The wind buffeted against Shimmerwing's fluffy face as she studied the rising sun near the horizon. Her eyes stung as the wind started to whip at her, and she turned around to meet Shellfall's gaze, coughing. "We should head back now."
Shellfall wrinkled his nose. "I smell something," he said.
"You do?" Shimmerwing tilted her head, doubting him. But the widening of Shellfall's eyes made Shimmerwing realize that he was not lying. Shimmerwing tasted the air, trying to figure out what had turned Shellfall's mood around in a moment. A foul, repugnant scent made her recoil in disgust. She recalled this scent – it was paired with the sound of incessant barking, saliva spilling from massive teeth. Dog! "It's a dog!"
"It's coming from WindClan territory, though," Shellfall pointed out, a frown on his broad gray face.
Shimmerwing pondered the situation at hand. If the dog was in their territory, then it wasn't their responsibility. WindClan warriors could fight it themselves. Ready to tell Shellfall her decision, she opened her mouth to speak when an ear-splitting screech cut through the air.
"Help! Help! Dog attack!" cried the voice, charged with terror. It's a cat! A cat was being attacked by the dog. At that moment, Shimmerwing turned on her paws and pelted towards the direction of the shrieking cries. Shellfall was on her heels in a second, keeping pace with her as Shimmerwing tracked the scent.
Shimmerwing climbed the top of the moor. At the slope below, a ginger-and-white tabby she-cat was battling with the dog desperately. The warrior darted to one side, but the dog was having none of it. The dog grabbed her lithe body in its jaws, swinging her from the side.
"Come, Shellfall!" Shimmerwing howled to the gray dappled tom. "We must end this beast's rampage!"
Shellfall gave her a sharp nod and launched himself towards the dog. Shimmerwing followed him, leaping on the dog's back, and clawing down its spine with her thorn sharp claws. The dog yelped in surprise, letting go of the ginger-and-white tabby. When the she-cat hit the ground, Shimmerwing recognized this cat as Hawkpaw, the cat who had thanked her after RiverClan gave WindClan shelter from the fire. She was Hawkfire now, her name announced at a recent Gathering.
"Shellfall, Shimmerwing?" Hawkfire's voice was shrill with surprise. "What are you two doing here?"
"Saving your life!" Shimmerwing growled, ripping her claws viciously at the dog's chest as it turned around. Shellfall leaped from behind of the dog and sank his teeth into its hind legs, bringing it collapsing to the ground. Blood poured on the ground, the crimson intense among the pale colored moorland. Shimmerwing could feel the hot breath of the dog as it turned to attack her throat, but Shellfall was on it in an instant, preventing it from getting any further to the deputy.
"Shimmerwing, now!" Shellfall exclaimed.
"Right!" Shimmerwing shot up, clutching the dog's throat firmly in her throat. Her teeth sank into its flesh, and the bitter taste of the blood made her nearly retch. When the dog began to whine in her grip, Shimmerwing let go. The dog fell back, looking at the cats with terror in its eyes. You were the predator, now you're the prey. The black-furred canine took off towards the horizon, blood streaming down its fur and creating a path behind it. Somehow, Shimmerwing doubted it would survive the journey back home.
Shimmerwing turned to look at Hawkfire, who was frozen in spot, having just watched the entire scene unfold in silence. "You're welcome," the tawny deputy meowed at her.
"I…" Hawkfire cleared her throat. "Thank you! That was amazing!"
Shellfall licked a spot of blood on his chest. "How'd you get so close to that dog, anyway?" he asked.
"I was searching for Russetstripe," Hawkfire explained. "And the dog just… followed me. It was on me in seconds. I had no time to get away. But… thank you, so much! You two saved my life." The young WindClan warrior's eyes were bright with relief and gratitude.
"Don't mention it," Shimmerwing said.
"I won't tell anyone you were on our territory," Hawkfire told her. "I promise."
Shimmerwing turned on her heel, ready to go. Shellfall was at her side, and when the two took their first steps away from Hawkfire, the young cat called out. "Shimmerwing! Shellfall!"
The RiverClan deputy turned over to stare at the she-cat. "What?" she asked.
Shellfall frowned at her.
"How are you two so brave?" Hawkfire asked. "Where do you find the courage?"
Shimmerwing licked a tuft of fur at her side. What an odd question. "Why do you want to know?" she asked, a twinge of uneasiness to her voice.
Hawkfire pressed her lips together. Shimmerwing could tell she didn't want to reveal too much. Had she learned now, that RiverClan was their enemy? Does she feel comfortable telling us? "My father doesn't believe in me. I don't think he sees my future like I do."
Shellfall met Hawkfire's gaze, lifting his chest. The morning sun caught the outline of his gray dappled pelt, and in that moment, Shimmerwing knew that if she were anyone else, she would've never been able to tell that this cat was not Clanborn. He was a warrior, right down to the bone. "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all. You will lose precious time by wishing to impress your father." Emotion glimmered in Shellfall's eyes, and Shimmerwing recalled back to his confession in her, about his deceased father and abusive stepfather.
"Yes," Shimmerwing meowed, padding towards her. Scorchstar, the hot-headed WindClan leader. I still don't know if he takes after his father. She had never met her real father, who had died before she was born, and had been a prime example of what war had done to cats. "Courage comes from deep within. Surround yourself with your family and your Clanmates, who support you and love you fiercely, no matter what you've done, and you will be willing to do anything for them. Even give your own life." Shimmerwing's words were hard with determination, and she believed in them firmly.
Hawkfire looked down at her paws. "But I'm scared," she confessed, her voice small. "I'm scared to face my father, to tell him what I really think. To face my Clanmates, knowing that I'm different from the rest of them. What if I'm not the warrior they need?"
Shimmerwing flicked her tail. "Warriors are not always the strongest or the bravest cats. Warriors are those who choose to stand between their enemy and all that they love or hold sacred."
Hawkfire's eyes focused on Shimmerwing, taking in every single word she was saying. Shellfall nodded in slow agreement. Finally, Hawkfire lowered her head. "Thank you, both. You've given me a lot to think about." She turned and bounded away into the moorland. When she was gone, Shimmerwing turned to Shellfall.
"Let's go," Shimmerwing meowed. "If Dapplestar finds out we're in WindClan territory, she'll take both of our heads."
Shellfall's whiskers twitched in agreement. "I agree. Shimmerwing, where do you think you'll be when you die?"
Shimmerwing gazed at Shellfall. What an odd question. "When it is my time for my life to come to an end, so it shall be at Dapplestar's side," she meowed sincerely. "But it will not be until we finish our conquest for peace."
A broad grin spread across Shellfall's face. "I should've expected nothing less. I know that with you and Dapplestar working together, you'll bring peace to the Clans."
An old memory flashed in Shimmerwing's mind.
"Shimmerwing… don't let her out of your sight. With Dapplestar on your side… maybe you can do it. You can create a great land."
It had been the old, the ferocious Viper of WindClan, Swiftstar. The cat who had been known for bloodlust, for killing who he had, unapproachable and merciless, complimenting Dapplestar. Swiftstar had spent his time fighting in a war-torn world, and he thought Dapplestar could unify it. A cat like him giving her a compliment and saying I should stay with her.
Shimmerwing nodded to Shellfall. "Do you miss home, Shellfall?" she asked, wondering how the tom felt about his old life as a rogue.
Shellfall froze for a second. Then, he shook his head. "No," he replied. "Not at all. I am so glad I live in RiverClan. I have a leader that I would serve to my last breath, and the very best of friends. It does pain me that we have enemies. I look forward to the day where we don't have to worry about fighting anymore."
"Yes, that Hawkfire seemed like a nice cat," Shimmerwing meowed. "I remember how she thanked me when we gave her Clan shelter. Scorchstar looked like he was going to kill her. I always wanted her to be a good warrior. It pleases me that we haven't been at war with WindClan since we gave them shelter from the fire."
"It may not last, though," Shellfall warned grimly. "If Dapplestar wants them to obey her, she'll have to attack them."
"I know." Shimmerwing shut her eyes. She didn't like violence. She preferred peace. But she knew that, to protect lives, you had to kill. It would be a necessary evil. And when they obey us, I'll be able to watch Hawkfire more. "Come, Shellfall. Let's go home. We'll check on Sunkit and Moonkit."
"Okay!" Shellfall instantly brightened up at the mention of the two kits, and Shimmerwing purred lowly. Every cat in the Clan had been getting attached to the two kits. Now that they were able to speak and walk, they had been capturing the hearts of all the warriors. Perhaps some of it was sympathy due to their uprisings, but they were lovable all the same.
Shellfall and Shimmerwing arrived at RiverClan camp, and sure enough, the first to greet them were Moonkit and Sunkit. Sunkit bounced up and down on her tiny white paws, her wide green eyes glowing as she pranced around Shimmerwing's paws. Moonkit launched himself on Shellfall's tail, his black fur contrast to the white snow around him.
"I missed both of you!" Sunkit cried out. "Shellfall, you promised to teach me how to hunt minnows this morning!"
"Did I?" Shellfall asked the gold-and-white she-kit, twitching his whiskers in amusement. "I must've forgotten. Sorry, Sunkit. I'll teach you later, all right? It's only sunhigh."
"How am I supposed to feed the Clan?" Sunkit whined.
"Oh, gods, Rippleheart has gotten to you already, hasn't he?" Shimmerwing slammed her paw against her face.
"Yes!" Moonkit meowed, his stubby black tail lashing in excitement. "He was going on about how it was important to feed the Clan, to fight for the Clan, to serve your Clanmates!"
"And you didn't fall asleep?" Shimmerwing asked.
Sunkit looked at her paws guiltily.
"Someone did," Moonkit meowed, flashing a glance at his sister. "It's okay, though!" The black kit swiped snow at his sister. "You were really tired, Sunkit."
"Because I was waiting for Shellfall!" Sunkit bounded over to Shellfall, who tousled her fur with a big gray paw. Then the gray tom picked her up and laid her on his shoulders.
"You want to fish?" Shellfall asked. "Fine, I'll show you how to fish." With Sunkit's tiny claws sinking in his fur, Shellfall bounded away towards the stream of the camp.
Moonkit looked up excitedly at Shimmerwing. "Will you teach me some battle moves?" he pleaded.
"Battle moves?" Shimmerwing echoed. "Oh, no! You're too young for that." Guilt rode through her as she saw the crestfallen look on the kit's face, and she leaned forward, nuzzling his cheek with her muzzle. "But I'll teach you the hunter's crouch."
"Oh, yes, please!" Moonkit shot up in joy. "But wait, don't we fish?"
"Yes, we do. But there are also times we need to catch land prey. Look." Shimmerwing pointed with her tail to the fresh-kill pile, beckoning to the mice and voles making up most of it. "See how much land prey is on there? It's because the rivers are frozen. Minnows are the best thing we can get in leaf-bare."
Moonkit nodded, his blue eyes hard as he took in what Shimmerwing was saying. He'll make a great warrior, Shimmerwing thought to herself. The black kit dropped in a crouch, waving his tail, his ears pricked. Shimmerwing used her paw to level his shoulders and push his head down, so it was level with the rest of his body.
"Keep your head down," Shimmerwing meowed. "Tuck your tail closer to you. You want to make yourself look as inconspicuous as possible, so the mouse or vole doesn't see you. And you want to stay downwind of your prey. That way, your scent won't carry towards your prey."
Moonkit looked around. "But I'm upwind," he meowed.
"Well, yeah." Shimmerwing purred lowly in her chest. "We're just practicing."
"Okay!" Moonkit's blue eyes sparkled. "I'm going to be the best hunter in RiverClan, just you wait and see!"
"I don't have any doubts," Shimmerwing meowed, sitting back on her haunches, and watching as Moonkit prowled forward. "Lift your belly up a little bit, so your fur doesn't brush against the ground and alert your prey."
Moonkit nodded, lifting his body up from the ground and continuing to crawl forward. He shook his haunches and leaped, landing on a mound of snow. "Look!" he exclaimed. "I caught it!"
"Yes, you did, little one." Shimmerwing smiled at Moonkit. "Well done."
"Oh, look!" Moonkit's eyes trained on the entrance of camp, and Shimmerwing spotted the large tortoiseshell-and-white figure of Dapplestar. "Dapplestar is back!" The black tomkit dropped into a hunting stance.
Shimmerwing winced. She wasn't sure how Dapplestar would react to an ambush of kits. "Yes, Moonkit, but maybe you should—" Her words were cut off as Moonkit flashed away from her and leaped onto Dapplestar. Out of the corner of Shimmerwing's eye, she could see Sunkit darting across camp, heading towards their leader. The kits landed on Dapplestar, and Dapplestar grunted, hitting the ground.
The tawny-furred deputy stepped forward, ready to intervene. They didn't really hurt her, did they? Shimmerwing could catch the glinting of mirth in Dapplestar's eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. She did it on purpose. Dapplestar batted the two kits away playfully, and Shimmerwing was touched by the gentleness in her eyes. She had never seen such a soft side to the leader.
"Surrender!" Moonkit yowled, chasing Dapplestar's tail.
"And what will you do with me if I don't?" Dapplestar inquired.
"Well, we'll make you!" Sunkit ran circles around Dapplestar before leaping on her back.
"Is that so?" Dapplestar reared up, but Sunkit held on tightly, her tiny claws sinking into Dapplestar's thick fur. Shimmerwing purred in amusement at the Clan leader playing with kits. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Sharpfang watching their interaction, scowling. She narrowed her eyes at the dark gray tabby. There had been something off about him in the past few moons. When Shimmerwing interacted with him, he stared at her with a certain coldness that rivaled all the other expressions he gave her, and it made Shimmerwing uneasy to her core. And there's something else…
"Now, now," Shellfall padded over, chiding the kits. "Don't attack Dapplestar."
"Oh, I don't mind," Dapplestar told Shellfall, with Sunkit sliding off her back and plopping on the ground. "I'll be damned… these kits sure are brave to challenge me, huh."
"They will make good warriors," Shellfall agreed, his blue eyes glowing.
Dapplestar glanced over at Shellfall, sniffing him. "Why do you smell of WindClan?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Shimmerwing stiffened, wondering how Shellfall would react.
"I was patrolling the WindClan border," Shellfall told her. "Some scents were a bit fresh, so I went to investigate. Some of it must've gotten on me." What a lie. But it came out from an honorable albeit shrewd cat. I'm glad he didn't tell her about Hawkfire. Dapplestar would've had both of our tails for sure.
"Mm." Dapplestar turned her nose up. "Then make sure they're not still there by the evening."
"Yes, Dapplestar," Shellfall meowed, lowering his head.
Shimmerwing thought back to Hawkfire. They had saved the ginger-and-white tabby, and she had been ever thankful. She felt sick knowing she would have to battle her, and when she looked at the two excited kits, she wondered when they would see their first battle. She didn't want to imagine Sunkit or Moonkit ever getting hurt, but it was a harsh reality of the world they lived in – to live, they had to fight.
She had faith that Dapplestar would change the world they lived in, but when would it be? And what would it cost?