Fire and Ice - Chapter 52
Chapter 51 || Index || Chapter 53
The two sides silently faced each other down. Slowly, Fireheart lowered himself until his belly was almost brushing the water beneath him, the two siblings copying him behind him. They had to show they were no threat to these cats if they hoped to walk out unscathed.
He watched as the line of cats stood there silently, unmoving. What were they waiting for? Then he saw the black and white tom from earlier step out from behind the line, his golden eyes cold in the thin underground light.
Then his ears perked forward and his tail dropped in shock as he caught Fireheart’s gaze. “Jake?” He whispered, stepping forward gingerly, as though he was afraid the earth would drop out from beneath him. “How? How did you find us here? And who are these cats with you?”
The ruddy tom blinked in confusion and looked to the other two, uncertain if this was some important title that he was being referred to, but the other two looked just as clueless. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know any cat by that name.” He responded cautiously, afraid to anger the tom in front of them.
The skinny tom blinked, the surprise and delight on his face fading away. “Then who are you? Why have you come here?” He asked suspiciously, his eyes narrow.
The young warrior dipped his head low in respect. “My name is Fireheart, and these are Graystripe and Peppermask. We’re warriors of Thunderclan, searching for Windclan.”
“Thunderclan?” The tom considered them for a long moment. “Not who we were expecting to pursue us. But if it is Windclan you are looking for, well, you have found them.” He gestured to the line of warriors behind him in a command to disperse, and they did so uneasily, clumping up on either side of the tunnel to let their leader and guests pass.
His heart soared at the admission. “So then you must be-”
“Tallstar.” The leader dipped his head politely. “I apologize. My manners have gotten away from me in recent times.” He flicked his tail for them to follow him to dry land, and they did so gladly.
The white molly they had followed was still bushed out as they approached. “There! That’s the one I saw! I told you I wasn’t imagining things!” She burst out, backing away from them.
“They are Thunderclan. They mean no harm.” Tallstar murmured, touching her softly with his long tail. “You should rest, Whitepaw. You did well catching that rabbit, and now Morningflower will have enough milk for her kits.”
Whitepaw stared them down for a moment longer, before nodding. “Al-alright.” She mumbled, turning and leaving for the other side of the chamber.
“So. What brings Thunderclan to our camp?” Tallstar asked as he sat down. “Surely you haven’t come all this way just to spook one of our apprentices.”
Fireheart dipped his head. “We have not. We were sent by Bluestar to bring you home.”
Tallstar’s ears flattened and he cast his gaze away from them. “If only we could.” He murmured sadly, staring out at the miserable state of his Clan. “That land is not safe for us anymore. Not for several moons.” He was still clearly nervous, his eyes darting around as though expecting some sort of trap.
“Brokentail and his rogues are no longer in the forest.”
The tom in front of them and several cats around bristled in shock at his words. “Surely you jest.” The black and white leader mewed, doing his best to keep his voice steady, but he could see that the tom was hungry - desperate for him to be telling the truth.
“He speaks true.” Peppermask stepped forward now, dipping her head to the two conversing toms. “It was Fireheart here himself who drove Brokentail out of Shadowclan camp. Nightstar now leads Shadowclan, and he has promised to leave Windclan territory alone if they return to the moors.”
“You?” Tallstar stared him down, and Fireheart did his best to keep his fur from prickling at the rather unnerving demeanor of the other tom. “You are the one that cast out that blight on the Clans?”
The ginger warrior nodded. “He’s gone, hopefully for good. Even if he comes back, he’s severely weakened without the rest of Shadowclan behind him.”
The look of wonder in Tallstar’s eyes matched that of when he had mistaken Fireheart for another cat. “Brokentail is gone…” He murmured, gazing around at his Clan. Already, the word was spreading, cats perking up and turning to look at the three Thunderclanners in their midst. “You have done a great deed, for all the Clans. Windclan will honor you in our elders’ tales for generations.”
Fireheart purred warmly in response. “You are too kind, Tallstar.” He glanced around to the rest of the Clan that was slowly crowding around them. “Will Windclan be returning to the moorlands, then?”
Tallstar nodded decisively, and he could see the Windclan cats around him nodding as well. “Of course. That is where Windclan truly belongs.” He looked around, his golden gaze finally settling on a black tom that limped out of the crowd. “Deadfoot. Is the Clan fit for the journey?”
“Morningflower’s kits are too young to travel far.” Deadfoot murmured softly. “But Birchbark thinks Crowslip is strong enough to cross the Thunderpaths, if we go at night.”
Fireheart titled his head. “We did not need to cross the Thunderpaths to come here. Surely there is no reason not to leave now.”
The black and white tom hesitated. “How? Our territory is bordered on all sides by Thunderpaths.” A Monster rumbled overhead, as if punctuating his words. “It is impossible to reach without crossing one.”
Peppermask stepped up. “There was a tunnel, much like the one that leads to your camp. It went beneath the Thunderpath. We didn’t have to worry about the Monsters that traveled over it.”
Tallstar paused and stared distrustfully at them. “Our warriors prefer to stay above ground.”
“Yes, but you won’t have to risk being caught by a Monster’s paws.” Fireheart pointed out. “And it means we can go sooner.”
Tallstar’s ears perked forward. “We?”
Fireheart blinked. “Well, I- I was hoping we could travel with you. Since we’re headed back the same way, and all…” Had he been too brash? Tallstar had been so friendly moments before, but now he was looking at the Thunderclan warrior as though he had called them all fleabrains.
The black and white tom considered him for a long moment, his gaze still guarded. Fireheart raced back through what he had said, trying to figure out what he had said that had been so insulting. He breathed a sigh of relief as the Windclan leader finally dipped his head. “Very well. You may travel alongside us, if you can keep up with our swift pace.”
He purred gratefully. “Thank you, Tallstar.” He hadn’t realized that he was being presumptuous by assuming they would travel together. He glanced at Peppermask, but her face was stoic as she looked out among the Clan.
“You mentioned you had a nursing queen.” She said to the leader, keeping her voice soft and mellow. “Would it be alright if I traveled with her? Even the most experienced queens can have trouble keeping kits in line, and this will be a long journey.”
Tallstar looked over to an older tortoiseshell molly that was observing, who nodded as soon as she met his gaze. “Very well. Larksplash will take you to them.” He mewed, flicking his tail towards the older queen. “Graystripe, you can help Deadfoot look out for any threats. Fireheart, you can show me the way to this… tunnel.”
They waited for the Clan to sort itself into a line of cats, each walking in pairs. Several others, like Deadfoot and Graystripe, circled around, conversing with each pair to make sure that they were ready. At last, Deadfoot came to where Fireheart and Tallstar were standing. “The Clan is ready.”
“So be it.” Tallstar dipped his head to his deputy as he walked off once more, turning to the ginger tom beside him. “Lead the way, Fireheart.”
He nodded quickly, his heart beating fast even as he began walking into the dark tunnel from which they had first arrived. It was finally time for Windclan to come home.
8 notes
·
View notes
I was listening to my Playlist when "Stressed Out" came up. I like this song very much, it's great. But when it ended a thought came to my mind "It's a perfect Squirrelflight song"
So I decided to listen to it again with this idea and it is.
Just think about it, right now Squirrel is in an awful situation, so much awful things have happened to her and life is awful, even if she tries to stay positive.
And when she was young, a kit or an app, she probably never thought life would be so HARD, because, who does? As a kid, being an adult is amazing! You can do everything and anything you want and no one can tell you otherwise. But then you get older and you start missing the innocence of youth.
Lyrics that work the best with Squirrel are probably "I was told when I get older all my fears would shrink, But now I'm insecure and I care what people think" as a kit and app, she was fearless, nothing could stop her, not older warriors, rules or Starclan itself. But then she got older and words of her clanmates and Starclan started getting to her, started hurting.
Just, senior warrior Squirrelflight thinking how life was easier when she was a kit playing pretend with her sister and Whitekit, Shrekit, Spiderkit,whe she was an apprentice with her friends learning how to be a warrior, as a young warrior in love, having a family with Brambleclaw for the first time and how it all became corrupted with death of her friends, parents, sister, children.
15 notes
·
View notes