Prophecies of Two and Four }{ UF, Adventure/Ro...

[chellurton]

Title: Birth of DeathClan/Prophecies of Two and Four
Chapters: unknown at this point
Author: Chellurton
Rating: PG
Spoilers: can't think of any for now
Summary: Once well in progress, this story will follow the lives of thw kits of two half-clan cats: one from ShadowClan, sharing ThunderClan blood. one from RiverClan, sharing WindClan blood.
Warning: It is very likely that some main characters will die at some point throughout the course of this story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors or any of the Clans or Tribes in this story (with the exception of DeathClan). All living characters are of my own creation, though some of the dead ones belong to the creators of Warriors.


Author's Notes: I've had this idea for a while, though haven't got much done other than the characters. I'm a procrastinator and I am working on other, more important stories too, so it may take a while to finish. It's going to be really long. This first segment isn't really a chapter. It's really more of something leading up to the actual story. I'd call it a prologue, but that spot is already occupied. I don't really know if this story belongs in this section, but I couldn't figure out where else to put it. Here I go.

The Birth of DeathClan

A white tom with pale gray stripes waited patiently in an eerily green and shadowed forest. Four or five other cats sat near him, he thought. He hadn’t bothered to count recently but he knew they had lost more than half of the eleven they had had last time he counted. The second a cat strayed from the group, he or she was lost, most likely forever. If you wanted company here, you had to stay by your companion’s side all the time. Most wandered alone for all eternity, never encountering another soul. He alone, who was the first to walk this forest, knew how to navigate it. Cats usually went mad. Even in the group all of his current companions looked uneasy. The place disturbed them, as it should. It was supposed to. It was made for that.

A tortoiseshell she-cat who was particularly shaky stood as if she were going to run from every shadow. A ginger tom who was putting on a brave front hissed a warning. “Sit down! Brokentail thought he’d wander off for a bit too, but we haven’t seen or heard from him in days have we? We stick together or we wander alone here!” The white tom didn’t acknowledge this exchange. He was far too focused on something else to worry about who stayed or left. Tonight his dreams would be fulfilled. He would finally be able to accomplish the power he had always wanted. But it all depended on his visitor arriving.

The tortoiseshell shook her head in disbelief. “I told you already Paledawn,” she growled at the white tom, “Scourge killed Firestar, not the other way around. How could a dead cat kill the one who defeated him in life?” Her fur was bristling in anger.

Paledawn was one of a few names the tom went by. Those in his group who had once belonged to Clans in life called him Palestar, since he was their leader. He didn’t pay much attention to what they called him, it wasn’t important. He glared at the she-cat. “That was but a single life,” he informed her with thin patience “StarClan has more powers than you know, rogue. Firestar has eight lives remaining. Quiet now, Firestar has killed him. Scourge is on his way to join us.”

As he spoke a hazy image began to form in front of him. It soon took on the clear shape of a small black cat lying unmoving on its side. Paledawn ungracefully raked a claw down the cats side. Its eyes opened in shock as it leaped up and shouted “I killed you!” As it looked around and realized it was no longer in the great battle, the cat calmed down. He turned to lick his new wound to find it had disappeared. “Where am I,” the small black tom asked, his tone unreadable “what is this strange forest I’m in?”

Paledawn smiled shortly. “Greetings Scourge, and welcome to the dark forest,” he mewed. “This is where all murderous, treacherous, blood-thirsty, or power-lusting cats serve their sentence for all eternity after death. It is also the territory of what will now be DeathClan. We will be the opposing force of StarClan and the warrior code. I am the leader, Paledawn. Though I will exist forever and no cat shall ever take my place, I still know that to function properly a clan must have a deputy. I offer you that position Scourge. Consider quickly and join, or face eternity alone and powerless.”

Scourge fixed an icy gaze on Paledawn. “Deputy?” he mrowed with amusement. “What makes you think I’ll accept less than leader? I’ve lead BloodClan effectively for quite some time now, quite a large number. I’m not used to anything less because I’m not less. Every cat alive knew not to mess with me, or they’d be killed.” Scourge smiled in self-confidence.

Paledawn growled quietly, losing patience. “Although apparently not every cat with nine lives,” he retorted. He noticed Scourge’s expression fall. “and so not every cat dead. Physical strength has no power hear. We have no flesh to tear, no ability to inflict wounds. Your lack of wisdom of the Clan’s history and of their beliefs make you considerably less valuable. StarClan hold much power in the world of the dead, as do the Tribe of Endless Hunting, the ancestors of SkyClan, and others far away. Not knowing the gaps in their power, how to combat those you cannot physically fight. That is what cripples you here Scourge. Even alive, you’re ignorance of Firestar’s lives defeated you. Lesson one, a leader is always weakest after losing a life. I know you can adapt, and you have a mind that can help our cause once you do. We will chose cats to follow in our footsteps, and the Clans will bow to the shadows instead of the stars!”

Scourge was beginning to look very uneasy. He missed his earthly body. His strength, his tooth-claws, his battle skills. To give all of that up, replacing it with something he was just beginning to believe, much less understand. Alone he would be utterly lost and powerless. As a deputy he would have more influence than any other cat in the Clan. Paledawn was clearly interested in his ideas. Maybe this was the right way to go. And when he had learned enough, mutiny was always an option…

“Alright Paledawn,” Scourge replied simply “I accept.”

[wildfire]

oooo, this is good

[chellurton]

Thank you. It's always nice to get a compliment. : ]

Prologue

Chervilpaw waited patiently with Sedgetail for the others to arrive. Well, as patiently as she possibly could. But it was hard. The journey to Moonpool she awaited tonight was too much to bear. It was only three days ago that she had been apprenticed to Sedgetail, ShadowClan’s medicine cat. Her fur was prickling with excitement; she would be presented to StarClan tonight! Duskwhisker and his apprentice Grassbreeze from ThunderClan were already wafting with them. Grassbreeze was a tough looking tortoiseshell she-cat with bold but light green eyes. Chervilpaw realized they were the same shade as her own eyes, although her fur was dark tabby.

“Here comes Twosight,” Duskwhisker observed, confirming what Chervilpaw had already guessed. WindClan scent was carrying heavily on the breeze. As Twosight approached, Chervilpaw saw that she was a slender, pretty cat. She was young. Her fur was white, with only two black spots: one on her head and one on her tail-tip. As she drew closer the apprentice saw Twosight’s eyes. One was a very pale green, the other a gentle blue.

“I saw Skygaze coming up along the shore with that new apprentice of his from the gathering. Was it Dustpaw?” She wondered aloud. Her eyes fell on Chervilpaw and she grinned. “Looks like StarClan is welcoming two new medicine cats tonight,” she mewed kindly. Moments later Skygaze padded up with Dustpaw. The little medicine cat apprentice was a solid dusty-grey. His eyes were golden. Chervilpaw and Dustpaw smiled widely at each other. They were glad they wouldn’t have to face this alone.

As the older medicine cats took the lead, the two new apprentices trailed. “Are you nervous?” Dustpaw asked.

Chervilpaw nodded vigorously. “More excited though. I’ve waited for this since I was born,” she informed him. In truth, a younger Chervilkit had spent a lot of time helping Sedgetail in his den. The two apprentices spent the rest of the trip whispering anxiously to each other.

Then, there it was. The Moonpool. It was more beautiful than Chervilpaw could have imagined. It seemed like every star in Silverpelt was reflected perfectly there. Every great warrior, leader, and medicine cat the forest had ever known. Dustpaw gasped in awe. The two followed silently down the trail. They took their places around the Moonpool next to each other. Each had their mentor on their other side.

“StarClan!” Sedgetail called, “I present to you my apprentice Chervilpaw. I pray you will accept her as you once accepted me!”

“StarClan!” this call was from Sky gaze “I present to you Dustpaw, my apprentice. “I pray you will welcome him into you world, your mysteries, the life of a medicine cat!”

Chervilpaw bent her head, closed her eyes, and lapped some water from the pool.

When she opened her eyes she was so startled that she leapt back. She had known she would meet StarClan tonight, of course. She had never expected there would be so many of them. Instinctually she knew that every StarClan cat she faced right now had once belonged to ShadowClan. How many must there be altogether, she wondered incredulously. She managed to calm herself down and sat. “Um, hello. Or g-greetings… StarClan,” she stammered nervously.

One cat separated herself from the rest and approached Chervilpaw. She was smiling, obviously finding amusement in the young cat’s nerves. “Greetings from all of StarClan, Chervilpaw,” she mrrowed, “My name is Tawnypelt. I was once a warrior of ShadowClan. I represent StarClan now to welcome you into the wonderful path you have chosen in the life of a medicine cat.” Tawnypelt smiled kindly at the apprentice.

Chervilpaw gasped. “I’ve heard of you,” she meowed, “you were there during the great journey from the old territories. You were one of the six cats to make the original journey.”

“Yes,” Tawnypelt replied, “you certainly seem to know your history. But can you guess why StarClan chose me?” When Chervilpaw shook her head, Tawnypelt sighed. “I guess ShadowClan may not want to admit a ‘taint’ in their precious bloodline,” she admitted sadly. “You see, I was born in ThunderClan. I was a half-clan cat. StarClan chose me for the journey because my ties in another Clan helped me to understand the need for us to come together in such a dire time.”

As Tawnypelt finished her sentence Chervilpaw noticed the number of cats in the clearing double, triple, quadruple in number. The spirits of warriors from the other Clans. Beside Tawnypelt now stood two other cats, one grey and one silver-grey. She guessed that these two were Stormfur and Feathertail. She had heard of them in stories of the great journey too. When she looked beside her she found Dustpaw, reflecting her own awe in his eyes. She realized he must have been told the same thing by these cats of RiverClan origin. Stormfur and Feathertail must be half-clan too.

The three cats in front of them seemed to speak individually and with one voice at the same time. “We have brought you two together here tonight to bring you a special message for both of your ears, and only yours. You must carry it with you as you grow. Something is going to happen in ShadowClan and RiverClan, something that will affect all of the Clans… all five.” The two apprentices were confused. Weren’t there only four Clans? “The two cats whose kits will decide the fate of all, even StarClan, already walk among you. Keep watch, but do not interfere. It will be your duty to guide them and aide them on the beginning of their quest. And steer them in the right direction…” Their eyes fell on Chervilpaw in particular when they said this; though it was clear they meant it for both of them. They turned to Dustpaw. “You will be the first to know of their coming. We trust you will pass the message on.” Then the three cats looked to the sky, and the two apprentices followed their gaze.

Two stars close together caught Chervilpaw’s eye. Dustpaw noticed the same thing on the other side of the night sky. The two pairs drew close together and formed a square. They circled that way for a while, then joined together to form a beautiful giant star as bright as the moon. Suddenly they forced by some unseen power into pairs again, shooting back to their original places in the sky. They remained that way for a painful amount of time, and Chervilpaw couldn’t help but feel they didn’t belong separate anymore since they were so beautiful together. The stars then flared up in rage at their separation. One from each side charged toward each other, the other two following more slowly. The speeding stars collided, blazing as brightly as before. But there was something wrong this time. In their rage the stars blazed too fiercely. They grew larger and brighter, out of control, engulfing the other two stars. Chervilpaw looked to Dustpaw and saw her own horror in his eyes. They returned their gaze to Tawnypelt, Stormfur, and Feathertail, but they were gone. Twelve silhouettes of cats now sat in a semi-circle. Each whispered their title in turn. The leaper, the quiet, the wise, the courageous, the guiding light, the reader, the sensitive, the healer, the fighter, the whisperer, the overcomer, the bright misleader. She exchanged another glance with Dustpaw before looking to the sky again. The whole sky was in flames now, utterly destroyed. The smoke was so thick; the StarClan warriors completely disappeared behind it. Chervilpaw closed her eyes; she couldn’t bear to see it anymore.

Then the smell of smoke had disappeared. Chervilpaw cautiously opened her eyes and found herself crouched beside Sedgetail once more. The other medicine cats had all woken, apart from Dustpaw. His eyelids fluttered as she watched and his eyes locked with hers for a brief but intense moment, confirming the dream they had shared. Each of the other medicine cats now spoke in turn. A new prophecy unfolding.

“Two and two will come together, four will come to be,” began Sedgetail.
“Two and two again will form a greater unity,” Skygaze continued.
“Four become divided, bringing two and two once more,” rasped Duskwhisker.
“Two and two in rage are merely two instead of four,” meowed Twosight.
Grassbreze shivered before finishing, “Reality’s in danger when two and two make only three.”

So that was it, Chervilpaw realized. The others had received only words instead of images and titles. Words given to them by StarClan to help the two young apprentices understand, and give a real weight to their dreams. Four, one, two, two, three, thought Chervilpaw, twelve. That was it. Twelve cats would decide the fate of all the Clans. Chervilpaw stored this information in the back of her mind, not thinking too much about it for now. She wouldn’t need it for a while. But she stayed close to Dustpaw’s side as they left, her fur brushing his. This overwhelming knowledge had brought the two apprentices closer together than most medicine cats.

[chellurton]

Not the most exciting chapter, but you have to start somewhere.

Chapter1

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around for a Clan meeting,” Darkstar’s call sounded throughout the RiverClan camp.

Mothpaw was completely beside herself. Her gaze darted excitedly to her sister, Amberpaw. This was it, the big day. Now they would be warriors. With the Gathering tomorrow it was all the more exciting. They could sit their vigils tonight and go to the Gathering tomorrow as warriors. Twistedfang, her mentor and deputy, looked so proud.

When the whole Clan had gathered, Darkstar began with the traditional words. “I, Darkstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these two apprentices. They have worked hard to understand your noble ways and the warrior code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.” He turned his sights from the sky to the two apprentices. “Amberpaw, Mothpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to defend your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?”

“I do,” the pale tabby cat with light blue eyes almost barked the words, she was so enthusiastic.

“I do,” her ginger-furred sister with amber eyes echoed, a bit more calmly. Mothpaw could only smile sheepishly at her own outburst.

“Then,” Darkstar replied, “By the power of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Amberpaw, from this day forward you shall be known as Amberwind. StarClan honors bravery and wisdom, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan.” Darkstar rested his muzzle on Amberwind’s head, and she gave his shoulder a respectful lick. Then she stepped back to make room for her sister.

“Mothpaw, from this day on you will be known as Mothface. StarClan honor your strength and tireless energy, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan.” Mothface stepped gracefully forward and Darkstar rested his muzzle on her head. In her excitement she wondered if the lick she gave his shoulder was too short to be respectful.

Twistedfang and Dustpaw, the medicine cat apprentice, were the first to take up the cheer. Ashpaw, Dustpaw’s brother, followed suit. The rest of the Clan cheered as well. “Amberwind! Mothface! Mothface! Amberwind!” Mothface thought it was the best thing she had ever heard. The look on Amberwind’s face to her that she felt the same.

“As is the tradition, these two new warriors will sit in silent vigil for the remainder of the night, guarding the camp alone. Their vigil will end at dawn.” With those final words Darkstar called the meeting to an end.

“Good luck,” Ashpaw whispered as he retreated to the apprentice den. Sympathy washed over Mothface. Poor Ashpaw would be alone in the apprentice den tonight, since his poor sister Fishkit had drowned last week before their apprentice ceremony. Mothface was grateful that she had her sister to sit vigil with. The two took their places at the camp entrance, guarding the camp for the night.

There was a lot to appreciate, Mothface discovered, when you sat in silence at night. The night sky, for instance, was something she had never taken much time to look at before. Silverpelt was important, she knew that much, but she had never once taken the time to admire it and its beauty. The stars really were quite pretty, especially Silverpelt. She tried focusing on one warrior of StarClan at a time, imagining what each had been like in life. Was it from RiverClan or WindClan? Was that bright one a medicine cat, or a leader maybe?

There were other things she noticed too. She discovered that she really liked the sound of crickets. It was a soothing, peaceful sound. A soft chirping. It would have soothed Mothface right to sleep were she not so wide awake from excitement. Amberwind on the other hand was doing off. Mothface had to jab her with her paw more than once to make sure she didn’t fall asleep. You should have taken my advice and had that afternoon nap, she thought smugly.

By the time the dawn came around, however, even she was close to dozing off. She shot a thankful look at Twistedfang when she led the dawn patrol by and told Mothface her vigil was over. She started heading for the apprentice den, then checked herself. She heard Amberwind chuckling at her as she turned to head toward the warriors den. The two new warriors found space to make their nests next to each other, and both promptly fell asleep. Mothface’s last, excited thought was of the Gathering she would attend later that night.

[chellurton]

Chapter2

“Uh,” Mothface huffed as she slipped, her chest hitting the tree-bridge with a thud. What a way to start my fist gathering as a warrior, she thought glumly. She ungracefully picked herself back up and, digging in her claws, crossed the log the rest of the way to the island.

As usual, RiverClan were the first to arrive, since they lived so close to the island. But it wasn’t long before a strong scent of ShadowClan came up on the breeze. She watched as the ShadowClan medicine cat, Sedgetail, cross the bridge, a new apprentice in tow. Dustpaw had mentioned something about her. Her name was Chervilpaw. The apprentice ran almost too eagerly to sit next to Dustpaw.

WindClan soon arrived and Mothface decided it was time to socialize a bit. She had never really talked to the other Clan’s warriors before. She was looking around for a group to go sit with when she was approached.

“Mothpaw,” a voice squeaked “How are you?” Mothface turned to see her friend Weedpaw from ShadowClan.

Mothface sat proudly. “Who?” she asked dismissively, “I don’t know any Mothpaw. You must be mistaken.

Weedpaw’s mouth dropped open and she gasped. “You’re a warrior now,” she asked incredulously, “No way! So what am I supposed to call you now?”

“I am Mothface, now,” she replied smugly. Her eyes lit up as she saw a ShadowClan warrior heading toward them. This was her chance to meet one!

Weedpaw saw him too. “That’s my mentor,” she meowed, “His name’s Birchfoot.” When Birchfoot drew closer she meowed, “Birchfoot, this is Mothface from RiverClan.”

“A new warrior,” he meowed “nice to meet you Mothface. I remember my first gathering as a warrior, very exciting.” He turned to Weedpaw. “I’m sure she doesn’t want to spend it with the apprentices. Weedpaw, why don’t you go over to your brothers?” Weedpaw took the hint and left. Mothface shot a grateful glance at Birchfoot. He was right; she wanted to talk to the warriors.

Now that she got a good look at him, Mothface saw that Birchfoot was quite a handsome cat. He had mostly white fur with grey-tabby patches. He was large and well muscled too. His eyes were a beautiful shade of gold, t6hat was what she noticed most about him.

“So how are you enjoying life as a warrior,” he asked “is it all you hoped it would be?”

“Well,” she mewed shyly, “I’ve only been a warrior for a day really. Not much time to experience it.” she paused in thought for a moment. “Though I did quite enjoy my vigil last night,” she added.

“Really?” Birchfoot asked, genuine interest in his tone, “Most warriors I know found that to be the worst part of the ceremony, especially those who had to sit it alone. Having to sit in silence all night, they find it kind of boring. Especially considering they never had the night watch as apprentices. I remember my sister Patchleaf kept dozing off.” He chuckled to himself.

“On the contrary,” Mothface meowed “I didn’t find it boring at all. The night is beautiful in many ways, and I never had a chance to notice it until I sat in silence. When you’re not speaking you have a lot more time to watch and listen.” Birchfoot’s mouth was hanging open a little now. His eyes, as he looked at her, were so intense. She gave him a quizzical look back, confused. Was it something she had said?

Two cats appeared beside Birchfoot. One was black and the other black and white. Both had pale yellow eyes. “Birchfoot,” the black one meowed accusingly, “are you bothering this poor she-cat?”

Birchfoot closed his mouth and lightened his gaze. “Uh, hey you two,” he meowed slowly, “No, we were just talking. Mothface, these are my sisters, Darkwing and Patchleaf. As you can see, their main purpose in life is to make me look bad.” He shot a glance pointedly at Darkwing.

Darkwing laughed. “Aww, did I hurt the little mousie’s feelings,” she purred. “Come on over here, the Gathering is about to start!” Birchfoot’s sisters led him away to sit with his Clan. Mothface opened her mouth to protest; she had wanted to talk to him a bit more. However, she thought better of it and padded away to sit next to Amberwind. She noticed Birchfoot look at her over his shoulder.

Lionstar, the ThunderClan leader, was leaping for a branch on the great oak. Mothface realized that ThunderClan has arrived without her notice. They must have come while I was talking to Birchfoot, she thought.

“Who were you talking to over there,” Amberwind asked “he was looking at you weird.”

Did she notice that too, Mothface thought. “Oh, that was Birchfoot. He’s Weedpaw’s mentor, from ShadowClan. The other two are his sisters, Darkwing and Patchleaf.”

“I was talking to some ThunderClan warriors,” Amberwind bragged, “I figured that was the best idea since they live all the way across the river.”

Darkstar yowled to declare the Gathering had begun. He began, “RiverClan is having a good green-leaf. We have two new warriors: Mothface and Amberwind.” Mothface looked at her paws in mock modesty, but really she was thrilled with the attention.

Marshstar of ShadowClan introduced Chervilpaw and her sister Finchpaw as the Clan’s two new apprentices. Lionstar announced that the queen Rainstorm had given birth to four kits: Fawnkit, Lichenkit, Floodkit, and Daisykit. Treestar of WindClan didn’t have anything to report. However, Mothface only knew all of this because Amberwind had told her later that night. Throughout the Gathering, and afterward as they returned to camp, all she could think about was the strange way Birchfoot had looked at her.

[chellurton]

Chapter 3

In the week or so since the Gathering, Birchfoot hadn’t found himself thinking much about Mothface. Even for most of the night guarding the camp entrance he had managed to keep his thoughts elsewhere. But now he was finding it hard to keep his mind off of her. He had made the mistake of looking to the sky, which reminded him of her words. She had spoke about how her vigil had helped her to realize the beauty the night held. With his eyes to the sky, he saw it too.

He had thought, as Mothface spoke to him, that she had completely grasped the purpose of the vigil in a way he had never seen any warrior do before. It usually took a bit of experience before a warrior thought back and realized the vigil’s importance in Clan life. It held a different value for every cat. It was part of discovering who you were as a warrior. He didn’t think she realized that yet, but he had gotten a glimpse of who she was that night.

She seemed to have such a great outlook on the world. He had never met someone like her before. She was sweet, kind, caring, insightful, beautiful. She was beautiful. She was slender and small, she would have looked delicate if she didn’t appear so strong. She had a lovely pale tabby pelt that was an odd shade, very unique. And her ice-blue eyes had a sort of lively gleam to them. She was so… perfect.

It was then that the dawn patrol came through, that he realized was he was thinking. Guilt washed over him like a huge wave. How could I think that about a RiverClan cat, he thought, I’m a loyal ShadowClan warrior! But he knew he was hooked. He simply couldn’t get her out of his head now. “I should never have looked at the sky,” he growled to himself as he crept off to his nest. As he curled up to go to sleep, he knew he would dream of Mothface tonight.

*****************************************

Birchfoot stretched by his nest as he woke up. As he had predicted, Mothface had walked his dreams. He looked out of the den, it was sunhigh. He decided to go look for Weedpaw to do some training. He spotted the apprentice sharing a large squirrel with Chervilpaw. He walked over to them. “Weedpaw get up,” he called “we’re going to work on your hunting today.”

Weedpaw leapt up excitedly. “Finally,” she squeaked, “I thought we would never get to train today. Ow,” she protested as Birchfoot cuffed her over the head.

“Would you mind if I came with you,” Chervilpaw asked, “That is, if you wouldn’t mind hunting near RiverClan. We’re running low on marigold and I saw a good patch of it near there the other day.”

Great, Birchfoot thought, RiverClan. He didn’t want to chance looking suspicious by refusing, though. “Uh, that’s fine,” he meowed, and he lead the two apprentices to the RiverClan border. What are the chances I’ll see her there anyway?

Weedpaw ran up to Birchfoot, who was waiting in the marigold patch while Chervilpaw chose the best ones to take back to camp. A plump vole was dangling from her jaws.

“Good catch,” Birchfoot commented. Then he caught a scent on the breeze… RiverClan!. A patrol was coming! He groaned inwardly. Part of him wanted to run for cover to prevent any embarrassment. The other part wanted to run forward to see if he could spot an odd pale tabby pelt. So he planted himself right where he was, fighting against both. When the patrol approached his heart sank into his stomach and leapt into his throat at the same time. Mothface.

The patrol caught their scent and headed over. With Mothface were Twistedfang, and Scaledazzle. Birchfoot prayed to StarClan that Mothface would not remember him.

“Hi Birchfoot,” came the melody of her voice, “are you collecting some marigold? Would you mind if we borrowed a bit? Sedgetail says we’re running low and we’re in short supply over here.

It took Birchfoot five excruciating seconds to realized he was staring again. “Uh,” he came up blank, a loss for words. She was smiling at him now, the kind of smile that accompanied laughter. She was laughing at him, he knew it!

“Sure,” Chervilpaw replied for him, “it appears we have some to spare.” She passed a little over to Mothface, who blinked gratefully. Twistedfang shot Moth face a reproachful look for so openly asked for help from another Clan. The patrol started to move away, and Mothface hesitated. “I think we have enough,” Chervilpaw mewed, “Let’s head back.” The apprentices disappeared into the bushes.

Mothface glanced behind her, then dropped her marigold. “Meet me by that bush at moonhigh,” she hissed quietly, then picked up her bundle and followed her patrol. Birchfoot was positively glowing. She wanted to meet with him tonight! He knew he would be sneaking around behind his Clan, something the experienced warrior had never done before, but somehow it didn’t seem so bad to him right now. He picked up some extra stalks of marigold and took off after Weedpaw and Chervilpaw.

[chellurton]

Chapter 4

Birchfoot waited eagerly under the cover of the bush for Mothface to arrive. Slipping out of camp had been easy enough, it wouldn’t have been the first time Birchfoot went out at night. He had arrived at the meeting place too early in his excitement, and had been waiting quite a while for Mothface to arrive.

Then he detected her scent from the direction of RiverClan. A moment later the bush rustled and Mothface slipped under to join him. “Hi,” Birchfoot breathed nervously.

“Um, hi,” Mothface replied in an odd tone. She paused for a moment, then meowed, “Look, there’s something I really need to ask you.” Birchfoot smiled. She must be asking him if he liked her too! So of course, getting his hopes up, he was crushed when she asked, “What exactly is your problem?” She fixed him in an annoyed glare.

Birchfoot was absolutely stunned. “What,” he asked incredulously. He hadn’t expected such harsh words from her.

“You keep staring at me,” she hissed, “And don’t deny it. Amberwind and Scaledazzle have both noticed too. You get this weird, intense look and just stare. You did it first at the Gathering, and I thought I might be imagining things. But then I see you at the border, thinking I mike be able to have a normal conversation with the one non-RiverClan warrior I know, and you do it again. It’s kinda creepy and I was just wondering, what is your problem?”

Birchfoot’s heart sank into his stomach. Embarrassment rushed through him. He felt liker such an idiot. He had caught himself gawking at Mothface on both occasions, but it never occurred to him it would bother her this much. He had considered the occasions a mild embarrassment. Now he knew better. Then he recalled Mothface’s smile earlier that day. “You seemed to think it was pretty funny before,” he retorted flatly.

“Yeah,” she growled, “well Scaledazzle put it into perspective. That doesn’t matter. I just want to know why. Is there something wrong with me?”

“No,” he gasped, a little too loudly. He quieted himself. “No, no. Of course not. Th-the exact opposite really.” She looked at him quizzically, so he explained himself better. “I think you’re great,” he admitted, “What you said at the Gathering really wowed me. I was guarding the camp last night, and suddenly I couldn’t keep my mind off of you. I was finding beauty in the night, like you said. Suddenly the most beautiful thing I could think of was you. Has anyone ever told you how amazing you are?”

It was Mothface’s turn to be stunned. Whatever reasons she may have been expecting from him, a confession of love certainly wasn’t one of them. A flood of emotions flashed across her face, too quickly for Birchfoot to read. She finally managed to hiss, “Are you making fun of me?”

“What,” he hissed back, “No, I’m being sincere. I think I love you Mothface. I know I don’t even really know you. But sometimes just a few words can tell you a lot about a cat. I’ve always been a pretty accurate judge of character, and I think you’re perfect.”

Mothface went quiet. After a long silence she meowed “That’s a lot to take in, you know.”

“I know,” he replied.

“I don’t really know what to say. We can’t be together Birchfoot. We’re from two separate Clans, it‘s against the warrior code. Besides, even if you feel you know me, I don’t know you well enough to tell you whether I can return your feelings…” She trailed off at the end; she really didn’t want to hurt Birchfoot’s feelings. He seemed nice.

“I’m not asking you to decide right now,” he explained, “I just want you to give me a chance. I’ll even give you three days. Three days to think about this. Then you can come back and tell me if you’re willing to give me a chance. Just think about it, please.”

“And what if in three days I’m still not sure,” she asked

“Then you haven’t thought about it very much, in which case I’ll have to accept that you don’t care enough. Just a thought, that’s all I want from you.”

There was another long silence. Then “Okay,” she meowed, the doubt painfully thick in her voice, “I’ll think about it.” Without a goodbye she quickly slipped out from under the bushes and left.

But Birchfoot wasn’t put off by her doubtful attitude. The fact that she had agreed to come back at all was a sign that she was considering it. That was very good. He smiled. He had successfully turned this night from a disaster to something great. And he had feeling this was the start of something even better.

[chellurton]

Chapter 5

Mothface slipped quietly back into the den, hoping no one would notice her. Unfortunately when she arrived she found Amberwind waiting up. She had made the mistake of telling her sister she was going to confront Birchfoot. Now it had turned into this whole big mess. What will I tell her, she wailed inwardly. Then she checked herself. I’ll tell her the truth of course. It’s not as if I plan to go through with this. I’m just a bit confused. What could go wrong?

“What happened,” her sister hissed eagerly. Mothface took a deep breath. At least she knew Amberwind was trustworthy with a secret.

“Well, I showed up and he was already there,” she began “Then I asked him what his problem was.”

“That’s harsh,” Amberwind chided “What’d he say?”

“Well,” Mothface hesitated, “He said… that he loved me.”

She was met with silence. When she looked at Amberwind her jaw had dropped in shock. “You’re kidding,” she finally managed to mouth.

“Nope,” she replied, “He confessed his love to me right there. Hey, don’t give me that look, I was just as shocked as you. He asked me to go back in three days and tell him whether or not I would give him a chance.”

There was another pause. There’s certainly no lack of awkward silences tonight, Mothface thought bitterly. She was caught off guard when Amberwind asked “So, are you going to?”

“Of course not,” she growled. Did her sister think so low of her?

“…Why not?”

It was Mothface’s turn to stare. Why not? It was a simple question but it made her head swirl. “Why not,” she repeated, “Why not? I barely know him for one thing. And then there’s the little fact that he’s from ShadowClan. Not RiverClan, ShadowClan. Why should I risk it? It’s not like I owe him anything.

“Maybe you owe it to yourself.”

Mothface staggered. Was Amberwind really suggesting she go meet him again? Maybe it wasn’t such a big betrayal of the warrior code. Her sister didn’t seem to think so. Mothface was overwhelmed. Dizzy, she asked “Would you?”

But Amberwind didn’t have a chance to answer. The sun was rising and cats were waking up. Mothface was glad she had opted to sleep before meeting with Birchfoot. At least she had gotten some rest. She slipped out of the den and stretched in the sunlight, hoping the fresh air would clear her jumbled mind.

Twistedfang approached her quickly. “The fresh-kill pile is in pretty good stock,” he meowed calmly, “Can you take out a small hunting patrol. One or two other cats are plenty.”

Hunting patrol! That was great. Just one other cat, she’d ask Amberwind to join her. She smiled at Twistedfang “Of course,” she replied. She dipped her head respectfully and Twistedfang gave her a grateful look before heading off to lead the dawn patrol. She turned to fetch Amberwind only to find the ginger warrior right beside her already. “Ahh,” she hissed, “would it kill you to make a little noise?”

“What kind of hunter are you,” Amberwind giggled. She started heading for the camp entrance.

“Hey,” Mothface protested, “I thought I was supposed to lead the hunting patrol!”

****************************************

“I think it’s worth a shot,” Amberwind meowed, answering the earlier question, “What’ve you got to lose?” She was staring intently at the lake.

Mothface’s eyes were focused on Amberwind, her heart not really in the hunt. “Well, for one thing there’s…” She trailed off. She realized she didn’t know how to finish that sentence.

“Exactly,” Amberwind mewed quietly. She shot out her paw and a fish flew out of the water. She stayed focused on the water, however, so Mothface made the kill figuring that was Amberwind’s intention. It made her feel a bit useful. She smiled, her sister was so smart.

That realization swayed her far toward the pro-Birchfoot side of things. If Amberwind thought it deserved a shot, it must. Then she remembered something Birchfoot had said that made up her mind completely.

And what if in three days I’m still not sure,” Mothface asked

“Then you haven’t thought about it very much, in which case I’ll have to accept that you don’t care enough.” Birchfoot replied.

[/center]

Mothface couldn’t argue with his logic. She hadn’t spent a moment since she left him yesterday when she hadn’t thought about him. I must care about him to some degree, or I wouldn’t have spent so much time thinking about him.

It felt great to be decided. A great weight was lifted off of her shoulders. Not to mention a great fog lifted from her brain. “Thanks Amberwind,” she mewed gratefully, giving her sister’s head a swift lick.”

“No problem,” Amberwind replied, sounding a bit distant. She flicked another fish out of the water, this time turning to make the kill herself. She must have sensed my cleared mind, Mothface marveled, She’s so smart! She shifted her position and gazed into the lake, her head now back on the hunt.

[chellurton]

That one turned out much better than I thought it would.

[wildfire]

this is rly good, I wonder when Deathclan will strike Starclan?

[chellurton]

Thanks, I'm glad you think so. I wish more people would leave me comments. As for DeathClan, they won't be in the story for a loooooooooooooong time now, so bear with me. Don't worry, soon the REAL main characters will come in and the story should pick up a little.

[chellurton]

Revised Allegiances:

(T)=tom
(S)=she-cat

RiverClan
Leader: Darkstar(T)
Deputy: Twistedfang(T)
Medicine Cat: Skygaze(T)
Medicine cat apprentice: Dustpaw(T)
Warriors:
-Amberwind(S)
-Blacknose(T)- Ashpaw
-Bigear(T)
-Oakpelt(S)
-Torntail(S)
-Scaledazzle(T)
-Grayfoot(s)
-Boldclaw(T)
-Barkfur(T)
Apprentices:
-Ashpaw(T)
Queens:
-Mothface(S)
-Tanwhisker(S)
Kits:
-Frogkit(T)
-Beetlekit(S)
-Skunkkit(T)
-Robinkit(T)
-Cricketkit(S)
-Crowkit(S)
Elders
-Bogtail (S)

ShadowClan
Leader: Marshstar(S)
Deputy: Webstream(T)
Medicine cat: Sedgetail(S)
Medicine cat apprentice: Chervilpaw(S)
Warriors:
-Birchfoot(T)
-Darkwing(S)
-Patchleaf(S)-Finchpaw
-Mosstail(S)
-Pinethroat(T)
-Aspenface(T)
-Weedclaw(S)
-Blackshadow(T)
-Sootnose(T)
Apprentices:
-Finchpaw(S)
Queens
-Brackenpelt
-Fernfoot
Kits
-Shrewkit
-Thunderkit

ThunderClan
Leader: Lionstar(T)
Deputy: Palefoot(T)
Medicine cat: Duskwhisker(T)
Medicine cat apprentice: Grassbreeze(S)
Warriors:
-Deerheart(T)
Queens:
-Rainstorm(S)
Kits:
-Fawnkit(S)
-Lichenkit(T)
-Floodkit(T)
-Daisykit(S)

WindClan
Leader: Treestar(T)
Deputy: Rabbitdash(S)
Medicine cat: Twosight(S)
Warriors:
-Breezefur(S)
-Stoneface(T)
-Coldshiver(S)

[chellurton]

Chapter 6

Birchfoot waited impatiently under the bush once again. It had been three days since his first meeting with Mothface, and now he would find out her decision. His fur bristled in anticipation. What if she didn’t come?

He relaxed when he caught her scent on the wind. He smiled hugely. It wasn’t long before a rustling in the bushes signaled her arrival. He forced his smile away, trying to look nonchalant. “Hi,” he breathed.

“Hi,” she answered quietly.

They sat there beside each other in silence for a moment. Neither knew quite how to start. Finally Birchfoot broke the silence, “So-”

“I made my decision,” Mothface cut him off, “Or rather, we made my decision. I think my sister knows my own mind better than I do.”

Birchfoot breathed in sharply. She had told Amberwind about their meeting? This was a doomed effort now. Her sister would surely tell her to be loyal to her Clan by discontinuing her visits to Birchfoot. “And,” he meowed, bracing himself.

“You should thank her,” Mothface laughed, “She convinced me this was worth a shot.” She smiled warmly at him.

Birchfoot almost fainted with relief. “That’s great,” he meowed, “Fantastic. I promise you won’t regret this!” When Mothface kept smiling, he knew she believed him.

******************************************

Over the next half-moon Birchfoot found himself falling more and more in love with Mothface every day. They met every other night, it seemed reasonable. The first few meetings they just sat under the bush and talked, telling each other about themselves, and funny stories from their past. Then one day Birchfoot looked into Mothface’s eyes and knew she loved him too. It was the best feeling he had ever known.

The meetings with Mothface were soon the highlights of Birchfoot’s day. On the days they weren’t meeting he found himself longing for tomorrow to come. On the days they were he had to be careful he didn’t start bouncing with excitement as the sun went down. He didn’t have to worry about being found out either. He was one of ShadowClan’s most respected warriors, suspicions were non-existent about him.

But tonight, a half-moon after their fist meeting, Birchfoot found himself getting anxious as he sat under the bush. It was well past moonhigh and Mothface was nowhere to be found. Still, he waited a while longer. Eventually he decided it was time to head back to camp. She probably had to guard her camp tonight, he thought to himself.

Two nights later he returned to there meeting place. Again he waited well past moonhigh for her. Again Mothface never showed up. Birchfoot was getting worried. Had Mothface been hurt? Was she ill? Birchfoot returned to camp again.

He continued this routine for a while. Every night he waited for Mothface. Every night she didn’t come. He waited less and less every night, losing hope. One of three things had happened, Birchfoot knew:

Mothface was so seriously hurt or ill that she was confined to the medicine cat den for a long time or had… he couldn’t think the word.
Mothface had been caught sneaking out to see him, and couldn’t risk it anymore. That wasn’t likely though.
Mothface had decided that Birchfoot just wasn’t worth losing sleep over, and had stopped coming to se him of her own accord.

None of those options were very inviting. And to Birchfoot, the third seemed more likely than anything. Just the thought of that crushed him. The night he realized that must be what happened, he went back to camp with his tail dragging, and stopped going out to the meeting place.

*********************************************

Birchfoot hopped up onto the tree bridge. It had been one moon since he first met Mothface, and tonight there was Gathering. He could smell that RiverClan had already arrived and it made him sick. He didn’t seek out Mothface’s scent, though it took a lot of effort not to. Half of him hoped she was there, in case he was wrong and she could tell him. Part of him hoped she wasn’t. Because in his gust he knew he was right and didn’t want his fears confirmed.

However, when he got into the clearing he couldn’t stop his eyes from zeroing in on her. She was speaking with a group of warriors. Breezefur and Coldshiver from WindClan, who had also arrived. Blacknose from RiverClan, and Pinethroat from ShadowClan. Greenleaf is treating Mothface well, Birchfoot thought, she’s gotten kind of plump. She turned her head in his direction and he quickly turned away. He went and sat with Darkwing. Too late he realized that his sister was talking with Amberwind, of all cats.

“Hi, Birchfoot,” Amberwind meowed, an odd tone in her voice. It sounded a little like she was suppressing a laugh. Her eyes were sparkling mysteriously. She-cats! he thought. They could never be straightforward.

“Oh, Birchfoot,” Darkwing meowed, “I didn’t see you come over.”

“Someone’s coming to see you,” Amberwind sang, not bothering to hide the mischief in her tone. Shut up, he hissed inwardly, my sisters don’t know all my secrets, if you know all of Mothface’s! Then he spun around, to see Mothface slowly picking her way through the crowd toward him. She froze though, because Marshstar had just yowled for the gathering to begin. Birchfoot grudgingly turned around.

Treestar began the Gathering. “WindClan has a new warrior,” he announced, “Stonepaw’s training was delayed after he was injured fighting off a badger. However, he now joins his sisters Coldshiver and Breezefur as a warrior, under the name of Stoneface.” A cheer went up in the clearing. Mostly WindClan and apprentices, who knew him well since he had been one so long. Mothface was among those cheering. She was an apprentice too until a moon ago, he remembered.

The other Clans had nothing to report. It was just the same Gathering tedium as Lionstar, Marshstar, and Darkstar each assured the others that their Clan was very strong with plentiful green leaf prey. Birchfoot had heard it all too many times. Everything was always a threat, he guessed that was just the way things were and always had been.

Then the Gathering was over. The leaders all hopped down from the Great Tree and cats began rising to leave. Darkwing went to follow Marshstar. Birchfoot rose to do the same but Amberwind stopped him with her tail. “We aren’t done with you yet,” she purred, looking in Mothface’s direction. Amberwind signaled to a nearby bush, then took off after Darkstar. Birchfoot could take a hint. Mothface wanted to talk to him alone.

Birchfoot ducked under the bush with Mothface. He didn’t say anything, just looked at her, not giving anything away. Inwardly, he prepared himself for the crushing blow he was sure he was about to receive.

Mothface took a deep breath. “Birchfoot,” she mewed quietly, eyes on the ground. Then she fixed him with an intense stare. It was proud and joyful, yet nervous and scared all at once. “I’m pregnant,” she meowed.

[chellurton]

Chapter 7

Birchfoot tried very hard to fall asleep when he returned to camp. He tried, but didn’t succeed. He supposed that was a normal reaction to such news. Still, it was wearing on him. He was very tired but he couldn’t slow his mind down enough to drift off. He left his den that day when all of the others who had gone to the gathering were fast asleep. Maybe I just need time to come to terms with this, he thought. He was heading for the camp entrance.

“Birchfoot,” Weedpaw squealed. Curse her enthusiasm, Birchfoot couldn’t help thinking. He usually enjoyed the company of his high-spirited apprentice, but she was the last cat he wanted to see right now. “You’re up early. How was the Gathering last night?”

“Interesting,” he mumbled the reply, “really interesting.” He noticed the apprentice was looking at him with something like expectation. With a jolt of agony, he realized she wanted to go training. I can’t very well say no, he thought sadly, might as well get it over with. “Um, do you want to go practice some battle moves,” he asked. Hunting would have been preferable, but Weedpaw was due for battle training.

“Yes,” she meowed, tail lashing with excitement, “let’s go!” She raced for the camp entrance and Birchfoot had no choice but to follow.

*******************************************

“Nice touch,” Birchfoot complimented. Weedpaw had added a bit of her own tough to a move they had been working on, and it had played out nicely. I think I’ll assess her tomorrow, he noted to himself, I’ll have to talk to Marshstar and Pinethroat about Weedpaw and her brothers.

“Alright, I think we should head back now. Very nice work today.” He led a beaming Weedpaw back to ShadowClan camp. He went to the fresh kill pile and was going to grab a mouse. However, Chervilpaw stopped him. You can have the rest of my squirrel if you like,” she meowed, “It’s a big one and there’s a lot left. My eyes are much bigger than my stomach, as always.” Birchfoot nodded gratesfully, the squirrel was easily the biggest piece of fresh kill there.

Chervilpaw sat down next to him. “Actually, I was going to share it with Finchpaw. But wouldn’t you know, she’d already eaten and run off. I honestly can’t believe I’m related to her, that cat is all over the place.”

Birchfoot couldn’t exactly be grateful for the conversation, it was interrupting his thoughts. But Chervilpaw was only being polite, so he thought he should probably contribute. “Slow day today,” he asked casually.

“Yes,” Chervilpaw smiled, “ Slow week actually. That’s always a good thing, I don’t wish any cat ill. But I’m horribly bored. We stocked up for a couple of days, and now we’re bursting with supplies. After that I just got to relax for a few days, which was nice. But now I still have nothing to do and it’s getting to me.” She stopped and it seemed oddly quiet to Birchfoot.

As Birchfoot finished his squirrel he could feel her gaze burning into him. When he looked up, she was staring at him oddly. After a few more long seconds of silence she asked, “Birchfoot, is something troubling you?”

Birchfoot swallowed his last bite of squirrel hard. He searched his brain for an answer, but before he could come up with one his gaze turned to Webstream. The deputy was approaching him, no doubt for a patrol.

“Thanks Birchfoot,” Chervilpaw meowed too loudly, “It’ll be nice to have some company while I’m looking for chervil root. Follow me.” Birchfoot stood up, a bit confused, and followed Chervilpaw slowly out of the camp, leaving a stunned Websteam to find another warrior. I thought she said she was overstocked, Birchfoot thought.

When they were well away from the camp, Chervilpaw turned around. There was a playful look on her face. “You owe me big time,” she meowed. Birchfoot, realizing what Chervilpaw had been doing, smiled gratefully. Chervilpaw padded a bit away from birch foot, leaving him where he wanted to be: alone with his thoughts.

As he sat there, he recalled his conversation from the previous night.

“I’m pregnant,” Mothface meowed

“Wh-what” Birchfoot stuttered.

“We’re going to have kits, Birchfoot,” she laughed

“We,” he replied joyfully.

She smiled. “That’s why I haven’t been able to come see you. It looks a lot more suspicious to sneak out of camp at night when you’re living in the nursery. I was afraid my absence would be noticed.

“But that means…”

“We won’t be able to meet for a long time Birchfoot. I won’t even be at gatherings for another moon or two.” There was sorrow in her voice. “I have to go now.” She pushed her muzzle up against his and ran off to join her Clan.

[/center]

Every day he would have to wait until he could see Mothface again would be painful, Birchfoot knew that. But that one was livable. There was something else that bothered him more. They were his kits, but they could never know it. He was a father, yes, but in a way he was not. He would never have a chance to be a father. He didn’t know what Mothface would tell them if they ever asked her, but she could not tell them the truth. It made him feel empty in a way. Like a part of him he didn’t know existed had been torn away. Unlike the separation from Mothface, he would never gain this part of him back. That was the pain he didn’t know if he could stand.

But now he had had a chance to think about it. He had reviewed the situation in his head. It was no longer a swirling mass in his head. It was something solid, something he knew clearly. Something that he could be distracted from, if he kept himself busy. Something he could sleep with. “Chervilpaw,” he called, “I’m ready to go back to camp now.”

[chellurton]

Whoo, finally got that one down. I didn't have as much trouble with it as I thought I would.