The Promise

WFW's Double Agent

The Promise.

Episode One, Season One of Double Agent.

Enjoy!

I'm putting up this episode today because I have no time friday.

''So, you want to hear a story? Very well. I’ll tell you the story of a cat very dear to me, a cat named Snowfeather. Shall we see the story from her eyes? Come, settle down on this nice patch of moss. We are about to embark on a great journey, greater than any Clan cat has traveled before.''

The Promise
This story takes place a long time after the great leader Firestar perished and a long time after the Clans settled at the lake. The Clans had left the lake, persecuted by cruel drought and floods. They had arrived at the sun-drown place, living within sight of the great grey waters. A kit named Snowkit was born a few seasons after that. Snowkit was me.

I was born in a harsh leaf-bare. My mother saw the snow falling on the barren ground before her and thought of my black-and-white pelt. She named me Snowkit because of that. Death stalked me ever since I was born. My sisters died within hours of my birth. They did not have names.

There you are, a brief summary of my earliest days. I trained as a warrior, but then tragedy struck. My mother and father caught a nasty bought of greencough and died in a few sunrises. I was grief-stricken, and decided to train as a medicine cat instead.

Do I regret that?

Not the least bit. I love being a medicine cat.

Now I am called Snowfeather. Tensions are rising between my Clan and ShadowClan. It is because of the large amount of territory WindClan has. My ancestors, the kits of an ancient WindClan warrior Breezepelt, found this land. In return, we received the most territory. ShadowClan goes back on their word, and now, the hostility is so high I can actually feel it.

This morning, I awake to the sound of warriors yowling. Startled, I leap out of my nest and crouch on the ground. ''Has there been a battle? ''If so, I had better get the supplies ready. The sound of kits wailing hits my ears, followed by the comforting murmurs of their mothers. “ Those ShadowClan fox-hearts!” I poke my head outside of my den and spot Grasspelt, the deputy, snarling. The sky above me is as pink as a rose. The sun has hardly risen. I love this time of day, the time when dew is fresh and the sky is beautiful. Our camp is a hollow in the ground, sheltered by thick gorse bushes and high walls. The nursery is a tangle of heather bushes clumped together, with a protective shell of a fallen branch over it. The few warriors that stay in our camp reside in two holly bushes, facing the entrance. The leader lives in a cave hollowed into the earth, and the elders lived in the adjoining one. A new custom has been adopted by most Clans, in which the apprentices live outside the Clan to devote themselves to training. Ryepaw and Smokepaw are our two apprentices, living in the heather-hollow with their mentors. WindClan has been unique in sending warriors to stay by the borders, and so far, it has worked.

“ They ruined out catmint!” Grasspelt’s second call brings me back to earth. I spin around, my long fur brushing the grass. I feel fury and rage begin to rise up in my chest.

“Catmint! They ruined my catmint?” I shriek in disbelief. “ Do you know how longs it has taken me to grow that?”

“ I’m sorry, Snowfeather. We found it trampled and full of ShadowClan scent,” Grasspelt says calmly. I let out a low moan and march for the exit. ''It was a mistake growing to so close to the border, but I didn’t want to move most of the roots. ''I trip over a gorse bush and kick it back, imagining that it was the ShadowClan warrior who destroyed my herbs. ShadowClan’s got to answer for this, I grumble to myself. Absolutely no one ''messes with my herbs! ''I hear the soft splashing of water on rock, then realize I am near the moor river. It is a tributary leading off of a river that leads directly to the ocean. Miraculously, it isn’t salty. I pause. ''There’s nothing wrong with getting a drink. ShadowClan can pay later. ''But then, I hear voices. Hissed murmurs, barked commands and deep rumbles. A scent rolls in, one that I know all too well. ''ShadowClan! ''My fur rises. I press myself onto the ground and carefully creep closer, whiskers prickling in the presence of the enemy warriors. A thick holly bush is in sight, so I crawl under that and peer through the dark green leaves. ShadowClan warriors are… I can’t believe it. They’re digging! Paws wet with mud, they scrape away at the riverbank.

“ I don’t see how this is possible,” one of them, a grey-and-white tom, growls.

“ If Hollowstar says it is, then it is,” a black she-cat insists.

“ My claws ache!” a smaller tom, possibly an apprentice, whines. A huge, broad-shoulder tom walks over and cuffs him over the ear.

“ No whining! Get back to work.”

“ Fine,” the apprentice cowers, then begins scrabbling wildly at the dirt and throws it all over the big tom. He wrinkles his snout in disgust and sits a little way off, cleaning his fur with his tongue. The black she-cat turns around and narrows her eyes at him.

“ Why do you get to wash yourself?” she hisses.

“ I am the deputy!” he retorts. I feel like bashing my head against a rock. ''Of course! That’s Frozenwhisker, the deputy. Am I really that anti-social? ''Frozenwhisker laps at his long white fur, seeming to relish the fact that the other warriors can’t.

“ Run!” I snap back to the present, looking up in alarm to see the black she-cat streaking away across the moor. I flatten my ears. ''What’s wrong? ''All four cats pelt up the moor, flanks heaving as they turn to watch the river. Too late. I see the roaring water break free of the banks and thunder towards my hiding place. Terror pulsing through my veins, I rear up and throw off the holly bush. Still too late. The water roars over my head and pushes me under. Ice-cold water thunders in my ears and fills my nose. I flail around wildly in the dark, feeling the water press against my throat, hold me against the ground, not letting me break free. My lungs are on fire. I feel one of my paws brush against something soft and I latch onto it. Using the little strength I have left, I haul myself upwards and collapse onto solid ground. I take in gulps of sweet, beautiful air and rest my head on the moor grass, gazing up at the pale blue sky I never though I’d see again. A black face looms above mine and I recognize the black ShadowClan she-cat.

“ Told you there was a spy,” she hisses. My stomach convulses and I spew water out of my throat. The black she-cat lets out a disgusted hiss and hops backwards. ''She seems fond of hissing. ''I try to struggle to my paws, but the world spine and I collapse back onto the ground.

“ What are we going to do, Blackfeather?” the apprentice comes over to her and looks at me out of round blue eyes. Blackfeather bends down and sniffs at me, then curls her lip.

“ WindClan. I don’t remember seeing you around,” she says, addressing me.

“ White she-cat with brown and black patches, blue eyes. No, I don’t remember,” she mutters to herself. ''Brown and white? ''Confused, I look down and see that mud from the river is splashed across my fur, making me look tortoiseshell.

“ Can I go back to my Clan?” I murmur, struggling to sit up.

“ Oh no, not at all. We wouldn’t want you blabbering to your Clanmates about this,” Frozenwhisker meows.

“ Then what will you do? Make me join some other Clan?” I growl.

“ No. Rather, you can join ours.”

“ Join yours!” I gasp. I have never heard something more astonishing in my life. ''Join ShadowClan? ''And then, inspiration strikes. I pretend to look calm, pretending to seriously consider it. Then, I make a massive effort to stand up. The sky flips upside down and I dig my claws into the earth to stop myself from crumpling into a heap. Blackfeather rushes to my side and supports me. On shaky legs, I manage to stay standing and look Frozenwhisker in the eye.

“ Fine. I’ll join,” I say. Frozenwhisker’s flash with satisfaction.

“ Excellent. But you have to make a promise. You have to promise that you will turn your back on your former Clan. You have to promise that you will be loyal to ShadowClan. Promise to never ever speak to your Clanmates again,” Frozenwhisker’s eyes bore right into my soul. I squeeze my eyes shut and sway from side to side, feeling my head pound. ''Promise. Promise. Promise. Loyal. ShadowClan. Never. Ever. WindClan. ''Frozenwhisker’s words echo into my skull. ''I’m never going to turn away from WindClan. I will be loyal to my dying breath. I’m only joining your Clan, Frozenwhisker, to be a spy. ''

“ I promise,” I replied, trying to keep the quiver out of my voice. Frozenwhisker’s eyes flash.

“ Good. Meet Blackfeather and Mallowpaw,” he waves his tail at the two others. They dip their heads, a cool look in their eyes. Frozenwhisker flicks his tail and begins to head back down the hill. The other cats follow him. My heart is pounding so furiously that I fear I will explode. I turn back to glance back up the moor, taking in the sight of the grass waving in the wind. I will come back, I vow. ''Dead or alive, I’ll find my way back. ''Then, I bound after the ShadowClan cats and disappear over the hills.