Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War
Book 3: Waning Moon
Chapter Eleven
"Nice catch!"
Blazeheart looked up, ears flicking forward. A scrawny thrush lay limp under his front paws. "Thanks," he murmured, blinking wearily at Cinderheart. With one paw, he began dusting snow and leaves over his catch. "It's only good for a few mouthfuls, though."
"Every little bit helps," his mother pointed out. She touched her nose to his head, whiskers brushing against his ears as she spoke. "Don't be too down on yourself, alright? Even the best hunter can't make prey appear out of thin air."
The young tom could only give a half-hearted purr in reply. After a moment, Cinderheart pulled away, saying, "Come on. We need to reach the WindClan border before sunfall." Blazeheart flicked his tail in reply. He returned his attention to his prey, burrying it completely under snow and dirt. Once it was burried, he padded off, following his mother and Leafpool as they set off into the snowy forest.
One day was left before the half moon. The playful innocence of the last day's hunt with Ambertalon felt like it was moons away. Dread of the imending deadline had settled its claws once more over the tom. It was bad enough that leafbare had barely begun and was already making hunting harder, without having to worry about rogues and their warnings. ThunderClan cats were going to their nest with empty bellies every night, and the slain hare on the border had brought a cloud of fear hanging over ThunderClan.
But oddly, the closeness of the half moon had softened the Blazeheart's panic to a dull weariness. Whatever Breeze had planned, in a day's time, it would be out in the open for every cat to face, no longer just a nameless fear to haunt their thoughts. Blazeheart would be glad when the half moon warning was behind them, and they would have half a moon's time left before the next half moon.
Blazeheart kept his dark thoughts to himself as the patrol continued through the woods. He trailed along at the back, Cinderheart and Leafpool trudging through the snow ahead of them. Watching the she-cats murmur to each other as they walked drew Blazeheart out of his anxious tangle of thoughts for a moment.
For Blazeheart, it was always interesting to see his mother and the former medicine cat interact. In another life, Cinderheart had been Leafpool's mentor. Leafpol never brought up Cinderheart's past life without the she-cat bringing it up first, always trying to treat Cinderheart as her own cat rather than a shadow of her mentor.
But Blazeheart could always see hints of their old relationship in how the she-cats interacted. Every so often, Cinderheart would take on an instructive tone with the pale tabby, without even seeming to realize it. Whenever they were on patrol together, Leafpool would fall instinctively at Cinderheart's flank, like an apprentice being led by her mentor. It was small touches like that which always made Blazeheart wonder how much of his mother was Cinderheart and how much was Cinderpelt, and how much the two were one and the same.
Ahead, the two she-cats had paused, crouched together beside a snowy bush. "Look at this," Cinderheart murmered, nosing a few flower buds along the bush. "Chamomile that's survived the frost."
"Chamomile won't help heal injured warriors," Leafpool pointed out. "Unless someone's eyes get scratched."
Cinderheart shook her head. "You're right. But in the old forest, we used it as a traveling herb for cats making the journey to Highstones."
Leafpool perked her ears. "I remember," she said, eyes glazing over. In a brisk mew, she began listing off the uses of the herb, mewing, "We used it for healing injured eyes, strengthening the heart, soothing the mind, and strengthening the body."
Cinderheart seemed to notice Blazeheart standing a few tail-lengths away. She waved him over with her tail, explaining to her son, "Back in the old forest, Clan leaders spoke more often with StarClan, visiting with Moonstone whenever they needed the advice of our ancestors. They would often take a warrior escort, as it was a long journey across WindClan's moor and across a Thunderpath to reach the Highstones. It was a requirement for an apprentice to travel with the leader to the Highstones at least once before they could become a warrior."
Blazeheart's tail flicked in surprise. It was usually the medicine cat who traveled to the Moonpool these days. He didn't think he could remember a single instance when Bramblestar had traveled to speak to his ancestors, rather than sending Jayfeather, or just asking him to meet with StarClan in his dreams. He couldn't imagine being required to travel to the Highstones in order to earn his name.
His mother continued, "Cats who were going to share dreams with StarClan weren't allowed to eat before meeting with their ancestors, but the cats escorting them were allowed to eat. Medicine cats would give them traveling herbs like chamomile or sorrel to eat before leaving camp. The herbs would dampen a cat's appetite and fill them up, and lent cats the energy they needed to trek across the vast moor."
Leafpool's eyes widened. "We can use them if cats aren't getting enough to eat during leafbare," she realized. Cinderheart gave a small nod, giving off an almost approving air. Blazeheart was once again struck by how much the two sometimes acted like mentor and apprentice. Leafpool lowered her muzzle to the ground, scooping snow away from the flowers and snipping them off by the stalks. "I'll take these back to Jayfeather and see whether he thinks he should use them," she mewed.
Blazeheart said nothing, only flicking his tail as Leafpool carried the buds over to a tree to store them under the roots. Leafpool had gotten better at hunting and fighting in the seasons since she had become a warrior, but it clear to every cat that she was still a medicine cat at heart. Even Cinderheart, who had wholeheartedly chosen the life of a warrior, still slipped into the mindset of a healer every now and again, though far less often than Leafpool. Sometimes, it felt like the Clan had three medicine cats instead of one.
Once Leafpool had stored away the chamomile, the patrol continued on, trudging through the snow towards the moorlands. The trees began to thin out, and they soon reached the border connecting WindClan's territory to ThunderClan's. Blazeheart stiffened as they neared the border, fearing they would come to the spot where Darkbreeze and Silentstorm always met. His Clanmates probably wouldn't appreciate finding the strong scents of two of their warriors at the border. But to his relief, Leafpool led them further down the treeline.
As they approached the border, Blazeheart saw distant shapes moving through the trees towards them. His hackles began to rise, only to lower as he recognized a WindClan patrol approaching the border from their own side of the woods. Leafpool raised her tail, signaling her Clanmates to stop behind her, as the patrol drew near. "How's the prey running?" she called out.
The WindClan cats halted on their side of the scent marks. Like the ThunderClan patrol, there were only three cats, and only one senior warroir, Emberfoot. He was followed by two younger she-cats, Larksong and Darkbreeze. Blazeheart avoided Darkbreeze's gaze, not wanting his mother and denmate to suspect that he knew the WindClan she-cat better than he should.
"Leafpool," Emberfoot greeted cooly, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the former medicine cat. Leafpool met his gaze evenly. "What brings you out here?"
"Checking our borders, same as you," Cinderheart answered for her Clanmate. "We caught some rogue scents yesterday, so we want to make sure everything is secure."
Suspicion lingered in the gray tom's eyes, but his Clanmates didn't seem to share his wariness. Darkbreeze's gaze darkened, and Larksong mewed, "There's been rogue scents in our territory too. And prey's gone missing."
Blazeheart's ears flicked forward in surprise. The only prey theft from the rogues he knew about was the slain hare on the border. Had they taken ThunderClan prey without being seen, or were they taking more prey from WindClan for some reason? "Have you seen rogues hunting on your territory?" he asked.
Darkbreeze shook her head. "No. But we've found blood and fur, and there's usually rogue scents nearby."
The tom frowned. It sounded like the rogues were getting bolder, and they seemed to know how to move through the various Clans' territories at the right times to not be spotted. Though, he supposed it made sense that they would know WindClan's territory well, considering their leader had once been a warrior of WindClan.
As he was thinking, Leafpool mewed, "The half moon is only one day away." Blazeheart could see fear glowing in her amber eyes. "They're getting bolder." She glanced at the WindClan cats, asking, "How are you preparing for the half moon warning?"
Emberfoot curled his lip, snapping, "That's not ThunderClan's business." Blazeheart flinched, glancing at Leafpool and watching her recoil in surprise. The she-cat still acted like a medicine cat, disregarding boundaries to lend to the aid of all Clans. She seemed to forget she was a warrior now, and questions like that would be regarded with suspicion now. Blazeheart glanced back at Emberfoot, only hoping she hadn't angered the WindClan cats too much.
Before any ThunderClan cat could retort, Larksong whirled on her Clanmate, green eyes flashing with annoyance. "Put your claws away, will you?" she hissed. "These rogues threaten us all." The gray she-cat turned back to the ThunderClan cats, mewing, "We've fortified our camp and we're keeping an eye on our borders. That's about as much as any cat can do. What about ThunderClan?"
"About the same," Leafpool told her. "All we can do now is wait."
Larksong dipped her head to the older she-cat. "We should return. Good luck to you and your Clan, Leafpool."
"And good luck to you and yours," Leafpool returned. She gave a friendly wave of her tail as the WindClan cats began to pad away, heading back towards the moorlands.
Emberfoot and Larksong started heading away, but Darkbreeze lingered a moment, her tail curling as she glanced over at Blazeheart. "Good to see you again, Blazeheart," she purred in a voice too low for Blazeheart's Clanmates to hear. "Give my best to your sister?"
Blazeheart was once again thrown off by the blatant friendliness of the enemy warrior. Darkbreeze always seemed to address cats from other Clans with the same cheer and openness as a close Clanmate. But after everything that had happened with his sister, and fighting beside her in ShadowClan's camp, somehow it no longer felt as awkward. He gave a friendly flick of his ear, mewing, "I will. Good luck for tomorrow."
Darkbreeze gave a small nod. "You too." With a final, cheerful twitch of her tail, the slender tabby bounded after her Clanmates. Blazeheart felt a burst of almost fond exasperation at the she-cat's cheer, then turned back to his Clanmates. Cinderheart and Leafpool were already padding away from the border. He padded after them, coming to walk beside his mother.
Cinderheart glanced over at him as he caught up to her. "What was that about?" she asked. Blazeheart knew he wasn't imagining the wary curiosity in her gaze. With their kin's history with relationships beyond Clan borders, he really couldn't blame her suspicion.
"Just wishing her luck for the half moon," Blazeheart answered honestly. "We're all going to need it." Cinderheart watched him a moment longer. Then, with a shrug, she looked away.
SCENEBREAK
After picking up their thrush and chamomile, the border patrol returned to camp. Blazeheart didn't say much as they trudged towards the stone hollow, his jaws closed around the stiff, frozen bird. He was still frustrated that he hadn't managed to catch more before returning to camp. The fresh-kill pile had been low before he'd left camp, and he'd wanted to bring back more to stock it up for the half moon.
As they approached the entrance, raised voices and snarls could be heard from within. The three cats exchanged concerned glances, then pushed through the bramble entrance. When they walked in, Blazeheart could see Jayfeather and Lionblaze in the center of camp, facing each other with hackles raised. Blazeheart recoiled in surprise.
"Will you stop being a stubborn mousebrain for once and just listen?" Lionblaze was growling. Blazeheart's father was glaring down Jayfeather, looming over the smaller tom with an irritable glow to his amber eyes and a slowly twitching tail. Jayfeather was standing before his brother, looking unfazed as his sightless glare narrowed and his back fur bristled. Around the stone hollow, cats were watching the brothers glare each other down with unease.
The medicine cat growled, "It's not for you to decide."
"Jayfeather -"
"Tomorrow is the half moon." Jayfeather swept his tail behind him. "I've already spoken with the other medicine cats through their dreams. We're going to meet at the Moonpool as planned."
Blazeheart and his patrol padded into camp, circling carefully around the arguing toms. Neither brother seemed to notice the cats entering camp. Blazheart saw Silentstorm sitting by the fallen birch, and made his way over to her, sitting beside her. "They've certainly gotten their tails in a twist," he murmured to his sister. She merely grunted in agreement, her ears perked towards the tom's argument.
Lionblaze growled, "It's too dangerous. Breeze knows when the medicine cats meet with StarClan, he can use this as a chance to attack." Blazeheart tried not to look too alarmed. He didn't usually see his father this worked up, and he and Jayfeather didn't usually fight like this. It was truly a testament to how tense the rogues had made his Clan that they were fighting like this, and that none of their Clanmates had stopped them yet.
"I know that," Jayfeather snorted. "I'm not a kit. But we must speak with StarClan."
From the High Ledge, Bramblestar lay beside Squirrelflight, watching the toms below. Bramblestar called out to Lionblaze, "Your brother has a point. The meeting of the medicine cats is too important for –"
The golden tabby whirled on his leader, snapping, "I know that!" He turned back to Jayfeather. "But don't you see? This could be exactly the warning Breeze was talking about! Five medicine cats with little battle training, fast asleep by the Moonpool, would be easy pickings for a rogue patrol. Breeze's cats could murder you in your sleep, and we'd all be left without our medicine cats."
Jayfeather faced his brother calmly. "I know, Lionblaze. But this is too important. We have to share dreams with StarClan."
"Can't you just share dreams with them from camp?" Lionblaze pleaded.
The smaller tom shook his head. "I could, of course. But it's easier for our ancestors to speak with us from the Moonpool." He lowered his voice; Blazeheart had to strain his ears to hear them. "And if we don't go to the Moonpool, our Clanmates will lose heart. We have to go, to show them Breeze can't intimidate us. We won't let him stand between us and StarClan."
Lionblaze searched his brother's gaze desperately for a few moments. After a brief silence, he sighed. "Stubborn as a badger," he grumbled. "Fine. Then I'm coming with you. I'll watch out while you're all sharing dreams with StarClan."
Jayfeather rolled his eyes, scoffing, "Don't be a mousebrain. You're not going anywhere. The Clan needs you here. We can't have our invincible warrior out of camp on the day Breeze has promised to punish us."
"Well, you can't got alone," Lionblaze told him firmly. "If you're going, you need a warrior escort."
Beside Blazeheart, Silentstorm stood, padding towards her father and Jayfeather. "I'll go," she mewed calmly. "Ivypool taught me everything she knows about fighting. I think I can keep one scrawny little tom safe."
Jayfeather turned his sightless glare on the massive she-cat, giving a small hiss. Before he could retort, Blazeheart rose to his paws. "I'll come too," he mewed. He might as well go with his sister to protect their kin. Besides, he'd never seen the Moonpool before, and maybe it could be like the apprentices in the old forest taking the journey to the Moonstone. And perhaps being so close to StarClan would make him feel more assured about facing the rogues.
Jayfeather hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. I'll let the others know to bring escorts too. Might as well have a proper guard to come with us." He pushed past his brother, truding to his den with his tail lashing back and forth.
Blazeheart watched him go, aprehension and relief battling within him. Tomorrow, they would finally know what Breeze was planning for them.
Ack, didn't mean to take so long on that update again. Sorry for the wait. I got slammed with finals, busy with the holidays, and then it was just hard getting back into the swing of things with writing. I finally got this one done, though. I'm not totally happy with it, but ah well, next chapter should be better.
So yeah, next chapter will cover the half moon. ^^ Next chapter will be Silentstorm's POV, and I hope it lives up to expectations, if there were any.