his veins, and by the way the tom acted you'd think the devil dwelled within his soul. He knew he couldn't get away with it, so he found some rogue who had resided outside of our territory in an old twoleg's den. The rogue knew of a strange diseased creature that was contained by the twolegs that lived a few dens down. He suggested that, for a price of course, he could release the creature onto Snow at night and she would suffer the way it was, a slow descend into madness." Baylor sucked in a breath of air, the streets would whisper of such a disease. Mothers used it to keep their kits in line, claiming that "it will come for you if you don't_." Fill in the blank.
Cathair's head hung from his sagging shoulders, Baylor could barely catch the void that had begun to pool in his gaze. Cathair sucked in a deep breath, mustering any strength he could find in him to continue. "Kronos agreed to the rogue's demands, I never did find out what Kronos had promised him but reason has led me to believe that the rogue was to be secured as BloodClan's next deputy. So one particular cold night, Snow had just left my den to return to her assigned one. I would've stayed with her- but it was against Reaper's demands. If I had known…" The elder trailed out in thought, "If I had known I would've stayed with her. Protected her, but I didn't. The rogue, who went by Vito, somehow managed to release the creature from its cage. He led the creature through the streets to the hollow without being mauled. The animal chased him into your den, Vito escaped once it directed its attention on Snow. She must've been barely asleep when she woke to its hot breath on her neck, and as any good mother should she hid you two in the far corner of the den as she stood in between the beast and her kits. Unable to comprehend what reason was the beast charged at her with one thing on its mind, kill. Her yowl jolted me from my dreams, and by the time I reached the den it was too late." Cathair's voice wavered, and he broke into a series of racking coughs before continuing on.
"The beast had her in its jowls as she thrashed clawing at anything she could reach. Her beautiful white fur was stained red, and hung in strips. No matter what she did the creature, presumably once a fox but now unrecognizable, kept its jaws clamped. I have never seen the disease before, but an old cat once told me that if I was to ever come across such a thing that I would need to kill it immediately, but to avoid its bite. The maddened fox didn't seem to notice me as I slipped under it and bit down on its throat until it was too late. It became racked with shudders as it choked on its own blood and froth, before falling dead. Only then did it release its hold on Snow, and she rolled out of its mouth. The only sign of life was her breath that came in quick gasps. I tended to her immediately, patching what I could. She didn't smile at me like she usually did, but instead demanded that I look for you and your sister. I found you where she left you, in the corner. After making sure you guys were ok I went back to her side, and she had pulled herself up on her chest, hind legs stretched out behind her." Baylor had his eyes trained on Cathair, emotions tearing inside him like a tornado.
"I thought that, she might live. She had a light in her eyes, which contrasted her condition. I moved her to my den, after cleaning her up. I tended to her every need for about half a moon. Miraculously, she had begun to recover. Her wounds were healing slowly but surely, thanks to Mags's herbs. Mags warned me that time would catch up on me, that the inevitable will come. I pretended I didn't know what she was talking about. But the day came when reality came flooding in like a tsunami. I had come back in from a patrol and found you and Viper huddling together outside of the den, trembling in fear. I asked what was wrong, but you couldn't put it into words so I ran in. The sight that was laid before me still haunts me to this day, she was dragging her head on the ground, the froth pooling out of her mouth and wetting the ground. The sickness had begun to take over her mind, and when she saw me and when our eyes met, I no longer saw Snow in them. I only saw empty darkness, the disease, that had consumed her. When she charged at me-" Cathair's voice cracked and focused on controlling his breathing before he looked up at his son, grief and guilt pooling out of his eyes. "I slashed her throat open. After that, I took you two to the stream as a few of my guards removed her from camp and buried her for me, taking time in cleaning up the poisoned froth and innocent blood that was spilled in my den."
Baylor sat in silence, his legs faltered and he crumpled onto the ground, his eyes focused on something that wasn't actually there. Slowly, the pieces began to fall in place, why Cathair had killed Kronos and a new recruit shortly after his sister died. Why Reaper nearly kicked him out of the clan, and was so hostile to Viper.
"It's a horrible thing, to live here." The elder whispered solemnly to no one in particular. Baylor barely caught his next words as he tried to mull over his mother's death, "but there is no place more fitting for a cat who is condemned to hell."
The next morning seemed to take its time, father and son had quietly mourned together all through the night. The light from the dawn casted itself onto Baylor's face, and he forced his paws to lead him out to camp. Today was an important day, and he couldn't let his own feelings hold him back.
He loomed over the camp, his eyes taking in the golden sand that glistened from the sun. He switched his gaze to the dens on the outskirts of the camp, which was basically a large groove carved into the clay walls, and looked for the cats that slept peacefully in them. Well, we have to change that, he thought to himself.
"Get up you lazy sacks of bones; don't you know what day it is?" Baylor caterwauled out into the clearing. Hesitantly the cats stirred, slipping out of their warm dens and fluffing their pelts to trap whatever heat they could as they stepped into the brisk morning air. Among them was the ordinary BloodClan cats, well not ordinary anymore, they were chosen to explore the new territory. After a few minutes every cat, even Fang, stood beneath him, had their attention focused on him. Thatcher made a point to hold Sleet especially close, occasionally sending a triumphant grin to Fang. Smoke, not wanting to be outdone, snuggled into Quake's pelt and his face twisted into a look of detest before he replaced it with a forced faint smile. Fade sat a few cats behind them staring at the shecat with envy.
"Sleet, Wolf, Jagged, Mags, Butler, and Havoc you six are to leave the city today to explore the new territory," Baylor yowled enthusiastically into the crowd. A few cats cheered as they stood up, upon hearing their name. "You are to meet with Fallen as soon as the sun has fully exposed itself. Today, in celebration, there will be no patrols or tasks to complete. As long as you stay in BloodClan territory I don't give a rat's whisker what you do." He looked up at the sky, and saw the sun had peaked from behind the twoleg dens. He turned his attention back to the cats, "before the patrol departs camp I wish to see you." And with a flick of his tail, Baylor padded off the ledge to the entrance of his den.
"Cathair, Baylor: Captain of the Guard, permission to enter," he meowed just outside the den in attempt to lighten his father's spirits. A gruff grunt was all that responded, and he padded in. "I ordered the patrol to come here before leaving for Fallen's den; I thought you'd like to share words with them."
"Yes, thank you." He paused for a moment, "She loved you, you know. One day I hope you find the time to take a mate and have kits of your own." Baylor parted his lips to tell his father that he already had, but he faltered as fear kicked in. Before he could muster the right words Butler cleared his throat signaling that the patrol had arrived. Cathair pulled himself up to shaky paws, and he greeted his old friend along with Mags, the shecat and he shared a knowing glance. He then, out of politeness, meowed a greeting to the remainder of the patrol. Baylor walked out to stand behind his father.
"May Scourge and Bone be with you," he began customarily, "and that you return safely with good news of the new territory. I will be waiting to hear all about the place."
"If you live that long," Mags meowed humouredly at him, and he chuckled. Cathair touched his muzzle to each of their heads, and Baylor stood back in awe, taken aback by the strange action. The patrol then looked at him expectantly, his guards in particular awaited his words. He cleared his throat, and quickly addressed them himself.
"I am lucky to have such cats in and around my ranks, it is an honor to me, as well as a burden for now I have to watch you leave some where unfamiliar, to have known you. May you reach the territory and return from it in one piece." Havoc, Wolf, Sleet, and Jagged beamed from receiving such a rare compliment. Mags smiled at him softly, and Butler dipped his head respectfully, holding Baylor's gaze. Baylor gave him a curt nod, and the tom mouthed a thank you.
"I hate to say this, but the sun has almost fully revealed itself. I do believe we must leave for Fallen's den now," Mags spoke up. With nothing more than a flick of her tail, she led her patrol to the leader's dwelling. Cathair sighed before he turned and padded back into his den to curl up in his nest. Baylor watched the patrol until they faded into the morning fog, and he joined his father who was fighting another series of hacks.
Nook stretched out in his nest, and sighed contently when his nose filled with the familiar scent that reminded him of starry nights and racing through endless fields, FeatherMist. He jolted up, FeatherMist! Nook scanned the area around him, and it took him a moment to figure out where he was. He was laid out in a beautiful forest, its foliage decorated with blue-silver dew drops that made it glow, a gentle creek flowed past him. StarClan! His pelt pricked with excitement, and he leapt to his paws hopefully.
"FeatherMist!" He called out, his voice echoing through the trees. Shortly after, a petite starry shecat padded out from in between two ferns, the dew catching on her pelt.
"I'm here, LarkShade. No need to alarm every cat in StarClan." He voice flowed through him like a breeze, and he ran to meet her. She purred when he began to groom her muzzle lovingly.
"Where have you been, I've missed you so much," Nook buried his muzzle into her neck. He inhaled her scent, and she closed her eyes as a tear fell onto his nape.
"You have no idea Nook how much I have wanted to see you." She stepped back to meet his gaze, and he blinked away his emotion.
"Then why didn't you?" the question tumbled from his lips, and he searched her face for an answer.
"You know it's not like that, we can't just visit our loved ones no matter how much we yearn too." FeatherMist meowed at him, longing laced in her tone. Another tear escaped her eyes, and she wiped it away with her forepaw. She met his steady gaze, and a soft cry escaped her as she buried her face into his neck. Nook purred and he began to groom her shoulder like he used to do seasons ago. Moons seemed to flow by before she pulled herself out of his embrace. She stared at him fondly, "I'm so sorry" she whispered.
Before Nook could question her he was plunged into darkness. He found himself face to face with a copper head, coiled up and ready to strike. Recognition hit him; he was familiar with the scene. Like usual a shadow of a cat lurched at him but the snake whipped around and struck the attacker. As soon as its teeth pierced the cats hide a strong breeze blew them away like smoke. Nook looked around, waiting to wake up in his nest. Instead, he found himself staring at Snake, Ace, and Soot.
A brick red tom that he couldn't identify, loomed over them triumphantly. Before Nook could comprehend the scene, he crashed onto the three like a dark wave and swept them away. Nook yowled after them, his voice drowned out by the buzzing in his head. Instantaneously the dark scene was replaced with the intense gaze of a dark gray tom with light yellow eyes that burned like fire. Nook jumped back in shock and shook his head, finding himself in a warm and starry field. "Like a thundering river all you know will be swept away into darkness. Trust not what lurks in the shadows but what is made from them." FeatherMist's sweet voice echoed through his ears. Nook chased after the voice, desperation driving him through the soft field.
"Wait, there has to be more! FeatherMist, wait!" Nook searched the field, and he gasped as he felt his paws slip out from under him. He woke with a start, and recognized the barn walls that shielded him from the snow outside. Nook sighed, questions that were left unanswered swarmed his head and buzzed like bees. Ace's snore pulled him out of his thoughts, and he noticed it was barely dawn.
Nook stood up and stretched, flexing his claws into the hay and moss that made his nest. He shook his pelt, and after grooming his fur flat he padded out of the stuffy barn into the cool morning air. Wouldn't hurt to collect some more herbs before this snow kills the last of them, and with that he padded across the moor, his paw leaving indentions into the thin layer of snow.
The sun had reached its peak, and the snow began to melt from its touch. Baylor parted his jaws in a lazy yawn, his father lapped at another ball of moss he had fetched earlier. While water helped soothe Cathair's cough it didn't do anything to cure it and he'd break into another series of heart wrenching coughs. He looked at his father worriedly; the tom was curled up into a tight ball, content with laying there all day and not saying a word.
A run is all I need, won't do anything to sit here with him all day. Baylor thought to himself, and he arched his back in a stretch before padding out of the den. He took in the scents of the city, if you could call this area the city. It was more like a rundown suburb, the city was father down were Fallen's den was. Baylor began at a lope, warming up and loosening his tense muscles. Before long, he was nearly sprinting along the side walk. The BloodClan cats lowered their heads in respect or hid from him as he passed by. Baylor ignored the cats that called out his name, offering their food in hopes of gaining favor.
He returned, heart light, from his run around the first signs of dusk. "That was an amazing run. Wish you could've come, if it helps any I thought of y-" his words caught in his throat. Cathair was struggling to breathe, as he coughed weakly. "Father!" Baylor rushed to his side, and nudged him with his paw trying to get a reaction from him.
"I'm- fine." Cathair huffed the words out breathily.
"No you're not… I-" An idea struck him, and hope spurred in his chest. "I know a cat, I need you to do your best to walk. I'll support you." Cathair didn't reply, as Baylor pulled him to his paws and leaned him against his shoulder. The weak tom barely moved his paws, and Baylor drug him through a back entrance out to a flattened path in the woods.
"You come through here a lot, son?" Cathair wheezed, genuinely curious. Baylor didn't answer his father and he padded surely between the trees, closer to the moor. The sun had begun to lower itself out of the sky when Baylor stopped at the edge of the forest, and helped Cathair settle down into a makeshift nest of moss and some feathers he had found. He then without a word flew across the moor only slowing down when he caught the scent of Nook.
"Nook!" he yowled out, pausing to listen for an answer. Nothing but the crickets answered his call, "Nook!" Baylor screeched out into the night sky. The scent grew stronger and several moment later the sound of rhythmic paws followed. The tom skidded in front of Baylor, panting heavily.
"What in StarClan's name is so important you had to drag me from my herb gathering," he growled with annoyance.
"It's my father, he's sick. I need you to help me," Baylor stared down into the tom's hardened eyes. Upon seeing the desperation in Baylor's, they softened.
"Ok, let me have a look." Baylor whispered a thanks before charging off back in the direction he came from, leaving Nook to trail behind. He looked back to make sure the tom was following, and slowed down when he realized that Nook had fallen back unable to keep up. Soon enough they reached the elder, who was barely able to lift his head up.
Nook padded over to the tom and sniffed his muzzle, and he stepped back unhopeful. "Its yellowcough."
"Yellowcough?" Baylor mumbled in confusion, fear tugging at his pelt.
"It's like a really bad cold, and difficult to cure. Its' not uncommon in elders, queens, or kits… especially in winter." Nook stated the facts, staring sympathetically at the old tom who had nodded solemnly.
"But you can heal him, right?" Baylor snapped at Nook. The tom bit back a retort, and cleared his throat.
"I can try, I just need to run back to the barn and grab some lungwort."
"I'll go, I'm faster. What does it look like?" Baylor fidgeted, his paws tingling.
"Ok, it's a stem with large leaves and has blue, purple, and pink flowers." The tom dashed off without a word. Nook sighed and bundled some leaves together placing it under Cathair's head, extending his airway making it easier to breathe.
"Just let me die young'n." Cathair rasped out, catching Nook by surprise. "Let me leave this place, let me find peace." The elder closed his eyes, and his sides heaved with exhaustion from the effort of speaking.
"I'm afraid I can't do that." Nook whispered lightly. He reopened his eyes; they showed no sign of emotion.
"And why not?" He coughed slightly, and his lungs rattled. Nook stayed silent and the elder took it as a victory and he huffed before closing his eyes again. Nook sucked in his breath, thinking over his next words carefully.
"Because you haven't met you're son's kits yet." The elder jerked his eyes open in shock, and struggled to find words and the strength to form them.
"Don't try to talk, just rest until Baylor returns." Cathair nodded his head, but his mind swarmed with questions. Moments later Baylor bursted through the stalks of grass, jaws heavy with the plant Nook described. He padded briskly up to Nook and dropped them at his paws.
The cat turned his back to Baylor, who was ushering him to hurry. Annoyance swelled up inside him but he chewed the bitter plants silently and spat the poultice onto his paw and smeared it around Cathair's lips. "Eat that," he instructed.
"I don't want to eat some other cat's spit and-" Nook cut him off, and smeared more onto his muzzle. Cathair sighed and lapped it up, shuddering as the bitter juices flowed down his throat. Nook then nudged a few stalks to Baylor and ate a few of his own.
"You want me to eat these?" Baylor shot Nook a confused glare.
"If you don't want to get sick, and then Maple and the kits get sick." Baylor growled at Nook, but ate the bitter plant.
Cathair forced himself to sit up, his thinned pelt shaking. "Don't try and get up, you're sick!" Nook snapped at the elder.
"Don't tell me what to do kit." Cathair grumbled as he steadied himself and stared at his son, waiting for him to meet his gaze.
"Now I know where Baylor gets it from," Nook muttered half to himself. Baylor swallowed his uneasiness as he sat up and struggled not to flinch at his father's hard expression. The two sat in silence, and Nook stood aside awkwardly.
"When were you going to tell me?" The elder's raspy voice broke the silence, and Nook took sudden interest in the left over lungwort. Baylor searched his father's face in confusion before realization flashed through his eyes and his features fell.
"I tried- but"
"But what, didn't trust your old man?" Cathair gritted his teeth, disguising his hurt with anger.
"No! I, uh… I wanted to, I tried, believe me. But it's not safe and you know that, you know Maple is considered a traitor and I couldn't risk her or our kits!" The words tumbled out of Baylor's mouth, as he tried to explain.
"You could've pulled me aside, took me here, something. At least now I know what's been eating you." Cathair coughed, and shifted his gaze to his paws.
"I'm sorry." Baylor thought in silence for a moment, "would you, when its safe, like to meet them?" Cathair continued to stare at his paws, unmoving and silent.
"Tell me about them," he eventually wheezed.
"Well, you already know Maple, kind of. You will love her, she is amazing." His eyes shone with adoration, " Ace is the oldest, a tom. He takes after my build but Snipe's appearance; he is remarkably well at fighting. Sorta like how viper was. Soot is the second oldest and she takes more after me. She has stunning eyes, one a soft blue and the other a piercing green, it suits her. Then there's Snake, who is the smallest and at first we weren't sure if she'd make it but she's a fighter. She takes more after Maple and she is so very clever and adventuress. She was terrible at fighting and hunting starting out, but like me she is turning out as one of the best I think. She's the one who found Nook, funny story." Fondness etched his tone as he went through the list. Nook lifted his head up and gave an awkward smile.
"How old are they?" Cathair raised his head up weakly with a faint scowl on his face. However, his eyes betrayed him revealing the joy he mustered.
"Eight moons in two sunrises," Baylor boasted proudly. Cathair nodded and fell into another coughing fit. Nook padded over, his tail raised commandingly.
"You can talk later when you aren't heaving after every other word." Cathair parted his lips to make a remark but Nook cut off him, "I don't want to hear it. Keep this up and you won't get any better so lay your pelt down and get some rest. We will travel to the barn as soon as you improve." Baylor stared in aghast at the tom, and tensed up preparing for his father's response which he knew, from experience, would not be pleasant. However, Cathair nodded his head in defeat and curled up on the forest floor, staring at Nook with minor annoyance. Baylor's jaw dropped in shock.
"I'm going to collect my other herbs, if they hadn't froze yet, and tell Maple and the kits. Stay here and watch him, I mean seriously watch him. If he is wheezing massage his chest to help open the airways. I'll come back with mint and marigold to help, don't touch the lungwort. You grabbed almost my whole stock and I need it to last." Nook flicked his tail and disappeared into the tall grass, leaving father and son. He padded swiftly back out to his herb pile, which was pitiful and only consisted of juniper berries and shriveled up horsetail. He collected it in his jaws and rolled some moss under his chin, then set off to the barn.
"Nook!" Snake trotted out of the barn to meet him, and briefly touched her nose to his in greeting. "I thought we we're supposed to train today, where were you?" He muffled an inaudible response through the herbs. "I mean you were obviously out collecting herbs but for being out all day that isn't very much. Are we training tomorrow?" Nook sighed, a faint smile traced on his lips.
"There you are, I was starting to worry." Maple leapt down from a hay bale and padded over to her friend, taking the moss from his chin. "About time you got new moss for your nest, I don't know how you can sleep on such a mess." She dropped the bundle by his wheelbarrow.
He padded over to his store of herbs, which was located behind his wheelbarrow in the corner of the barn, sheltered by an old shelf. He placed his herbs in their correct spots.
"Hey Nook can you help me with the thing where I run under a cat and scratch its stomach?" Soot bounded up to him, smiling politely.
"Get mom to help you, he's supposed to work with me," Snake shoved her sister out of the way.
"He always works with you, It's about time he works with me" She stuck her chin up indignantly and flicked her tail across Snake's face. Snake growled, burying the urge to sink her teeth into the it.
"He is supposed to work with me, Soot. You know that." Snake sent her sister an annoyed scowl.
"What makes you so special?" Soot bared her teeth at her sister, clearly agitated. "I know you were born a pathetic kit who could barely suckle, but that's no excuse for leaving Ace and I to scramble after you in a stupid pine tree because we haven't received a whisker of training for it while you've just about perfected it." Her pelt bristled, and her tail lashed madly on the ground. Snake bit back a retort, hurt stinging in her chest. Being born weak was the reason she worked so hard, it wasn't her fault that her siblings couldn't keep up.
"I worked to get here, you were offered to go on a run two sunrises ago but you turned it down because it was cold. There is a reason I can scale a pine tree, and I couldn't count all the wrenched claws I got out of it. Before you accuse me of anything look to your own actions." Snake hissed at Soot, how dare she.
Soot growled at Snake and whipped around, stalking off to the entrance way. She shoved Ace out of the way, leaving him confused and dazed. He flashed Snake an addled look, but switched it to Nook seeing that she was fuming, her claws digging into the barn floor. Nook nudged his head towards the entranceway Soot stormed out of, and Ace nodded briskly before padding out after her.
"I wish we could tell her," Snake muttered to Nook. Nook sighed knowingly.
"You know we can't. StarClan doesn't just walk in a cat's dream for them to let every cat know."
"I know, but what do you think it meant… You know, the dream?" She sat on her haunches, clearly troubled by the dream that had plagued her the past few sunrises. It was always the same, she would be running through the moor, following closely after a starry cat she couldn't identify. The cat would lead her into the woods, consumed by a dark fog. Snake would then lose sight of the cat, and when she thought she spotted the StarClan warrior she'd run to him just to find a brick red tom, its face hidden by a shadow. As the tom loomed over her, the scent of death choked her. As this was happening, the words be prepared, train, would ring throughout her head. Right before she woke, Snake would always smell an unrecognizable but comforting scent before the morning pulled her out of her slumber.
"I'm not sure, but we must heed StarClan's warning… You need to be ready for whatever is coming."
"What's coming?" Maple called down from the loft, her head peeking over the edge.
"Oh, Baylor is bringing Cathair when he is able to meet everyone." Nook blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.
"Wait, Baylor's Father?" When Nook nodded a confirmation, Maple stiffened.
"This place is a wreck" She twisted around, taking in the tufts of moss and hay that was strewn across the floor. "He can't see this place, when is he coming?"
"Not for at least half a moon, he has yellowcough." A sad expression swept across Maple's face, and she nodded.
"I will get started on fixing this place up, for when he comes. Snake," she waited as her kits ears perked up, listening attentively, "I need you and your siblings to help out so don't try and go on one of your little sessions or whatever it is that you do. At least until this place is looking nice." The shecat nodded, and inwardly sighed. I need to be training.
"I'll go get Ace and Soot, stay here and help Maple. But you know, I should work with them some more… just to be safe." Nook meowed lightly, just loud enough for Snake to catch. She looked at her paws, be prepared, be prepared, be prepared. She didn't have time to clean. By the time she turned her head to voice her opinion, Nook had disappeared.
"What is it you do?" Maple questioned her kit as she balled up some moss pieces.
"Oh, just basic training." Snake padded over to her mother, and started collecting some of the debris alongside her.
"You mean the stuff your father taught you?"
"Something like that," Maple scanned over Snake, then climbed up the loft to tidy up the nest.
"Snake, I don't know what you guys have been doing, but don't think I haven't noticed how fit you have become." Snake cleared her throat, and shrugged in response, upon sensing Maple's gaze.
"I guess it could only do you good, but you better not be doing anything dangerous. The only reason I have been batting an eye is because I trust Nook." Snake thought back to when Nook first took her to the gorge, a lengthy run from the moor, to sharpen her swimming skills. She nearly drowned, saved by a log she managed to grab onto. This was only one of thefew times her and her siblings have risked their lives, under Nook's instruction. But it paid off, as much as she detested doing have the exercises he made her do. I will be ready, she told herself.