Chapter 2: Windfeather
A/N: The deputy of BreezeClan is named Shadestorm. I did not take winterthaw of thunderclan's cat Shadestorm from The Elementals: Night's Shadow, and I do not believe she took mine. Enjoy.
Windfeather sprayed a gorse bush with a smirk of satisfaction. Take that, LightningClan! The mouse-eating rabbit-hearts had been hunting in BreezeClan territory for the second time in two sunrises. Last time they killed a rabbit. Windfeather had been in the patrol that chased them off, but he had tried to hang back. One of the cats had been a light brown tabby she-cat, and Windfeather had deliberately avoided chasing her. Her blue eyes had stared at him when she went deeper into her own territory. They had showed the same regret that Windfeather had. I wish she was in BreezeClan.
"Windfeather! Are you going to stare across the border all day?"
Windfeather blinked to hide his surprise. "I'm coming, Swiftclaw."
The black-and-brown tom was standing near a heather bush, tail-tip twitching. "Honestly! Does it take you that long to set a border marking?"
Windfeather stifled a sigh. The older warrior was known for his bossiness. Some cats said he wanted to be deputy.
Specklefall swished her furry tail through the air. "I saw Mothstar on a border patrol today."
Windfeather pricked his ears. "Oh, really?"
Specklefall nodded. "Shadestorm was on a hunting patrol, and I came along. He asked her about hunting in BreezeClan territory. Her warriors were fixing to fight ours, but she seemed reluctant to fight. She actually apologized and said it wouldn't happen again, at least while she was leader."
"Which one, the prey-stealing or the upset warriors?"
"That's what Shadestorm asked," Specklefall replied with a faint smile. "Mothstar actually purred back that upset warriors were hard to not have."
"'Hard to not have'?" Windfeather's ear twitched. "LightningClan's leader actually said that?"
Specklefall inclined her head. "She seemed so scatterbrained. I wonder what's wrong."
"You two!"
Specklefall started, and Windfeather turned his head. Swiftclaw was with the rest of the patrol a few tail-lengths away.
"Come on! We're waiting for you!"
Specklefall rolled her eyes at Windfeather, and the two cats rejoined the patrol.
..._...
Windfeather took a bite of his rabbit. It was young and tender, but Windfeather wasn't thinking of its flavor. His mind was whirling. Tonight's the night of the half moon. Hillpelt and Sagepaw will be going to the Moonriver. I hope it's safe. Have the rats really left?
"Windfeather?"
Windfeather looked up at Specklefall's mew. The she-cat had a small rabbit in her jaws.
"May I sit by you?"
Windfeather nodded, and the she-cat seated herself and ate ravenously.
"You're acting like you haven't eaten for moons," Windfeather noted.
"It sure feels that way," Specklefall replied with her mouth full. "The queens are so hungry, I don't get to eat enough!"
"You do know we only have two queens," Windfeather reminded her.
Specklefall looked up at him suddenly, her eyes soft. "With your help, I'd like to make it three."
She loves me! Windfeather's breath caught in his throat. Specklefall had padded after another tom when they were apprentices, but Skyfang had been mauled by a dog shortly after his warrior ceremony. Hillpelt hadn't been able to save him. A lump formed in Windfeather's throat as he remembered his dead brother.
"Skyfang isn't here anymore," Specklefall continued, "and you were next in line."
"Is that it?" Windfeather demanded, harsher than he would have liked. "Was I just second best?" He immediately regretted his words as a look of pain passed across Specklefall's speckled face.
"You were never second best," Specklefall mewed softly. "You're the best now. I'd like to be mates, Windfeather."
Windfeather and Specklefall...mates? Windfeather turned the idea over in his head. The longhaired she-cat was attractive, true, and Windfeather had been jealous of Skyfang. But that pale tabby in LightningClan...
Windfeather shook his head firmly to rid the she-cat from his thoughts and extracted a shocked gasp from Specklefall.
"No, no, no," he told her hurriedly. "I wasn't refusing, I was just...thinking about something else. I haven't accepted your proposal quite yet, but I haven't refused, either."
Specklefall touched her plumy tail to Windfeather's cheek. "Remember, a she-cat in your own Clan is preferred over one in another Clan." Windfeather opened his mouth to protest, but Specklefall swept her tail across his mouth before returning to her rabbit.
-...-
Windfeather couldn't sleep.
Specklefall was a few cats over, her chest rising and falling evenly. Haretooth snored slightly, while Beeflight twitched as if dreaming.
He couldn't get the LightningClan she-cat out of his head. He knew that the LightningClan deputy was her brother, but other than that, he only knew what she looked like and the scent of hazel and maple sap that seemed to hang around her. She was beautiful, it was true.
But Specklefall was in his Clan, and she loved him. Abandoning all thoughts of the hazel-scented she-cat, he focused entirely on Specklefall's sleeping form.
Her long fur did not clump or stick up in the wrong direction. It framed her face like kit fur, but lovelier and sleek as an adult cat's. Her eyes were closed, but they were a lovely soft amber when open. Her whiskers swept off of her face and stuck out slightly. Her pale brown fur looked gray in the dark; her darker flecks seemed black.
She was beautiful. She was BreezeClan. And she wanted him, if he would have her.
Do I want her? ...Yes. Yes, I do.
"Specklefall?" Windfeather called softly.
Beeflight stirred. "Huh? What?"
Windfeather growled. "I said Specklefall, not Beeflight, fluff-brain."
"Sorry," Beeflight grumbled. "No need to snap at me."
Specklefall's eyes were glowing expectantly, but Windfeather waited until Beeflight curled back up to speak to the speckled she-cat.
"Yes, Windfeather?"
"Not here. Come with me."
Windfeather, being a young warrior, slept on the outside; Specklefall was older than him, but still young. They met outside the den and headed for the quiet, starlight moors.
"What is it?" Specklefall asked once he had stopped.
"Er...," Windfeather began awkwardly, "remember how you asked to, uh, be mates earlier?"
Specklefall nodded. "I remember."
"Uh..." Windfeather shifted from one paw to the other. "I thought about it, and, uh, I'd like to accept your proposal."
Specklefall's eyes reflected the light of Silverpelt. "You do?"
Windfeather nodded.
Specklefall licked his face tenderly; Windfeather still felt uneasy, but the gesture felt right. He felt her tail twining with his.
A purr rumbled in Specklefall's throat; Windfeather was close enough to feel the vibration. He relaxed against her warmth.
He sighed contendedly. This was meant to be. Skyfang was in StarClan; Specklefall was his.
"Windfeather!"
A hiss sounded from behind him. Windfeather started.
Specklefall's purr died. "Did you hear that, Windfeather?"
Windfeather nodded. "Yes." He recognized the voice. It was Skyfang, his deceased brother. Skyfang was crouching in the shadow of a gorse bush, his pale gray pelt made paler by his transparency. His blue eyes gleamed.
"Windfeather, Specklefall, I've watched you both. Windfeather, you have my permission to be mates with Specklefall, as well as my blessing. However, Windfeather, your destiny is woven with three others, different than any seen before. Be careful to whom your loyalties lie."
Specklefall gasped and disentangled herself from Windfeather. "Do you disapprove of our love, despite your blessing and approval?"
Skyfang narrowed his eyes. "I'd give anything to be with you, Specklefall, but it is not my destiny; I know that now. Despite my age, simply being in StarClan can make anyone wiser, it seems. Windfeather, be careful. I'm glad that a mate is in your destiny; this is a hard challenge to go through alone. But, if you sacrifice the life of yourself or one of the others in the prophecy to save Specklefall, the forest will be destroyed."
"A prophecy?" Windfeather gasped. At the same time, Specklefall exclaimed, "The forest will be destroyed?"
"Goodbye, Windfeather, Specklefall. I will watch over you."
Skyfang vanished in a puff of stardust.
Windfeather stared at the gorse bush, feeling hollow.
Specklefall broke the silence. "Windfeather?"
"Yes?"
She hesitated before continuing. "Whatever is ahead, I will be on your side. I promise."
Windfeather pressed against Specklefall for comfort, but he still felt apprehensive and empty.
What lies ahead?
(_=_)
BreezeClan Allegiances:
Leader: Rowanstar: dark ginger tom
Deputy: Shadestorm: black tom with yellow eyes
Medicine cat: Hillpelt: pale brown tom
Apprentice, Sagepaw: slender dark gray she-cat with dark brown paws and green eyes
Warriors:
Frostpetal: white-and-blue she-cat
Windfeather: pale brown tom with faint tabby stripes, a darker paw, a tail ringed with brown, and pale amber eyes
Beeflight: gold-and-black striped tom
Specklefall: longhaired pale brown she-cat with darker flecks
Swiftclaw: black-and-brown tom
Shimmerhaze: dusky gray she-cat with blue eyes
Antfang: black tom with amber eyes
Haretooth: brown tom with protruding teeth
Moorclaw: pale brown tom with darker paws
Heatherflight: blue tabby she-cat with blue eyes
Runningcloud: dark gray and pale brown patched she-cat
Apprentices:
Oatpaw: creamy brown tom
Flightpaw: light brown she-cat with dark gray tabby stripes
Gorsepaw: wiry dark gray tom with blue eyes
Adderpaw: dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes
Graypaw: gray tabby she-cat
Poppypaw: tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat
Queens:
Echoflight: silvery she-cat, mother to Antfang's kits: Swoopkit, a dark brown tabby she-cat; Wolfkit, a deep gray tom; and Flowerkit, a ginger-and-brown she-cat
Morningdawn: pale tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat
Elders:
Barkpelt: very dark brown tom
Ashsky: gray she-cat
Quailflight: dark brown tom with white flecks and a white muzzle