skyoffireau

[skyoffireau]

Bluestar’s Quest, Ch. 4

“Thank you so much,” Bluefur said as Mitzi and Fleck walked the two queens back out of the barn. The morning was youthful, the sun just barely peering over the horizon. The leaves blown in from a small copse of trees crunched underpaw. 

“No need to thank us,” Fleck assured, walking close to Mitzi to combat the biting cold that the morning decided to greet them with. “We love having visitors over, and on your way home we’d love to house you again for a night.”

“Yeah!” Piper said as she bounced along side them, having chosen to join them to the fence. “We haven’t had a visitor in seasons. When you come back you should tell stories about the Clans.”

“I don’t know a lot,” Bluefur admitted, and Snowflower nodded her agreement. “We’re still new Warriors.”

“Maybe you’ll have a story when you get back?” Mitzi asked with a shrug. “Idunno, just a thought.”

They reached the fence and said their final goodbyes, before slinking back under it and back into the world of the wild cat. They reunited with the gorge and walked along it, until they came to a bridge that spanned it and then twisted off into a distant forest. Surely not ThunderClan’s forest?

“Let’s go,” Snowflower mewed, flicking her tail. The two mollies began crossing when a deep rumble caught Bluefur’s ear.

“Go!” She hissed, darting across the road as the monster barreled around the corner. She reached the grass and turned about, realizing her sister was stood like stone in the middle of the thunderpath. “Snowflower!” she shrieked. Her heart jumped into her chest and she bolted out, grabbing her sister’s tail and yanking her off to the side just in time to see the monster rattle past, billowing out harsh lung-searing smoke.

Snowflower fell into the ditch at the side of the thunderpath, and Bluefur went after her, touching her nose to her panting sister’s ear. “I’ll never watch you die like that,” she promised softly. “Not on my watch.”

“Thank you,” Snowflower said with a sick mew.

They padded through the thin scattering of trees they found themselves in, tails high as they left the dangerous thunderpath behind. They emerged into an open field, though trees were planted every few foxlengths. The grass was gentle on their paws.

A strong scent reached Bluefur’s nose, and set her nostrils flaring. Snowflower noticed and tipped her head to taste the air.

“What is that?” Snowflower asked softly.

“It almost smells like...” she felt silly for saying it. “A border?”

“Maybe a loner group lives here?” Snowflower asked, padding through the thick ‘wall’ of scent where it swiftly disappeared as Bluefur followed. 

But loners don’t have scent-borders, do they?

As the thought passed her head, a snarl woke her from her mind. She jumped, hair standing on end, and Snowflower did the same. The two queens stood side-by-side as a group of angry cats emerged from the brush nearby. 

Bluefur let out a hiss and bore down, claws digging into the dirt, haunches bunching as she aimed to strike at the nearest cat, but Snowflower put a forepaw in front of her to stop her.

“They’re going to kill us!” Bluefur hissed.

“Exactly,” Snowflower growled. “We don’t want to fight,” she mewed, flitting her tail back and forth and standing tall in front of the rogues. “We’ve come from ThunderClan. StarClan sent us here on a mission.”

Immediately all the snarling faces turned curious, and the defensive stances dissipated. The cat nearest to them,  a ginger tabby, gave a small nod. “My name is Foxblososm,” he said. “These two are my Clanmates, Fallensnow and Lichenfur.” He gestured to the cats beside him, a dappled grey and white queen, and a mottled silver queen beside her. 

They have Clan names! Bluefur thought in surprise. Who are they?

“Come with us to camp,” Fallensnow said. “If StarClan sent you that means they must want you to help us.”

“Who are you?” Snowflower asked.

“We’re from SkyClan,” Fallensnow said, tilting her head in confusion. “Haven’t you heard of us?”

#BQ #Bluestar's Quest #NaNoWriMo

[skyoffireau]

Bluestar’s Quest, Ch. 3

The water ran over Sunningrocks as Bluefur made her way through the woods and to the stones at the edge of the river. Snowflower trod beside her, so close she could feel her warmth. Accompanying them were Thistleclaw, Whitepaw, Featherwhisker and Stormtail.

They hadn’t shared a very deep connection with their father, the twins, but he had still insisted he be present for their departure. Whitepaw was murmuring worriedly to his mother, flitting his tail back and forth. Thistleclaw said nothing, but glared silently ahead. Featherwhisker carried two bundles of traveling herbs in his jowls, unable to speak through them.

Finally they reached the edge of the Sunningrocks, the sand digging between Bluefur’s toes.

“This is where we leave you,” Featherwhisker said after he put down his herbs. “Eat these; it will stave off your hunger and shorten your journey.”

Bluefur nodded gratefully and bent down, chewing the herbs up and swallowing them with a hard, forced gulp. The sour taste was enough to make a cat ill, but she tried to shrug it off. Snowflower ate her bundle, then turned to her small family.

“Please be careful,” Whitepaw fussed softly. “I’ll miss you.”

“You’ll be going through enemy territory,” Thistleclaw said with a low grumble. “Don’t be afraid to defend yourself, tooth and claw.” 

“I will, and I won’t,” Snowflower said with a dutiful nod. “Don’t forget, me and Bluefur are warriors. We’ve fought for these very rocks. We can fend off a scrawny WindClan patrol.”

Thistleclaw glared at Bluefur, sending a shock through her. “You can’t expect others to come to your aid every time you fight,” he growled. “Especially not your kin.”

Snowflower was rendered speechless, and she shrugged. “Well, we’ll be fine, either way. I’ll be back for your Warrior Ceremony, honeynose. I promise.” She touched her nose to Whitepaw’s, then departed from their side. Bluefur settled a few paces behind her sister’s, and they left the Sunningrocks and ThunderClan behind.

As they followed the river, the water flowing past them and far away, Bluefur gazed across the water. The reeds rustled, and a flash of reddish-brown fur swept between them. Before she could meet the green eyes waiting for her, Bluefur charged forward through the long grass, kicking up leaves. 

“Are you that excited?” Snowflower asked with a laugh as she followed Bluefur. The grey queen laughed in reply, playing off her fears and shame.

They reached the Falls, where Bluefur gazed down at the rocks and spray for a bit before following past the bridge connecting WindClan and RiverClan. It was an odd twoleg thing that was rarely ever used. Fourtrees was next, and as they passed the hollow Bluefur admired the Great Rock. One day I’ll be standing up there, she thought, representing my Clan! It was a kittenish thought, but a nice one.

They reached WindClan’s moorlands, where the gentle breeze became a light yet buffeting wind. Snowflower’s long fur parted, and the pink skin showed underneath as they navigated the tall grasses where WindClan made their hunting grounds.

By the time the sun was setting they were almost entirely across the moor, and the sleepiness and hunger was beginning to set in. Bluefur sniffed at a few oddly large rabbit dens by the gorge, but ended up passing them by.

“There’s a barn,” Snowflower suggested, using her nose to indicate. “We can stay there, maybe?”

She was hesitant, but as they continued walking, the soreness in her pawpads encouraged her to agree. They slid under the fencing and into the freshly-harvested crops, the soft upturned earth a welcome feeling on sore feet. They made their way to the barn, where the warmth of the hay inside was welcoming.

They padded through the door, and Bluefur was shocked to see cats lounging on the hay bails.

“Hullo,” one of them said, a black queen with soft features. “You Clan cats?”

“Yes,” Snowflower said with a small nod. 

“We were looking to stay the night here,” Bluefur said, forcing the words out through her surprise. “Would that be alright?”

“Of course!” the ginger tom said, flitting his tail as he jumped down to greet them. “We love getting visitors. My name’s Fleck, and this-” he used his tail to gesture to the queen still on the hay bail - “Is my sister, Mitzi.”

Bluefur dipped her head to the two loners. “Thank you for your hospitality,” she said.

“Feel free to hunt yourselves full,” Mitzi offered warmly. “My daughter Soot can show you the chicken coop where the mice live.” 

From the depths, a black molly that was almost a perfect copy of Mitzi came out, slinking between bails. “I always was the best hunter.”

“Was not!” This was a black-and-white tom, laying prone beside a curled up tortoiseshell with a purple collar.

“I was the best hunter, once,” another tom said, this one a grey tom with pale gold eyes. “We were all the best, I think, at some point.”

“Anyway,” Soot said sharply. “Those are my brothers, Magpie and Mist. Magpie’s mate is Amber. My sister’s around here somewhere,” she said with a dismissive shrug. “She’s always kind of roving... her name is Piper. She looks like me but dirtier.”

“Be nice!” Mitzi scolded as the three queens made their way to the entrance.

Soot humpfed, then lead the two sisters out of the barn and back into the field.

“So where have you traveled from?” Soot asked casually as they walked.

“ThunderClan,” Snowflower replied. “We’ve been sent here on a mission.”

“Awesome,” Soot said. “A pawful of seasons ago, we had this tom named Stormkit live with us. He said he was from RiverClan.”

“That must be Crookedjaw,” Bluefur said with a nod. “I heard rumors he disappeared for a while as a kit.”

“Crookedjaw would be his name,” Soot said, with a bit of sadness in her voice. “He had a terribly broken face...”

Her voice trailed off, and the three queens took to hunting after a few more moments of walking. There was nothing but rat and mouse-scent, but Bluefur didn’t mind that. A lack of variety for a day was a small price to pay for such a big adventure and a message from StarClan itself.

They brought their kills back to the barn, where Bluefur sat a distance from the barn cats with her sister and tucked into the meal. Thank you, StarClan, for the food you’ve given me and my sister, she thought. And if you could, protect these cats, too. Not every cat must be in a Clan to be protected, right?

The thought bugged her, but she said nothing to her sister. She disposed of the prey-bones outside of the barn, then came back inside and curled up, grey fur brushing against Snowflower’s white. There she dozed, thinking of the big day to come.

#BQ #Bluestar's Quest #NaNoWriMo

[skyoffireau]

Bluestar’s Quest Ch.2

“All cats old enough to catch their own prey, join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan Meeting!” 

Bluefur looked up, yawning widely. It had been a few days since her... mistake at the Thunderpath. The guilt still sat squarely on her shoulders as she slid out of the den, followed closely by her sister. “What do you think the meeting’s about?” Snowflower asked, flicking her tail back and forth. “I mean - surely it isn’t an apprentice ceremony, right? noone’s old enough...”

“Don’t think so,” Bluefur replied quietly, sitting down near the middle of the crowd. Whitepaw came padding over and sat beside his mother, taller than her and narrower of build. Thistleclaw sat on the other side of the overgrown apprentice, grunting a little. Bluefur was unnerved by the look in his eye, but said nothing.

Sunstar stood tall beside his deputy, Tawnyspots. The ever-loyal tom looked unusually frail, but proud.

“I have been told that StarClan has delivered a prophecy,” Sunstar announced, pulling no punches. The Clan cats gasped in surprise, and Bluefur looked to her sister with wide eyes. A prophecy? she thought. About what?

Featherwhisker padded forward, thick plumed tail up in the air as he stood on the Highrock beside the other high ranks. Bluefur guessed her uncle would be retiring soon. Good riddance, in her opinion.

“Four branches thrive, but a fifth dies without new leaves. A dead branch means a dead tree.”

Bluefur tilted her head, taking in the words. What does that mean? But there was no logical explanation. What could StarClan want?

Spottedpaw padded up beside her mentor, tail flicking back and forth like a dappled feather. “StarClan chose Bluefur to go on a mission.”

Such deep words coming from a young, high-pitched voice threw Bluefur for a loop. Her ears flattened as she felt all the eyes turn on her, and she lowered herself a little.

“She must go up past the Sunningrocks, past RiverClan’s ravine and further, beyond WindClan’s territory,” she explained.

Tigerpaw stood up from beside his mother, ears pressed forward. “Do you know where Bluefur has to go?” he demanded. 

“StarClan didn’t reveal it to me,” Spottedpaw admitted.

All eyes were on Bluefur, still. After a few moments of hanging silence she mewed, “I’ll go. I’ll do it.”

“I’ll go with you,” Snowflower said immediately.

“No!” Thistleclaw barked, standing up with his fur sticking on end as usual. “Whitepaw’s going to be a Warrior soon. Don’t you want to be there for his ceremony? He’s waited so long.”

“StarClan’s journeys don’t usually last too long,” Snowflower said. “Surely I’ll be home by the time he becomes a Warrior.”

“I’ll wait,” Whitepaw promised, looking at his father meaningfully. “I’ll wait until you’re home, and then I’ll become a Warrior.”

“You don’t have to,” Snowflower said gently, eyes glimmering. “If you get called forward, you take your Warrior Name. I’ll know. Mothers always do.”

Bluefur’s heart ached, and her ears twisted back and forth. She looked to Tigerpaw, who was sitting grumpily with one leg jutted out lazily.

“If Whitepaw waits,” he said quietly, “I’ll wait too. I don’t want to be a Warrior without him.”

Bluefur’s heart warmed, despite its ache. “That’s sweet of you, Tigerpaw.”

“Not- Not for him, yknow,” Tigerpaw grumbled. “It’d just be stupid to be made a Warrior and be alone at my vigil. What if a coyote attacks! I’ll want another cat to be standing vigil with me.”

Bluefur laughed. “Of course,” she said with a nod.

Sunstar raised his tail for silence, and Bluefur looked up as well as the rest of ThunderClan. “Bluefur and Snowflower will leave tomorrow,” he said. “Feel free to rest, queens, until then. Take some freshkill later tonight to keep your strength up. Clan dismissed.”

As Sunstar left the Highrock, Bluefur found herself getting anxious, like lizards were crawling around in her belly. Where is StarClan sending me? How will I know when I get there?

But she ignored those worries as Snowflower beckoned her, padding to the freshkill pile to sniff out something good. Whitepaw followed after them, asking his mother if she’ll think about him while she’s gone.

I wish I had kits who worried about me like that, Bluefur thought sadly. Maybe one day.

#BQ #bluestar's quest #nanowrimo

[skyoffireau]

Bluestar’s Quest Ch.1

“Finished?”

Bluefur looked up from her catch, locking eyes with Halftail. “Yeah,” she mewed. “I’m ready to go.”

“Let’s go then,” Halftail said invitingly. “We’re waiting on you.”

“Oh!” Embarrassment flashed through Bluefur’s pelt, and she jumped to her paws. She followed the skilled hunter to the edge of Camp, where the Gathering Patrol was waiting.

She walked alongside Poppydawn and Willowpaw, reminiscing about her kit-days when Poppydawn was still heavy with kittens. Willowpaw trotted alongside her, ear-to-ear in height with her mentor.

It had been two seasons since Willowpaw and her littermates had been apprenticed - they’d be due for their Warrior Names in the coming moons. Her nephew Whitepaw and his friend Tigerpaw were overdue for them, but it had been part of their punishment for having too-rough training sessions. Tigerpaw bore a scar over the bridge of his nose thanks to such training sessions, and Whitepaw had a notch in his ear that Snowflower had spent quite a while licking and fussing over.

At the edge of the Fourtrees hollow, Sunstar stopped his patrol. “Remember: feel free to discuss, but don’t discuss too much. Our weaknesses are our own,” he recited. All the Clan cats nodded their heads, and then they all descended as one into the throng of cats.

With a purpose, Bluefur strode around. Hailstar stood upon the Great Rock, so surely RiverClan was here...

She finally found herself nose-to-nose with the tom of her dreams. Oakheart! “How have you been?” the tom asked gently, nosing her over and licking her cheek.

“I’ve been well,” Bluefur said happily. “How are things in RiverClan?”

“My brother is Deputy now,” Oakheart said proudly, sitting down after a very interesting wiggle-butt maneuver. “Our father Shellheart retired, so it’s him now.”

“That’s amazing!” Bluefur said, running her tail along Oakheart’s. “I’m sure he’s very proud.”

“He’s been prancing around for the last quarter-moon since it happened,” Oakheart joked. “You know, there was a time in my life where I thought I’d never see him again.”

“I heard about when he left RiverClan,” Bluefur said with a nod. The leaders began their reports, but Oakheart was more interesting.

They talked along for a while, before something caught Oakheart’s ear. It was Cedarstar’s report, and he was discussing the Thunderpath tunnel.

“That’s real?” Oakheart asked in surprise.

“What?” Bluefur mewed, looking at him. It’s like a kit asking about the territory, she thought affectionately. “Of course it is. Did you think ThunderClan and ShadowClan were just pulling it out of their pelts?”

“Maybe,” Oakheart said with a shrug. “I don’t know what you do on your own time.”

Bluefur laughed. “I can show it to you,” she said, before rethinking what she’d said. How was that possible? She’d have to sneak Oakheart across ThunderClan territory...

“Could you?” 

Oh boy.

“I- I could,” Bluefur stammered with a shy smile. “If you like.”

Oakheart nodded with interest.

Bluefur looked around. Noone was paying mind to them, and they were both sat comfortably close to the edge of the hollow. She nudged the reddish tom and they slid quickly into the bushes, unseen.

They reached the tunnel, where the dark and the hum of the Monsters above seemed to almost lull Oakheart.

“It sounds like the river,” the tom explained, laying down and stretching himself out on his side. “It thunders after it rains. It’s so loud and comforting.”

Bluefur laughed and padded forward, curling close to him. It felt nice to lay with him like this, her whiskers twitching as the monsters rumbled past above them.

She closed her eyes. When she opened them, it was morning.

Panic swelled in her chest.

“Oakheart!” she hissed. “Wake up! We have to go home!”

Oakheart’s eyes slowly opened. Then he jolted, his fur stood on end, and he got up, trembling harshly. “Oh!” he gasped. “I- I-”

“We need to go home,” Bluefur repeated. “I need to go home. I- I’ll...”

She wanted to say I’ll see you around. But shame and panic got the best of her. She whipped around and ran out of the tunnel, toward the safe enclosing woods that marked her homeland. She hoped noone had noticed she was gone. 

I’ll never speak to Oakheart again, she thought anxiously. StarClan forgive me!

#BQ #Bluestar's Quest #Bluestar #Bluefur #Bluepaw #Bluekit #Warrior Cats #Erin Hunter

[skyoffireau]

Bluestar’s Quest Prologue

“Do you think I’ll be a good mentor?” Adderfang asked, pouncing through the snow as he followed the rest of the patrol.

“I think so,” Bluepaw replied, waving her tail in the air back and forth. “I mean, you were a lot of fun whenever you came to visit the nursery.”

Sunfall trilled his agreement, yellow eyes turning up to watch the snow fall. “You’ll do fine, especially with an energetic little tom like Thistlekit,” the deputy purred.

Snowpaw trotted up to Bluepaw’s side, a mischevious grin on her face. Bluepaw gave her a side-eye.

“Race you to Sunningrocks?”

“What?” Sparrowpelt coughed, head turning toward the two mollies, but it was too late - the twins were suddenly off and running.

“Wait!” Adderfang called out, and Bluepaw could hear the snow crunching as he broke into a run. “It’s not safe! Slow down!”

But Bluepaw was too caught up in her game to listen. Snowpaw was just ahead of her and there was no way she was letting her sister win!

Just as they reached the break in the treeline, Bluepaw bounded forward and landed on her littermate, sending them both tumbling through the powdery snow between the rocks. 

“I won!” Snowpaw crowed, kicking Bluepaw in the belly. “I win I win I win! Take that, RiverClan fiend!”

“You didn’t win!” Bluepaw laughed, buffing her head. “I caught you!”

“It wasn’t tag it was a race!” Snowpaw retorted, leaping and doing a little kick-turn in the air before landing on her paws and running between the rocks.

“Bluepaw! Snowpaw!” Sunfall called as the rest of the patrol emerged into the clearing. Bluepaw swept at her sister’s hind legs, knocking her on her belly and pinning her down, creating a Snowpaw-shaped indent. 

“Snowpaw!” Sparrowpelt yowled, before realizing he was on his apprentice’s bad side and moving over. “Snowpaw, stop!”

Snowpaw turned her head to look at her mentor, kicking Bluepaw off and giggling as she shook the snow from her pelt. “It’s too fun!” she complained.

A crunch in the snow made Bluepaw’s ears turn. Then, without warning, claws broke through the skin of her shoulders and she fell forward with a yelp of pain.

Suddenly the air around her was filled with hisses and snarls, and Bluepaw turned, kicking at her opponent. Snowpaw raced over and tackled the tortoiseshell that had her pinned down, biting into the queen’s ear until she yowled. The two sisters stood side-by-side as the RiverClanner retreated, and Bluepaw turned.

Sunfall was calling to Adderfang, and then the tom raced away - surely to get reinforcements. Bluepaw noticed a large grey tom stalking behind Sunfall, ready to pounce.

“Look out!” Bluepaw yowled, racing forward as hard as she could before giving a great leap and knocking the grey cat off their balance. Snowpaw was intercepting another cat, a queen, clawing at the calico’s face and ears. As the grey tom escaped, the tortoiseshell broke out of Snowpaw’s grip and raced after Sunfall, kicking up snow behind her.

Bluepaw reached to trip the queen up at the hocks, but she noticed and wheeled around, bristling and snarling at the two mollies. Bluepaw puffed herself up as big as possible and snarled gutterally, and Snowpaw did the same.

The puffy display seemed to do the trick and the queen suddenly turned and raced off, tail frizzed up in the air as she ran down the stones. Bluepaw went to chase after her mentor, leaping down onto a lower rock with a hard thump - coming face to face with someone familiar.

“Stormpaw!” she breathed softly, remembering the soft-faced tom from the Gathering. “Why are we fighting?”

Stormpaw’s eyes glimmered with recognition. Then he bared down and snarled, crooked teeth glimmering in the light. “Sunningrocks belong to RiverClan!” he yowled, lashing his tail furiously.

“Your dad is the deputy!” Bluepaw wailed, jumping back as Stormpaw slashed at her. “You can call them off. We don’t need to fight!”

But Stormpaw wouldn’t listen. He lurched at her, teeth finding sharp purchase in her shoulder, the crooked lower canine digging at an odd angle and making her shriek in pain. She could feel blood well up beneath his teeth as she kicked at him, biting into his ear. She could see Snowpaw in the form of a white flash leap onto his back and claw into him, pulling at his other ear and snarling to get off of her.

Stormpaw reared up, throwing Snowpaw off before landing hard on his big paws, glaring at the two mollies. He then turned and ran off, letting Bluepaw get up.

Snowpaw looked about ready to jump at a small RiverClan tom, but then a reddish-brown warrior with a boxy chest jumped onto the highest Sunningrock and yowled, “RiverClan! Retreat!”

“No!” Stormpaw yowled. “Oakheart, why? We can win this!”

“Don’t you have a nose?” Oakheart demanded, and Bluepaw froze at the power in his voice. “They’ve fetched reinforcements. By the time we’ve defeated this patrol a new one will be here, ready for battle.”

Stormpaw looked shamed and angry, glaring at the ThunderClan cats.

Sunfall jumped up to face Oakheart, letting out a growl. “Sunningrocks belongs to ThunderClan,” he hissed.

“For now,” Oakheart retorted, leaning down and jumping to the sand before driving his face into the water and paddling to the shore. The rest of the RiverClnners followed suit, and soon it was just ThunderClan again.

“Let’s mark the borders,” Sparrowpelt said, nursing a cut-open leg. “They got us good that time.”

“But we stopped them,” Snowpaw said proudly, absently signing the pawspeak word for happy while she danced around on her paws. “Because we’re ThunderClan!”

“Don’t boast early,” Bluepaw said, repeating the words of her former mentor Stonepelt. “Maybe there are more RiverClanners!”

Snowpaw looked intimidated by the idea and ran to mark the borders with her mentor.

Bluepaw approached the water, thinking of that strong tom - Oakheart. She wondered if he commanded that much authority all the time, or if it was a one-time thing. She leaned down to dip her tongue into the water, finding whiffs of his scent against the sandy bank where she pressed her paws.

She looked up, ears cocked, finding herself hoping to see reddish-brown fur against the tall, windblown grass. But there was no more RiverClan presence. All that remained was a scent on the air above the water.

#BQ #Bluestar's Quest #Bluestar #Bluefur #Bluepaw #Bluekit #ThunderClan #Warrior Cats #Erin Hunter