"Dread fills my heart to the brim.
"Horror feels my heart to the brim.
"Love fills my heart to the brim.
"I choke on it.
"I die.
"And I awaken in front of Mothermouth, replenished.
"I die nine times over.
"Nine times, I choke on my own heart.
"And I do it all
"for you."
Chapter 1:: The Moon's Weight in Promises
Ghostfeather and Tornear had not returned.
Cindershadow paced the border of the camp, annoyance in every step.
The HeatherClan camp was a maze of tunnels hollowed out by rivers years ago, now dry. There was a large hole in the center that was too deep to see the end of, and Cindershadow paced around this now, while Irisfern sat washing her paws.
"They were supposed to have returned by moonhigh," he growled.
Irisfern paused her washing to watch him walk past her.
"They shouldn't have been sent out at all," she said. She usually liked to tell her deputy I told you so, but her joy this time was somewhat dampened. Ghostfeather and Tornear were both exceptional warriors, and Irisfern had been hoping for some last-minute information before she was sent out to the Floodlands.
Cindershadow hissed at her, teeth bared and all, and kept pacing.
Irisfern shook herself out and continued her wash.
Behind her, Shadowhisker came out of the warriors' den. "Morning," he said with a yawn.
"Good morning," Irisfern meowed back pleasantly.
Shadowhisker went to the apprentices' den and called softly for his apprentice, Snowpaw. When she came out, they both went back over to Irisfern.
The three of them would be HeatherClan's representatives in the quest to investigate the dried floodlands and search for life beyond the mountains. Shadowhisker was an agile dark tabby, and had been mentored by the senior warrior Darkpool. Darkpool had passed on his good judgment and good humor to Shadowhisker, as Shadowhisker was doing for Snowpaw.
"Excited?" Irisfern asked her.
Snowpaw shivered. She looked wild-eyed, as if she hadn't slept at all. "How could I be excited?"
Irisfern tilted her head to the side while Shadowhisker flicked his tail disapprovingly over Snowpaw's ears. "When we come back, you'll probably be made a warrior, you know."
"I know," said Snowpaw. "It just-" She hesitated, giving her chest a few licks. "It doesn't sit right with me."
"Doesn't sit right with any of us," Shadowhisker said.
"Stop complaining," Cindershadow hissed as he passed them.
Irisfern had no comment. "You two go eat," she told her warriors, "and then we'll head out." Irisfern was the most senior warrior between the three of them, and would be giving the orders.
As they went, Shadowhisker giving Snowpaw and encouraging flick of his head, Irisfern felt eyes on her. She turned to the nursery.
Ashkit was there. She was in the entrance, with glinting eyes and a crouch that was somehow both predatory and meek. It made Irisfern think of a starving snake.
Irisfern padded over to her, ignoring Cindershadow's glare as she passed him.
"That kit has nothing to hear from someone like you," he had said three moons ago, the first time Irisfern had spoken to her.
"You're awake early today," Irisfern said, like a question.
"I didn't sleep," Ashkit said defensively.
"Why not?" The kit looked exhausted, now that Irisfern was closer to her.
She didn't answer for a moment. Then she set her jaw and looked up at Irisfern. "You're leaving."
"I'll come back," Irisfern assured.
"No, you won't."
.
.
.
.
.
"Yes, I will." Irisfern bent down and licked the kit between her ears. "I'll come back, and then you'll have your apprentice ceremony, and then I'll be your mentor."
.o0O0o.
Adderstar had come from his den to wish his warriors good luck.
"StarClan is with you," he had said. Cindershadow sat behind him, shoulders set, and hadn't said a word. "And HeatherClan awaits your return."
"We will search for news of Tornear and Ghostfeather," said Irisfern.
"Their disappearance troubles us all."
Now Irisfern, Shadowhisker and Snowpaw traveled to the base of the mountain, where the chosen cats from each four clans were planned to meet.
The four clans, HeatherClan, DewClan, MistClan and FalconClan, lived on two mountains between them. FalconClan and MistClan lived on one, and DewClan and HeatherClan on the one beside it. However, (according to the stories), before the flood, DewClan and HeatherClan lived in the valleys and forests below the mountains, and lived with the water as long as they could before fleeing to the mountains. For generations after that, when every cat looked out from the mountain view, the expanse of dark floodwater was all that could be seen. Now, though, there was nothing but a wasteland.
"Who do you think the other clans chose?" Shadowhisker asked, slightly breathless from Irisfern's fast pace.
Irisfern thought for a moment. Every clan would have chosen strong, dependable warriors, skilled in running, tracking and navigation. But they wouldn't have sent their senior warriors or their deputies. In essence: dependable, but expendable. Like the three cats here.
"Sunfleck, I'm sure," she answered him. Her voice jumped as she ran on uneven ground. "Maybe Sharpfang."
"But Sharpfang has that apprentice, doesn't he?"
"The little one?" If Irisfern was remembering correctly, Sharpfang's apprentice was a timid-looking small black cat, always attached to Sharpfang's tail at Gatherings.
Snowpaw spoke up. "He's been an apprentice almost as long as me."
Shadwhisker hummed. "Maybe, then."
.o0O0o.
There was a hollow in between the two mountains where the Clans met for Gatherings. It was still high enough to have escaped the floods, that and the plateaus that the mountains sat on.
When Irisfern's patrol made it to the hollow, she smelled DewClan and FalconClan cats already there. Dawn was streaking across the sky, and Irisfern recognized Sharpfang of FalconClan, as she had guessed, and his apprentice behind him.
"Irisfern." Sharpfang greeted her warily with a nod. He was a snaggletoothed black tom with white on his chest and his paws, and a scar across his muzzle. He had gotten that scar from an eagle he had protected a kit from; Irisfern remembered first seeing it at a Gathering, back when they were apprentices.
"Good morning," Irisfern said to him. She looked around him at his apprentice, and he almost shrunk away from her.
Sharpfang nudged him sharply and sighed. "This is Shadepaw," he said. He nodded towards the DewClan cats. "And Jackalpaw is over there."
Jackalpaw was a brown tom that Irisfern had never met. He had stark black markings on half his face that Irisfern only saw when he turned towards her.
"Jackaltooth," he corrected loudly. He met Irisfern's eyes. "My warrior ceremony was supposed to be today."
Sharpfang sighed again, and Irisfern tactfully remained silent. She supposed she was lucky enough to have no complaints about either of the cats in her patrol; Snowpaw was young but capable, and Shadowhisker was comfortable in his skill set. However, Sharpfang seemed to have drawn the short stick, so to speak, with a shy, undersized apprentice and a spurned almost-warrior.
"I look forward to traveling with the three of you," said Irisfern with a twitch of her whiskers.
Beside her, Shadowhisker was introducing his apprentice to the DewClan cats. There was Sunfleck, who used to be a medicine cat, and Breezetail, a twitchy nerve-shot tom and his even-tempered apprentice, Wolfpaw. Snowpaw and Wolfpaw greeted each other respectfully but with familiarity, and Breezetail had been the one Jackalpaw was talking to.
Sharpfang leaned in close to Irisfern. "I see our leaders all chose apprentices for this quest."
"It's a good training experience," Irisfern said evenly. "Snowpaw and Jackalpaw are practically warriors, anyway." Wolfpaw, too, from the look of him.
Sharpfang nodded dispassionately. "Even so…"
"...Even so." Irisfern watched Wolfpaw and Snowpaw talk, saw Shadepaw shuffling from the corner of her eye, and thought of Ghostfeather and Tornear.
If she had to guess, she would say that she was chosen to lead her patrol because she was a skilled fighter, careful with her words and had the respect of her clanmates as well as the trust from her leader to obey orders. And she had been ordered not to say anything about Ghostfeather and Tornear.
"Sharpfang." She leaned in closer to him, face-to-face, and spoke in a murmur. "I must tell you-"
Another face suddenly butted in between them. "Conspiring as always, you two?"
Irisfern smelled MistClan and recognized Darkleaf. She and Sharpfang separated quickly. She thought she heard Shadepaw skittering back, too.
"Discussing your habitual lateness," Irisfern said lightly. She saw the tabby warrior Ravenstripe and his apprentice, Tansypaw behind her.
"Well, it's not easy traveling in the dark, Irisfern." Darkleaf peeked around Sharpfang at Shadepaw. "Aww, sweet thing!" She cooed at the small form. "Is he yours?"
"He's my apprentice." Sharpfang blocked her gaze with his body, and she huffed.
She padded past them, her tail flicking both of their noses. "Is everyone here, then?"
Irisfern looked around.
Twelve cats. Shadowhisker, Snowpaw, Sharpfang, Shadepaw, Jackalpaw, Darkleaf, Ravenstripe, Tansypaw, Sunfleck, Breezetail, Wolfpaw. And Irisfern.
Nobody said anything.
There was suddenly unmasked apprehension on every cat's face, as they shared glances with their clanmates and their friends.
Once they started their descent, none of them knew what they would find.
Once they started their descent, there would be no going back.
Sharpfang and Irisfern, still next to each other, shared a look and nodded. As of this moment, the two of them were allies. As any clanmate would do for each other, they would do anything they could to protect the younger cats under their care.
"Well, then." Darkleaf's voice was suddenly soft. She turned towards the path. "Time waits for no cat!"
Thank you so much for reading! The real plot starts in the next chapter; I'll try to have the next chapter out soon !