Okay, after much hard work, I give you chapter 3 of Silverfang.
Thanks to all of my reviewers. This is dedicated to all of you.
Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, but I do own Comet, and I think she rocks!
On to the Chappie!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Who are you?!" Squirrelflight snarled at the creature behind the bracken. Every instinct in her body yowled at her to run, but something, -maybe the will of Starclan, - held her in place.
A rasping noise came from behind the bush, accompanied by a series of thumps. Wait a minute, Squirrelflight realized, the creature is laughing at me!
The voice, -Squirrelflight recognized it as female, - said, "My name is Comet, but what I am is probably more important. Come; let me see you clearly, as you can then see me. I'm afraid my strength for walking has left me, not that I couldn't call on more if need be."
Slowly and cautiously, Squirrelflight peered around the clump of bracken, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Come on, I wont bite, much"
Silvery-blue eyes met her own, holding many emotions; pain, anger, curiosity, and amusement. Comet was on her side, her forepaws out in front of her, her elegant head raised proudly. Her fur, a silvery sheen, was soaked with blood, almost covering the thick black under fur. The dogs paws were large, almost as big as Squirrelflight's head, displayed thick, sharp black claws that were different than the thick black retractable cat claws that the she-cat was used to.
Her fur was 3 times as thick as her own, and was bushy with the mix of silver and black. Muscle was almost hidden beneath the long, shaggy coat, but definitely there. The dog's ears were cocked, alert for any movement. Her snout was long, with a wet black nose at the end, drawing in air with a twitch of nostrils. Silver muzzle led to black, then back to silver around the ears. Pulling her lips back into a smile, Squirrelflight shivered at the size of her fangs. Long and sharp, they could easily tear apart a warrior, almost like a vat with a mouse, except this time the cat was the prey.
"I take it you've never seen a dog before?" Comet looked smug.
Jolting out of her revere, Squirrelflight replied, "No, I've seen loads of dogs before. Just usually..." Se trailed off, not wanting to anger her, especially after seeing the size of her fangs.
Almost as if she knew it would unsettle her even more, Comet smiled even wider. "Just usually...what?" She probed.
Taking a deep breath, Squirrelflight finished. "Just usually they seem like blood-thirst beasts who just want to tear us apart limb from limb."
Instead of the angry outburst Squirrelflight had expected, Comet laughed, her powerful tail thumping in union.
"Have you ever thought about what you might look like to a rabbit or a mouse?" Laughing again, she added, "Males usually are more territorial, letting their pride govern their sense, making them dangerous and hotheaded."(A/N: Sorry for all guys who are reading this. It applies ONLY to the dogs in this story.)
She sighed, as if she was reliving a memory. "But not my pup." Looking lovingly at the ground by her belly, Squirrelflight realized that there was a kit, -no, a pup,- suckling at the dog's side.
"Kind of ironic, isn't it?" Comet whispered, her eyes on her only son. "The strong make it, while the weak die, for it is nature's way, and yet here my runt is the only one to survive." Looking up, the cat could see the pain in her eyes, and her heart went out to her.
Hoping to distract the dog from her pain, Squirrelflight asked tentively, "Have you always been able to talk to cats?"
Calm, silvery-blue eyes blazed, and her mouth opened into a snarl that sent tremors wracking through the she-cats body. "No," she replied icily.
Crouching low to the ground, Squirrelflight prepared to flee, when Comet's eyes melted back into silver pools.
Sighing, Comet pointed with her nose to a spot on the ground. "Sit," she growled, "And I will tell you why."
In the back of her mind she knew she should be getting back to camp, somebody must've noticed her disappearance, but instead she settled into a comfortable position.
Closing her eyes, Comet drew in a deep breath. Minutes passed by, and Squirrelflight thought that maybe she had fallen asleep. Then, after what seemed like several seasons, Comet spoke, her eyes still closed.
"Almost two seasons ago, my mate, Darkdeath, followed a leader who was cunning and fierce, but had not one ounce of common sense. After escaping the two-legs that imprisoned them, Brockensoul, the leader, led them into the forest. They could've easily survived there, if not for the fact that Brockensoul soon started to accept prey from a cat."
Taking a deep breath, Comet continued, appearing to not notice her audience had gasped, understanding slowly creeping through her bones. "Darkdeath thought that treachery, the lowest of the low, so he left the pack, on the same day fate happened to have Brockensoul outsmarted by your kin."
Looking into the dog's eyes, Squirrelflight knew Comet didn't really know how true those words were.
"The pack broke apart after that, well, those who survived. Most started to fight among themselves, but luckily, Darkdeath was long gone by then.
"He traveled for many moons, finally arriving in a land not far from here, where I met him. I didn't live with two-legs, but in the forest near them, and we soon became mates. Two moons after I had told him I was expecting his pups, he died, shot by a two-leg that was trying to capture him. I saw the whole thing in the bushes near by, Darkdeath ad tried to protect me, but two-legs never play fair. They would drive you from your home without a second thought, that is, if they can actually think." She laughed humorlessly.
"I know exactly what you mean," Squirrelflight whispered sadly. Comet perked her ears.
"Oh, really?"
"They drove us from our old home, using their monsters to tear apart trees that had been there since our ancestor's ancestors."
Comets eyes softened, and she nuzzled Squirrelflight comfortingly. Surprisingly, she liked it, and wasn't repulsed by it. She felt like she had created a bond with this creature, and would do anything to help her.
"Go on, what happened next?"
Comet nodded, then continued, "Mad with grief," she whispered, "I traveled across the moors that lay beyond this territory. There I met a badger." Anger and hate blazed through her eyes. "I didn't attack it, I was too weak with. But then it spoke, and what it told me I will never forget, not that I have much longer to remember anyway."
Guessing who the badger was, Squirrelflight didn't quite acknowledge what Comet meant. "Was her name Midnight?" She whispered, a little surprised and scared by the emotions in Comet's eyes.
Swinging her head around to face Squirrelflight, she growled menacingly, "Do you know of that beast?!"
Cowering, the she-cat replied shakily, "Yes."
Her eyes red, Comet snarled, "Then the next time you see her, tell her that I hate her! How dare she tell me Darkdeath had to die because some prophesy must be completed! How dare she tell me of my own death, and of the death of my other 3 pups! How dare she tell me that it was for the best that my pup should grow without knowing his own mother, and be taught ways that no other dog has ever and should ever know." Then, whispering so quietly Squirrelflight didn't know if she was meant to hear, she finished. "How dare she."
Sinking her head unto her paws, the pride creature Squirrelflight had just learned to appreciate vanished, leaving a poor and dejected dog, beaten and broken by the turmoil inside her.
"But then," she continued. "Give her my thanks. Even without her, I wouldn't have made it anyway, but this way I can expect it and hand over my pup without remorse." She bent over and gave her son a few tender licks, putting all her love and compassion into that simple gesture, then picked him up by the scruff of his neck and placed him right in front of the cat. Whimpering, she whispered, "Thank you, Squirrelflight. Thank you for not fleeing, but listening to an old dog's story. Thank you for understanding when any other creature would've fled. In short, thanks for not acting like a cat." Smiling sadly, she laid her head on her paws, looking peaceful at last.
Padding up to her, Squirrelflight licked the top of her new friends head, the pushed her head into Comet's bloody fur. The dog wagged her tail feebly, then closed her eyes and let out a content sigh.
"Go," she said suddenly. "Hurry, I smell another cat coming. Oh, and Squirrelflight, I still want you to tell Midnight what I said. I'll be watching you, and my pup."
Nodding, Squirrelflight picked up the pup, the padded out from behind the bracken. Wow, this thing weighs a ton. Lifting her head as high as possible to not have the pup drag on the ground, she started padding towards camp.
Hearing the cat before seeing him, she wasn't surprised when she saw Brambleclaw emerge from the bushes.
"Squirrelflight!" he chocked out. "You're alive!"
Dropping the bundle of fur, she answered, "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" He clearly hadn't remembered that they were fighting right now.
"Well," he seemed puzzled, and hadn't realized the puppy at Squirrelflight's paws. "I smelled dog," he spat the word. "And blood mingled with cat scent, plus Leafpool told me back at camp she felt fear coming from you." He looked at her quizzically. "Are you sure you're all right?"
"Since when do you care?" She didn't want to remind him of their fight, but she was curious at his change of heart.
Looking down at his paws, he answered quietly. "I don't know what I would do if you had died."
Warmth spread through her body, starting from the tips of her paws to the end of her tail, but she wasn't forgiving him so easily.
"And what about Hawkfrost?" she reminded him sharply, a little more sharp than she intended.
Opening his mouth to answer, Comet's voice sounded from behind the bracken a few tail-lengths away. "Oh, you stupid furball, forgive him already."
Blushing, she replied, "Nobody asked you." She heard her chuckle, and smiled despite herself.
"Who's that?" Brambleclaw asked, sounding relieved. Then he blinked, finally realizing the bundle of fur on her paws.
"What's that?!" He said, astounded and angry.
"Comet's pup." She answered calmly.
"Pup? Comet?" He asked, confused.
Rolling her eyes, she beckoned with her tail. "Follow me." She picked up the pup, the padded back to her dog-friend.
As soon as he peered around the bracken, he hissed and spat, snarling at the dog before him.
"A dog?!," He cried. "In our territory?! Come, let's drive him out." He sheathed and unsheathed his claws.
"She." Comet growled sharply. Brambleclaw blinked, surprised that he could understand him. "And I'm technically not in your territory. It ends over there." She pointed with her nose towards a dead tree on its side.
"Comet is my friend," Squirrelflight said with a tone that settled the matter. Walking over to the dog, she settled next to her. "She's met Midnight."
"Not that you'll have much longer to wait before I'm gone anyway." Squirrelflight noticed her friend's voice was getting weaker.
Nosing Squirrelflight to her paws, she said, "Go, it'll be dark soon, and I don't want my pup hurt at my expense." Raising her head proudly one last time, she looked Brambleclaw straight in the eye and said menacingly, "Look at everything through everybody's eyes, and don't be blinded by pride."
Brambleclaw blinked, acknowledging her words, but still gazed untrustingly at the dying dog.
"Come on," he said roughly, picking up the pup, but wrinkling his nose as if he smelled something unpleasant.
Gazing back at the dog, Squirrelflight twitched her whiskers in farewell, her eyes betraying the sadness she felt at leaving the dog behind. Comet nodded in reply, then closed her eyes for the last time, she sank tiredly to the ground.
Her head low to the ground, she followed Brambleclaw blindly, trusting him to lead the way.
After a minute or so padding in silence, Brambleclaw dropped the pup to the ground, the turned at pushed his face comfortingly against her side. She purred weakly in response, then picked up the pup, raised her head proudly, and continued on. Brambleclaw followed quietly, not asking questions nor challenging her judgment.
Nearing camp, she set the pup down, groomed it quickly, then, taking a deep breath, picked him back up and padded confidently towards the entrance, Brambleclaw following a bit more slowly.
Right before entering the hollow, she realized that Comet had said her name, and yet; I never told her it.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Wow, that took me forever…..well, not really, but I wrote it once, then stopped half way, cuz I didn't like. So, after re-doing it, it finally seems acceptable.
Once again, wow! 9 pages a record.
Okay, for everybody who wants to know what breed of dog Comet is, she's called a Shiloh Shepherd, and my absolute favorite dog eva! If you want, you can go to press images, and then type in Shiloh Shepherd to get an idea of what Comet and her pup look like.
Well, that's about it.
Until next chappie!
BlindSeer.