by Stareh |
Prolouge
The night was silent, still and chilly. The trees cast brooding shadows on the ground, and the moon shed silver light on the lake like blood. The waves swished gently against the rocky shore, the soundless wind made the grass on the moors sway, and the moonlight casting through the trees made the ground in the forest dapple. Every cat was sleeping...
Except for one cat, a silver tabby she-cat slinking through the woods with fluid grace. Her blue eyes were cold, dark and hard, set with determination at her next task. She neared the hollow in the woods, and slid into the bracken tunnel, taking care not to swish the fronds. There was no cat on watch; a brown she-cat lay slumped against the bracken tunnel, asleep on duty. The silver cat rolled her eyes and padded silently through the sleeping camp, her pawsteps making no sound.
She came to the nursery, a wall of thorn branches, only one queen snoozing inside. One lump of fur lay at the crook of the black and white she-cats belly, black as the night, and the gray she-cats lips drew back in a snarl. She crept into the den, her claws unsheathing. She loomed over the tiny kit, watching it twitch in it's sleep, not feeling at all sympathetic as she slowly reached for it with her claws...
The kit twitched again before sitting up completely, its amber eyes shining in the darkness. It gave out a strangled cry when it realized the strange cat standing over it, and its mother stirred as well. The silver she-cat stared at the scrap of fur in horror. Had she just been busted?
Before she had time to figure it out, she turned and darted from the nursery, her paws kicking up dirt as she raced from the camp. She didn't stop running till she reached her den, a fox's hole well outside the Clans' territories. Huffing her breath out, she slithered into the dark hole and curled up among her moss. When she realized what had just happened, she scowled into the darkness.
"If it's the last thing I do," She hissed into the darkness, "I will kill that kit."
Chapter One
Rosepaw snarled and raked his claws through the gray she-cats ear, triumph flaring in his heart as he felt fur rip. She yowled in anger and swiped her forepaw across his legs, and with a huff of surprise he lost his balance and banged his chin painfully against the hard ground. He felt a weight between his shoulders, and couldn't dislodge it enough to get up. He struggled blindly, a growl of frustration rising in his throat, and felt teeth meet in his neck. He froze.
"Gotcha!" Featherpaw cried, leaping off his back and landing daintily. Rosepaw groaned as he rolled onto his back, baring his belly.
"I can't believe you just beat me," He moaned, covering his amber eyes with his forepaws. "Again." Featherpaw snorted.
"Just admit it, Rosepaw," She giggled. "You may be older than me, and got broader shoulders, but I'm just too smart for you!" He rolled his eyes and swatted her ear. His mentor Mintclaw scowled at him.
"You set yourself up for that, Rosepaw," He called disapprovingly, trotting to catch up with the two apprentices. He had something green and prickly in his mouth, and with one twitch of his neck, he'd crunched through and swallowed it. Rosepaw stared at his mentor in surprise. He ate the cactus. "You totally gave up when she sat on you. You could have rolled, taking her with you, and pitched her to the side-"
"Yes, Mintclaw," Rosepaw growled, his black fur spiking up. "I realize what I did wrong. I just wasn't in the mood to really fight." Mintclaw rolled his eyes as Rosepaw and Featherpaw turned to head back to camp. Rosepaw paused and turned slowly.
"Um...did- did Thornstar say anything about me becoming a warrior today?" Rosepaw asked hopefully, the same way he did everyday. Mintclaw sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Rosepaw. You know I would tell you if he did." Rosepaw nodded and reluctantly padded after Featherpaw, who had loped off.
He and Featherpaw shared a squirrel together, and when it was dark, they curled up side-by-side in their nests.
Rosepaw fell into a fitful sleep, his dreams plagued by the usual nightmare.
It was nighttime, but too dark and still, no moon. Rosekit is sleeping by his mothers side, a peaceful smile on his lips. The camp was silent; Flowerfoot had fallen asleep as guard. Then, an unfamiliar silver cat strolled into the camp as if she lived there, trotting confidently into the nursery. Rosekit opened his eyes as he felt cool breath on his neck, staring into cold blue eyes.
"If it's the last thing I do, I will kill that kit," The she-cat snarled, just as she always did, and plunged her teeth into Rosekit's neck, his cries going unheard by his mother, who slept on while her son was murdered by a rouge...
Rosepaw jerked awake, the strangled wail dying in his throat. Just a dream, he reminded himself as he lay panting. Not real.
But it was real. When Rosepaw had been a kit, he'd woken up late one night to see murderous blue eyes staring down at him. He'd screamed in surprise, and the silver cat had bolted before anyone caught them. No one believed Rosepaw when he'd told them what he'd seen, said it was all a dream.
But he knew it wasn't. He knew that cat had wanted to kill him.
A cat next to him stirred.
"Rosepaw?" Featherpaw's voice slurred, and he felt his friends' tongue rasp over his ear. "The nightmare again?" Rosepaw nodded and nudged her shoulder.
"Go back to bed," He murmured, and she nodded sleepily and rolled back over. Rosepaw felt too wired to go back to sleep, and he knew his dreams would only be plagued again by the nightmares, so he shoved to his paws and picked his way carefully out of the den and into camp.
The night air was crisp and cool, slicing easily through Rosepaw's thick black fur and stinging his skin. He shivered and ducked his head as he plodded through the fern tunnel; he was the only apprentice too tall to walk through without crouching, he noted with irritation. He had been an apprentice for nearly ten moons, and even Mintclaw had said he had nothing left to learn. But Thornstar had yet to make him a warrior, much to Rosepaw's dismay. Was it his name? So what if his mother Blackflower had been expecting a she-cat, and kept the name she'd picked ahead of time when she got a tom? That didn't mean he wasn't ready to be a warrior! She-cats were just as good warriors as toms!
He forced down his agitation and jogged to the lake, hoping to be warmed up by the time he reached the shore. He crouched by the water, lapping up the cold dark water to soothe his burning throat. He shuddered, but not with chill; the moon was a claw-scratch, shedding nearly no light, and it reminded him of his dream. There was a shuffling sound, and a barely-contained sob. Rosepaw's head snapped up, and he instinctively shied into the shadows. He blood turned to ice as two cats came into view. One was Featherpaw, a gash in her foreleg and a strand of bramble bound tightly around her neck.
The other was the silver she-cat from his dreams.
He watched in frozen terror as the silver cat tugged on the end of the bramble that was bound around Featherpaw's neck.
"Remember," She snarled, blue eyes like flint, "You make a noise and I slice your throat and dump your body in the lake." Featherpaw choked back a sob and nodded.
The two cats disappeared into the woods, leaving a shell-shocked Rosepaw behind.
He turned and ran blindly into the woods.
Chapter Two
Rosepaw hurtled over something he didn't see properly and howled as he landed awkwardly on his paw, twisting it. He curled up in the grass, trying to form a coherent thought. I just saw the cat who wants to kill me. And she had Featherpaw. His heart moaned and he curled in tighter. Featherpaw.
He'd let that silver cat take Featherpaw!
Rosepaw groaned again, and felt something small and wet poke him gently in the side.
"Are you okay?" Rosepaw rolled over and found himself staring into sparkling green eyes framed by orange tabby fur. A white and pink collar hung from the she-cats neck, tickling his nose.
"What?" He groaned, rubbing his nose. "Yes, I'm fine. Why?"
"I saw you jump over that fence like a rabbit, then twist your foot. Here, let me see." She made towards his injured right back leg, but he twisted away. Her eyes flashed with hurt. "I won't hurt you. My name's Olive."
"Rosepaw," He grunted, trying to get stiffly to his paws. His back foot burned, but he ignored it.
"Can I help you get anywhere? Where's your house?" Rosepaw looked around in surprise and realized he was in Twolegplace, far from ThunderClan. He couldn't even remember which direction he'd run.
Then he broke down in agonized sobs.
"What?" Olive asked, jumping a little. "What is it? Are you lost?"
"A cat wants me dead," Rosepaw choked out. "I don't know why, and she stole my best friend, and I don't know where they went, and I ran instead of trying to save Featherpaw..." He let out a grieved wail and Olive shuffled closer.
"It's okay," She murmured. "We'll find your friend, okay?" Rosepaw shook his head. "I have no idea where they are," He whimpered. "It would be almost impossible to find them." Olive got a grim determination on her face.
"But we will," She insisted. "We'll go back to where you saw them, we'll find the scent trail and follow it. Okay? We'll get her back. I promise." Rosepaw shrugged, angst still bubbling inside him, but followed Olive as she leaped over the fence. His paw was feeling better.
"Lead the way," Olive said, sweeping her tail. Rosepaw sighed and followed his scent trail back to ThunderClan territory.
Going to find the cat who wants to kill me. Puh! I must really care about Featherpaw.
~ ~ ~
Rosepaw and Olive crouched outside the fox hole, hearing nothing. Rosepaw sucked in a breath.
"I'll go in first," Rosepaw breathed. Olive nodded and shuffled out of the way, and Rosepaw crawled into the hole.
It was dark, but Rosepaw could make out the shining outline of a silver cat sitting in the moss, picking apart a bird. He hissed and flung himself at the she-cat, instantly reaching for the throat. She squawked in surprise.
"What have you done with Featherpaw?!" Rosepaw howled, sinking his claws into her back.
"Who?!" The she-cat wailed back, finally recovering enough to pin him to the ground under her. He struggled and howled.
"My best friend!" He shouted. "I saw you take her! A dappled she-cat!" Realization dawned on the she-cats face.
"Oh." She shrugged. "I gave her to my friend Toby. He wanted someone to play with." Her eyes glinted evilly. Rosepaw snarled and kicked, but he was pinned.
"Wait." The she-cat stared hard at Rosepaw for a moment, and her lips drew back. "I know you. You were my project sixteen moons ago. The only one that ever got away." Rosepaw glared at her.
"And I'll get away again," He hissed.
"You're such a porridge," The silver cat taunted.
"I am not a porridge!"
"Saskia?" Olive had tumbled into the den and was staring at the silver she-cat with horror-filled green eyes.
"Olive." Saskia looked just as shocked.
"What are you doing here?" The two she-cats screeched at the same time.
Chapter Three
Somehow, Olive, Saskia, and Rosepaw all ended up traveling together to find Toby, who had asked Saskia to find him a "playmate", whatever that meant, and frankly Rosepaw didn't care to know. It turned out Olive and Saskia had been close friends when they were little, but when Olive found out Saskia was basically a cat assassin, she had left and never seen her best friend again. Saskia had come so close to killing Rosepaw, but at Olive's screech of protest, she had begrudgingly accepted that Rosepaw wouldn't be killed and Featherpaw had to be found. Rosepaw made sure to keep Olive between him and the assassin at all times, though he felt guilty; if Saskia did try to lunge, she would hurt Olive before hurting Rosepaw.
Though Toby had come to Saskia to pick up Featherpaw, she knew where he lived; past the WindClan moors, in the forest beyond. Not far, but far enough when you're traveling with a cat who's the size of a squirrel, yet killed thirty cats in her life.
Rosepaw decided to cross through ThunderClan and RiverClan to get to WindClan, but knew how high the risk was. Crossing through the heart of WindClan's territory...would they really let him pass if he said he was rescuing a Clanmate? He could only hope.
Rosepaw made sure they kept close to the lake as they crossed through ThunderClan territory; he could already hear the taunts if he was seen leading a kittypet and a rouge across Clan land.
They made it through with no difficulty, but the next trouble: RiverClan. He took a deep breath before crossing the border, wincing at the stench of fish and oil. He saw Olive discreetly lick her lips out of the corner of his eye and stifled a purr.
"Hey!" Rosepaw groaned as he spotted a RiverClan patrol stream towards them, pelts still wet from a recent fishing in the river. He recognized three of the four; Cloudpoppy and her apprentice Adderpaw, and Hazeleaf, but he didn't know the tortoiseshell apprentice at Hazelleaf's side.
"Rosepaw?" Adderpaw squeaked, brown fur fluffing up. "Or are you a warrior now?" Embarrassment flooded him, but Rosepaw shook his head.
"Not yet."
"What are you doing here?" Cloudpoppy asked, eyeing Olive and Saskia wearily. "And who are they?"
"These are Olive and Saskia," Rosepaw muttered reluctantly. "They're loners, friends of mine. We're looking for a Clanmate of mine who was kidnapped by a rouge. Saskia knows him; she says he lives in the woods beyond WindClan." Hazelleaf's eyes grew wide with distress.
"Goodness gracious. Let's just let them pass, Cloudpoppy," She murmured. "I like Featherpaw. She's always so bubbly." She took a step back, motioning for the others to do the same. "StarClan save her."
"Thank you!" Rosepaw gasped, racing for WindClan. Saskia and Olive were right on his heels as they reached the WindClan border, smelling strongly of heather and rabbit.
Thankfully, the three cats met no WindClan warriors as they streaked across the hills, though they caught scent of one. They soon were safely passed the WindClan territory, the woods looming ahead. Rosepaw bounced anxiously from paw to paw.
"Will Toby give us Featherpaw back?" He asked suddenly, the thought that the rouge might turn them away hitting him like a wave. When he got no immediate answer from Saskia, he swiveled his head to stare at the silver she-cat. She bit her lip.
"He might," She whispered. "If I stay and take her place." She bowed her head and didn't say anything more. Rosepaw felt a rush of gratitude towards the feline assassin, and they continued in silence to the woods.
"His den is right over here," Saskia announced just as daylight was beginning to fade. In front of them was a wide oak tree, a large hole like a squirrel's nest in the side, a tail length above Rosepaw's head. Saskia reared onto her hind paws and pressed her forepaws to the trunk.
"Toby!" She called towards the hole, "It's Saskia!" A small, tabby-striped head poked out of the hole. His eyes narrowed, but he dropped down. Rosepaw stifled a gasp.
He'd thought Toby wanted Featherpaw to do bad things to, things he couldn't even begin to describe, but Toby himself was just a kit, not even twelve moons old. With a squeal, Featherpaw launched herself out after him. Her eyes were bright and mischievous, no longer tinged with fear, but they widened when they saw Rosepaw.
"Rosepaw!" She gasped. "I didn't think you'd..."
"Didn't think I'd come for you? Don't be mouse brained!" Featherpaw rushed forward and pushed her nose into Rosepaw's fur. She was purring.
"You know my rule, Saskia," Toby said in a bored voice. "If one leaves me, another must stay." Saskia nodded.
"It's me. I'm staying." She padded to Toby's side, then locked her gaze with Olive. "I know you can get these two home. You're strong. I'm sorry." She faced Rosepaw. "I'm sorry I tried to kill you," She smirked. "Both times." Rosepaw scowled by nodded. "And you, little one..." She turned her gaze to Featherpaw. "Sorry for kidnapping you." Featherpaw squeaked and ducked closer to Rosepaw.
"All right," Olive tried to say briskly, but her voice caught. "Thank you, Saskia. Toby. We'll leave you now." She ushered Rosepaw and Featherpaw in front of her, and the three cats left a sorrowful Saskia and a bored Toby behind. Forever.
Chapter Four
"But I want to come with you to Twolegplace!" Featherpaw was whining, running in circles around Rosepaw. "Please?!"
"I said no, Featherpaw. Go back to camp and tell Thornstar what happened. Please?" The dappled gray she-cat scowled but turned and plunged into the ferns, disappearing into the forest. Rosepaw nodded to Olive, and the two cats followed their scents trails back to the Twolegplace where Rosepaw had first met the pretty, determined Olive.
"Stay with me," She hissed the moment they'd crossed the wooden fence - carefully this time, no one spraining a paw. "I like you a lot, Rosepaw. Don't leave. Stay with me." Rosepaw shook his head sadly, pushing his nose into Olive's orange fur. He liked her too, and he felt bad that she'd found Saskia only to lose her again to a selfish kit, but he couldn't stay. He wasn't a kittypet. Even if Thornstar delayed his ceremony till Rosepaw was thirty moons old, he would stay, be the best apprentice he could be.
"I'm sorry, Olive," He murmured, and she whimpered pathetically. "Truly I am. But you belong here, and I belong in the woods." There was a creak, and a small Twoleg kit carrying a purple spotted rhinoceros toy trotted out, calling out in glee when she saw her orange tabby cat outside. She waved with a paw, and an older Twoleg came out and scooped Olive up in its arms.
"No!" She howled. "Put me down! Rosepaw! Stay with me! Rosepaw!" But Olive was gone, shut up in the nest. Rosepaw swallowed down his guilt and ran back to ThunderClan, fighting an anguished wail. Featherpaw was waiting for him in the hollow, surrounded by their Clanmates.
"There's Rosepaw!" Featherpaw yowled. "The hero!" Suddenly, Rosepaw was surrounded by his Clanmates, purrs vibrating against him and multiple pelt colors swimming before his eyes. He caught the look of one tom in particular.
"Mintclaw," He murmured. "I hope I didn't lose any valuable practice today, rescuing this flee-pelt." He nudged Featherpaw and she muttered. But Mintclaw's blue eyes were shining with something Rosepaw didn't recognize. "What?"
"Rosepaw." The black tom turned to see his leader, Thornstar, perched on the Highledge, a proud look on his face. "Come here." Rosepaw padded slowly up towards the ledge, feeling grateful bumps against him along the way.
"You crossed through two enemy territories, traveling with a strange kittypet and a cat who wanted to kill you, just to rescue one of your Clanmates. You have proven yourself, Rosepaw, and I'm so sorry I haven't done this sooner." Rosepaw's heart had stopped. Thornstar turned his muzzle to the sky. "From this day forward, you will be known as Roseheart."
"Roseheart! Roseheart!" Featherpaw was the first cat to yowl his new name, her blue eyes wild. Roseheart ducked his head, seeing Olive's pleading green eyes again, feeling shame burn his pelt.
"Congratulations, Roseheart," Mintclaw murmured. Muzzles brushed his.
"My beautiful son," A voice breathed in his ear. Rosepaw turned his head expectantly.
"Mom?" But of course his mother wasn't really here; Blackflower had died five moons ago. He swallowed hard. But he did know that warm pelt pressing hard against his.
"My hero," Featherpaw purred into his ear.
So he tried to put Olive's betrayed face out of his head, and get on with his life.
Chapter Five
"Roseheart! Wake up! It's happened!" Roseheart was on his paws even before Oakcloud had finished speaking, pushing past the medicine cat's apprentice and into the nursery. Feathersky was lying on her side in her nest, three kits suckling at her belly. Two black she-kits and one silvery gray she-kit. Feathersky purred weakly as Roseheart wriggled in.
"What should we name them?" Feathersky asked tiredly, licking the silver she-cat. One of the black kits gave a squeak.
"This black one can be Olivekit," Roseheart whispered, touching the one with a tiny speckle of gray on her head. "The other black one can be Flowerkit." In honor of Roseheart's mother, of course. "And the silver one..."
"Can be Bravekit," Feathersky murmured, curling tighter around her kits. "In honor of Saskia. She was so brave to stay behind for me." Roseheart purred and pressed his nose to Feathersky's head.
"I'm glad she did," He whispered. "It wouldn't have been the same without you." He shrugged out of the den, heading for the fresh-kill pile to get some food for Feathersky. Junipertail's kits, Greenkit and Sunkit, were listening to a story the elders were telling them.
"There once was a mouse named Daisy, who liked to eat oats and gravy. She was a very cannibalistic mouse, you see," Moontail was saying. Roseheart snorted; he'd heard the story of Daisy the cannibalistic mouse enough times. He was surprised the elders were still telling that story to kits; it had given Roseheart and many other kits nightmares, and they hadn't eaten mice for moons. He was positive he wouldn't let the elders get to his daughters with that awful story. His heart sailed. I'm a father. He practically skipped into the nursery to deliver the food to his mate and kits.
Two moons later, Roseheart was grooming his fur when Feathersky squeezed out of the nursery to sit next to him. She looked exhausted.
"What's wrong?" Roseheart murmured, licking her soft gray ear.
"Rosekit woke up in the middle of the night crying," Feathersky sighed. "She kept saying, 'That blue-eyed cat wanted to kill me!' I don't understand what she was saying; I told her she was dreaming, but she still wouldn't calm down. Oakcloud had to give her a poppy seed to help her sleep." Roseheart was frozen, staring at Feathersky in shock, but she was unaware as she bit into a shrew.
His daughter Rosekit had woken up to find a blue-eyed cat looming over her, ready to kill.
He murmured an excuse to Feathersky and ran out of the hollow, not stopping till he'd reached the highest point in ThunderClan territory, a sort of hill in the middle of the woods.
"You'll never get my daughters!" Roseheart yowled to the wind, knowing any cat that heard him would think he was crazy, but not caring. Only one thing at this moment mattered.
Saskia was back.