Were you surprised Mountainkit and Dewkit were not Sanddune's? Wow, me too! Not...
Well, if I would have ended this chapter where I was planning on ending it, it probably would have been like 4,000 words long. Wow.. well I'm still thinking that next chapter is going to be THE BIG ONE. You are going to discover the trigger of the fight and hear all the details. Yes, get pumped. After that I'm thinking only one more epiloguish kind of chapter that will give more reason to the name Acceptance.
Unfortunately, I am leaving for vacation again. I will be writing THE BIG ONE during it, though, so don't fret. I will update as soon as I get back which will be on Sunday. Only a day later than I would normally update (I try to update every four days) and this one's a day earlier so it works!
Meanwhile, please enjoy this chappiedappiedoodah. It's actually very happy! And you get another perspective ooh hoo hoo!
Chapter 8
"Come with us."
Serenity was silent. Tufts of her dark brown fur were ruffled and her hazel eyes were alight with a fury that was quickly fading. It was strange how much a cat could change in such a short time. Not too long ago, she was mysterious rogue that posed an unmistakable threat. Now she seemed as small and helpless as Dewkit had been, with only a fiery sass to defend herself.
But that defense had melted away. "I'm sorry… for-" Serenity murmured. She looked up from the dirt into Sanddune's sympathetic eyes and a bit of frustration immediately returned. "Don't pity me! Don't you even think about pitying me!" she snapped.
Sanddune couldn't help but snort as the sympathy instantly left. He shot Mountainkit an amused look before wiping away all emotions.
Serenity opened her mouth to say something serious, but closed it as her eyes started to sparkle with laughter before she could make a sound. Then it came out: a mix of a purr, a snort, and a chuckle. It combined together in such an odd way that the laughter came harder. And then Sanddune was joining in. And the sight of two once-hostile cats that had been throwing insults at each other now giggling uncontrollably started Mountainkit going too. The dark, cedar forest became alive with the pure, wonderful sound. The tension of past secrets and built-up grief snapped, making the laughter feel like freedom.
"I didn't mean what said!" Serenity managed to squeak between breaths.
"Me neither!" Sanddune exclaimed, causing them to laugh harder.
There was another moment of it before Serenity could speak again. "I had a dream!"
The laughter lost its intensity with the passing time. "What do you mean?" Sanddune asked, letting out a few chuckles before silence slipped in. It wasn't a pressing silence like before, however. It was light and refreshing.
"I had a dream!" Serenity was still giggling but slowly regaining her breath. "That's how I found you!" She released one more "ha" before inhaling deeply.
"What?"
"I had this dream!" Serenity repeated for the third time. "It was… It was him!" She nodded in Mountainkit's direction. "He was…" She grew more serious. "He was… dying… by the waterfall." Mountainkit drew in a sharp breath. "He didn't even say anything. He just looked at me. Just… looked. And I knew." She was looking at him with passion in her eyes. "I knew where that waterfall was. I had to find him. I had to save him."
There was silence between the cats. The cry of a bird echoed through the trees. The wind stirred the cedars' bud-like leaves.
"You did save him."
Serenity looked back at Sanddune.
"StarClan sent you," he whispered. He looked up at the sky and closed his eyes as if praying to them… thanking them. The wind tickled his whiskers. After a moment he opened his eyes, radiating happiness, and looked back at Serenity. He saw her confusion and explained. "StarClan sent you! They gave you that dream. We needed… I needed you. I didn't see a reason to live. StarClan sent you to remind me what living is like. To laugh! Laughing alone is a reason to live!" He sighed a deep, freeing sigh. "You saved him by saving me."
.
The Day of Rainy Night
Juniperpaw's POV
Juniperpaw tore savagely into a vole, clenching her teeth together so hard it hurt. She was twelve moons old. She had accepted the consequences of her actions in attacking an OakClan cat against the orders of her deputy and had done her punishment. After those two unbearable moons, she was finally able to fully train again and she had trained harder than ever. She was ready to become a warrior. She knew it.
But no.
After seeing her mentor lose himself over Fogstar's betrayal and be banished for it, her Clan fall apart under Nettlestar's poor leadership, and the OakClan cat that caused it all live through the attack, Juniperpaw was denied her warrior ceremony.
"You're not ready yet," Autumnleaf, her substitute mentor, had said.
Juniperpaw despised Autumnleaf. He was extremely strict, especially after the attack, and, though everyone seemed to think him the most loyal MapleClan cat, he would never let her talk bad about OakClan. In fact, he defended them against her every insult. What loyal cat would do that? The thing she hated most about Autumnleaf, however, was those very words.
"You're not ready yet," she spat mockingly into the vole, whose fur was now hanging in loose clumps and whose bones were cast around in tiny fragments.
"You okay, Juniperpaw?"
Juniperpaw jumped, her wide green gaze ripped upwards. The cat that had spoken was just a black outline against the white sun. She blinked fiercely, moving her head into their shadow. Now she could see a white head with a distinct brown patch around one eye.
"Oh, Nettlestar," she breathed, "You scared me."
Nettlestar's light green gaze was soft. "Autumnleaf told me he didn't want you to be made a warrior yet." Juniperpaw scowled. "Look, I can understand why he did it. I mean, the attack-"
Nettlestar continued to speak the words Juniperpaw had already heard, causing her dark green gaze to wander around the camp for an escape. A few elders were napping in the warm sunlight. An apprentice was leading an excited group of kits around the clearing. She glanced towards the front of the camp and that was when she saw him. The light brown pelt of her mentor was just disappearing through the soft ivy of the camp entrance. Where was he going? Alone? He was the deputy! He needed to be here in camp, organizing patrols and looking after his Clan!
"Juniperpaw? Juniperpaw! Are you even listening?"
Juniperpaw looked back to Nettlestar distractedly. "Hm?"
"Do you understand?" He enunciated each word, as if he was repeating it.
"Understand? Oh… Oh, yes. Yes, I understand." She glanced back to the camp entrance. "Sorry, I think my patrol just left without me," she said quickly and brushed past her leader.
"Um… okay…" she heard Nettlestar mutter before she was out of the camp and into the woods. Autumnleaf's scent was strong, leading straight from the camp through the sun dappled forest. The dead maple leaves that littered the ground were in crumbled pieces along his trail, as if he had a desperate purpose.
Where is he going?
Juniperpaw took off at a run, not slowing down until she reached the border. The scent changed drastically when she broke free from the undergrowth and she skidded to a stop, nearly slamming directly into Autumnleaf. He was just getting to his paws, his pelt smeared with dung.
"Juniperpaw!" he exclaimed. His moss green eyes were wide with surprise and the unmistakable fear of being found out.
"Autumnleaf! What are you doing?! Why are you covered in that stuff?!" She was more surprised than he was and hadn't yet realized who had the upper hand.
"I… It's not…! I… I need to see them…" Autumnleaf's voice cracked with emotion.
"What? Who?!"
"You can't tell! I need to see if she's alright! I need to! Please!"
"What are you talking about?"
Autumnleaf hung his head, a sob shuddering through his body. "My… My kits!"
Juniperpaw's jaw dropped. Her mind threatened to cave in as thoughts collided with each other. "Your… your kits?" Autumnleaf couldn't find words. "Who?!" Juniperpaw demanded, "Who did you have kits with?"
Autumnleaf closed his eyes, recovering himself. He took a few shaky breaths that sounded deafening. There was one more deep release of breath before he looked up into Juniperpaw's dark green eyes. "Riverbend," he whispered, "My mate is Riverbend."
"Are you kidding me? Why on earth would Sanddune want to help Fogstar to power? Idiots."
Anger. Pure, blazing anger. It coursed through her body and shot feeling into her legs. Juniperpaw leaped for the gray she-cat. She would have rather killed Sanddune, but his sister would have to do. If only she had had more training! She slashed and Riverbend blocked. She lunged and Riverbend dodged. She leaped and Riverbend ducked.
And suddenly she felt jaws close on her scruff, pulling her backwards.
It was Autumnleaf. Defending his mate.
The same anger bubbled inside her now. Her green eyes narrowed to slits and her lips peeled back in a snarl. "Is that why I'm not a warrior? Because I attacked your mate?"
Autumnleaf's eyes blazed at her words. "You are not a warrior because you are not ready. You still can't control your temper. You're not respectful of your elders. You assume and accuse without any thought. Why would I hold you back because you attacked Riverbend? Your anger clouds your judgment! You need to control your emotions!"
Juniperpaw's eyes widened with realization. She had been deaf to his reasons before, but now that she had listened… Everything he said was true. She wasn't ready. But she still had the upper hand. Her Clan would forgive her for her flaws, but they wouldn't forgive him for his forbidden love. Juniperpaw hardened her gaze with an angry smugness. "It doesn't matter," she stated with a smirk, "You are going to make me a warrior, because I will tell Nettlestar if you don't."
Autumnleaf's eyes narrowed. "Come with me. We'll discuss this later. I have to see Riverbend now."
"You're going to make me a warrior." It was more of a statement than a question.
His glare was filled with hate yet resignation. Juniperpaw would probably ask for more and more, but there was nothing he could do about it now. "Fine. Just come with me. When we get back to camp it'll look like we've been training."
Juniperpaw nodded, the victory showing in her raised tail and forward ears. She followed Autumnleaf towards OakClan camp.
.
The days passed by quickly. Serenity turned out to be very witty and despite her being incredibly feisty and defensive over the tiniest things, she always realized it soon after and the whole group would collapse in a fit of laughter.
Sanddune still had moments where his past would collapse down on his shoulders and he'd have to leave by himself to go hunting and recover himself, but Serenity could usually cheer him up when he came back. At first, it was just a simple, comfortable friendship. Then Sanddune started to look at her differently…
Mountainkit enjoyed Serenity's company. When he had first met the feisty she-cat, he hadn't spoken much, but now he would converse regularly. He was always curious to know more about the world. It had seemed so dismal after Dewkit's death, but now he was starting to remember his wonder over Sanddune's description of the forest and Serenity added even more to his growing pool of knowledge. He began to feel like a kit again and Dewkit became a sad yet happy memory too.
Mountainkit didn't how he felt about Sanddune liking Serenity more than a friend. It had only been a moon or so since his mother had died. Was it all right to move on so quickly?
.
Juniperpaw's POV
Juniperpaw looked up. Dark clouds were moving in across the darkening sky, making her shiver with foreboding. Something was going to happen tonight. She could feel it in the air.
"I need to find Sanddune," Autumnleaf whispered from beside her.
Her pelt bristled underneath its covering of dung. They crouched in the ferns on one side of the camp entrance, their heads slightly protruding so they could see in.
"There."
Juniperpaw followed his glowing gaze to the fresh-kill pile. There he was: the sandy brown tom that had destroyed her mentor and her Clan. She resisted the urge to spring from the bushes and kill him right then, but her mentor's words froze her paws.
"Your anger clouds your judgment! You need to control your emotions!"
Killing Sanddune wouldn't make anything better.
"Okay, I'm going to sneak around through the ferns until I can whisper to him. Just stay right behind me and don't make a sound."
Juniperpaw was surprised how easily they could sneak around the camp under the cover of the thick undergrowth. They reached Sanddune easily.
Autumnleaf crawled, his belly brushing the dirt, between two draping leaves so that he was hidden on both sides but could see Sanddune straight ahead. Juniperpaw crouched behind him in the darkness, only able to make out the ever-darker sky through the gaps in the leaves above.
"Sanddune," Autumnleaf whispered, then added quickly, "Don't look. It's Autumnleaf. Go back to your eating."
There was a pause as Juniperpaw assumed Sanddune was quickly looking around to make sure no other cat was near. "Autumnleaf? What are you doing here? Are you crazy?"
"Is she alright? How about the kits? How many are there? Do they look like me? And what about Tidepool? He hasn't suspected anything yet, has he?"
"Shh. Calm down. Riverbend's fine. The kits are fine, okay? Now leave before someone sees you."
"I can't! I have to see them!"
"See them? Are you insane? No! You can't r-"
"Please, Sanddune! I don't need that long! You just have to guard the nursery entrance and make sure no one else goes in! We'll be gone before you know it!"
"We?! You brought someone with you?!"
"Well, Juniperpaw s-"
"Juniperpaw?! The one who attacked her?!"
"Look, I can explain later. Please, I have to see her!"
Sanddune gave a half growl, half sigh, but he must have nodded because Autumnleaf's pelt seemed to spark with excitement. "You're going to get yourself killed," Sanddune growled, "You're going to get us all killed!"
No words could have ever been more true.