Large green eyes searched the forest surrounding her, she was alone and she didn't know where she was.
"Mama? Papa?"
No answer.
Flamekit shivered as a cool wind pulled at her fur. She didn't know where she was, where to go and where to start to go. "Help me please…" she whimpered and lied down. She curled up on herself and sat there, waiting for someone to come by and get her.
No one came.
The wind tugged her more and more, then once so harshly that she was sent tumbling with a high pitch squeal. She was thrown into a bush and stayed there for a long while until she peeked out. Seeing no one, as expected, she tumbled out and shook the leaves off her body. 'I have to get out of here,' she thought.
Sighing and looking around one more time she started to walk. Where she was gong she knew not, but she kept going. She was tired, feeling like she had been walking for hours, when she heard yowls in a distance. Her legs locked up in fear, she knew those yowls. They were battle yowls, cats were fighting. 'DANGER DANGER!' she screamed in her head, but never the less she crept forward, curiosity pulling her towards. She would be quiet, she would be stealthy.
She stopped behind a large tree and looked around it. There were six cats; one was a grey tom standing in the middle of four other cats, a ginger tom, a snow white tom, a tabby she cat and a dappled tom. The sixth one sat off somewhere in the shadows. "Begin," the shadowed cat hissed. Instantly the cats attacked the grey tom in the middle. Flamekit watched with large awed eyes as the tom fended off every cat, though he seemed strained, he was determined. They had greater skill than him yes, but he was trying hard, and she almost squeaked when he slapped the tabby she cat away and double kicked the snow white tom behind him.
She watched on, a thrill traveling up her spine. The tom was good. She had seen other cats in her clan fight, but whoever this foreigner was he amazing. She was sure he could even go a round or two with Leafpool. 'But Leafpool only fought three cats, he's fight four! Wow!'
"That's enough!" the shadowed cat snapped. The cats stopped fighting and backed away. The grey tom was littered with wounds and blood nearly covered his fur, but his opponents were no different. They all stood there, watching and catching their breath. "Again!" the shadowed cat hissed. Flamekit was horrified. She was going to make the tom fight in that condition?
They started again, the grey tom slowed and staggered but still determined to fight. Flamekit knew she should've taken her eyes away from the bloody scene, but she just couldn't. It was so, interesting. She kept her eyes on the tom and was shocked to see that his eyes were closed. He had been fighting them with closed eyes the whole time! 'Oh wow…' her head squealed softly, unconscious of herself stepping from behind the tree and walking closer to the battle.
"That's enough for tonight, we will continue this in the next three days." The shadowed cat yowled. The cats stopped and flopped on the ground, gasping. Their wounds had become much more grievous. The grey tom was the worse, panting like he had run around the whole moor of Windclan five times.
"You did very well, my apprentice," the shadowed cat purred.
"Thanks," the tom spat sarcastically, and didn't his voice sound, familiar?
"Wash yourself and return."
The tom huffed and limped to a nearby pond of water. Without further warning he jumped in it and swam around, eyes still closed. When he was done he walked out, and Flamekit was amazed to see his fur glossy and his body vanished of any wound he had just previously received. The shadowed cat walked out of the shadows, a red she cat with piercing green eyes and claws the glinted from just the tip of their sheathes as she walked.
"You can open your eyes now."
The tom opened them, and Flamekit's world spun. No, that couldn't be…
"Jayfeather?" she whispered.
Though it was a whisper, it was like a yowl. The grey tom froze at the call of his name and turned to her. His eyes were a startling clear blue. "Flamekit? What are you doing here?!" he hissed. The kit staggered back, that couldn't have been Jayfeather fighting just now, he was a medicine cat. Medicine cats didn't fight!
"Y-you…." She stammered.
Jayfeather tossed his mentor an exasperated look. "I'll see you in three days, Silverclaw."
"Don't neglect your hunting." She told him.
Grunting, the tom stalked away. "Whitespawn, Fecklestipe, Greenhop, Lilystrike, I'll see you later."
The white tom, dappled tom, ginger tom and tabby she cat dipped their heads to them. Their furs sparkled before they vanished. Flamekit squeaked as Jayfeather snatched her up by her scruff and carried her away from the open area. They reached a rose bush where he dropped her and curled around her.
"Jayfeather, did you really-" Flamekit started to ask, but Jayfeather snapped at her.
"Wait until we wake up!" The two went to sleep and the dream forest faded away.
~ooo~
Flamekit jumped out of her nest and ran to the medicine den, smartly avoiding Squirrelflight when she went to grab her. "Jayfeather Jayfeather!" the screamed. "Is it true? Is what I saw really true?!"
"Couldn't have waited until after I got up?!" the cranky tom hissed. While his wounds weren't visible due to his bath, it still felt like they were there and he was in pain, huge and merciless pain. "A warrior should learn how to function even in the cruelest of pains," he remembered Silverclaw telling him. He snorted at the logic; Moonclan cats were just too much. When he told the she cat he was actually a medicine cat she let him suffer the pains of her claws. Was that allowed in the training, he didn't know, but he did not repeat the saying again, ever.
"Keep your voice down you stubborn kit," he growled when she continued talking. "No one else can know what you saw, they know I am training but they cannot know the details so be quiet."
Flamekit snapped her mouth shut and nodded her head quickly. Jayfeather then trotted out of his den with Flamekit trailing him. "Who was the red she cat?"
"My mentor."
"What was her name?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because she looked soooo scary! She let you fight even though you-"
"Flamekit shut up!" he gritted. He kit snapped her mouth shut again and nodded her head. Jayfeather trotted away faster, leaving her behind. Flameblood and Killerfang sat beside her.
"That red she cat was our grandmother, Silverclaw." Killerfang told the kit.
"The proudest warrior in our clan." Flameblood added with pride. "All of our leaders feared her because she was known for taking their lives, sometimes all nine."
"Wow," Flamekit whispered.
"Yup, she is training Jayfeather for an upcoming test. If he fails it, he dies." Killerfang said, then they both disappeared. Squirrelflight came out moments later, scolding her for her sudden runabout and screaming and quickly ushered inside the nursery.
~ooo~
"What was that all about?" Ocean asked. Jayfeather was lying down, eating a mouse and trying his hardest not to wince.
"What was what all about?" he grumbled. Ocean narrowed his eyes lightly.
"The whole thing with Flamekit."
"Nothing, she was telling me about a dream she had, noting more. Can I eat in peace now?"
"Ok, sorry grouchy," the grey blue tom muttered before walking away. Cloudtail and Brightheart were wrestling somewhere in the camp when Jayfeather finished, and as he stood he winced.
"Jayfeather are you alright?"
'Mouse dung!' he thought. "I'm fine, Leafpool." He muttered.
The ginger she cat inspected him with narrowed eyes. "You are in pain."
"I am fine." He pressed.
"Oh no kit, you aren't." Mudfur told him as she came closer.
Jayfeather snapped at both of them. "I am fine; I just have sour muscles is all!"
"That doesn't mean you have to suffer through it. Come to the den, I'll spread some mint on it."
"I'm not dead," Jayfeather hisses.
Leafpool looks at him with narrowed eyes. "No, you are not. Mudfur and Luna said the other day that if you make it into a poultice it can be used to ease sore muscles."
"Mint has a very strong scent to it, also has a cool feeling. It is what we use on our warriors."
"I don't need it." Jayfeather mewed flatly before turning around and trotting off to the elders den. If he told Leafpool that Silverclaw told him to go through the pain for a half moon she would go haywire. "Dustpelt," he called. His ears twitched as he heard unsure paws come his way. At least the tom was getting better.
"Jayfeather," Dustpelt greets, and the medicine cat can tell that the other is sorely confused on his surroundings.
"Use all your senses."
"I can't use all of them," the elder snaps. Jayfeather rolls his eyes, he knew what he meant.
"Well then, follow my scent out of the camp." Jayfeather turned and walked out, making sure to go slowly so the other could follow him. He only used his tail to touch the other's nose lightly when he began to stray.
';';
Meanwhile back in the camp Sakura was wrestling with Mousewhisker. She yowled successfully when she pinned the tom down. "Dead!" she declared victoriously. Mousewhisker bit his tongue in anger, this was the fifth time!
"Wow, you are quick!" Lionblaze mewed.
Sakura licked her chest fur. "It's all natural." She replied nonchalantly.
"I want a go!" Bumblestripe mewed. "I've been training really hard with Cherry and Leafpool, I think I improved!"
Whitethunder glanced at his mate who was looking proud. "Bumblestripe and Foxleap are so far my best apprentices at the moment. They learn quickly."
"I don't think so," the Moonclan deputy rumbled. "Ravenheart hasn't been in the clan that long and yet he already is in tuned with the skills I've taught him. Cherrytail and Brightheart are close behind."
"Really," Cherry growled with narrowed eyes, Whitethunder smirked.
"Must everything be a competition between you two?" Longclaw sighed. Both cats gave her innocent looks.
"Mousewhisker!" Cinderheart yowled. The grey and white tom jumped up quickly and ran to his mate. It was his turn to watch her today. "I want to go on a walk, just a little one." She told him and lightly blinked her eyes.
"Ok, I'll round up some other warriors and…"
"No, I just want to go with you this time. We haven't exactly been spending much time together."
"Oh," he mewed softly. He then purred and nuzzled her face. "Ok, come on." As he led her out of the den he called to Bramblestar, "I'm taking Cinderheart for a walk."
"Take warriors with you," the leader ordered.
Mousewhisker turned his attention to the leader, not knowing the sneer on Cinderheart's face. "Bramblestar, I have to go with her alone. We haven't spent much time together since all that has happened and her pregnancy." Mousewhisker pleaded. "She's my mate, whether you like it or not."
Bramblestar looked suspiciously over to Cinderheart, who was feigning being upset. "It's ok Mousewhisker; we can go some other time."
"No!" he exclaimed. He turned a glare to the leader.
Bramblestar sighed and shrugged a shoulder. "Don't be out too long, Jayfeather would have kits himself." Mousewhisker grinned and nodded his head before leading his mate outside of the den. Whitethunder walked up to the leader and they together watched the two leave. Lionblaze cut in front of them.
"You are letting them go alone?" the white and black tom growled.
"They are mates Lionblaze; I can't restrict them from one another."
"But Cinderheart is bad!" Lionblaze almost shouts.
"Maybe she is just confused," Bramblestar reasoned. "Thornclaw still has a tight control over her; she was one of his closest believers."
"I think you still should send someone to watch them, just to make sure." Lionblaze pressed.
Squirrelflight frowned, listening in on their conversation. "Lionblaze, leave them be! They are lovers; let them have the time they need."
Lionblaze huffed and stalked off. Bramblestar went to the nursery to play with is kits. Whitethunder followed the ginger tom, meeting him in the warriors den.
"You don't trust her."
"No." Lionblaze bit out.
"Or are you still angry with her?"
"I have gotten over that!"
"I see the way you look at the two, how you glare at Mousewhisker. You aren't over it. But," he said when Lionblaze opened his mouth, eyes gleaming in anger, "I can agree with you when you say you don't trust Cinderheart, so I will send someone to watch them."
"Who?" Lionblaze asked, interested. Whitethunder looked around the warriors den.
"Flameblood, Killerfang, if you are here I want you to watch Mousewhisker and Cinderheart."
There was silence, and then a shiver passed through both toms. There was a draft, yet the wind wasn't blowing. Whitethunder grinned. "There you go." Lionblaze flicked an ear. Well then, the uses of dead cats when they weren't trying to kill you.