Scarlet Streak
Episode Ten, Season Three, of Beauty.
Enjoy <3
Scarlet Streak[]
I don’t know what I expect. An apology? A confirmation even though I know I’m right? But Scarlet – can I really call her Cherrypaw after all these moons and this betrayal? – drops her head once more and keeps quiet.
Flareheart smirks and waves her tail. The troops come forth and I feel one of them push me forward. “I think it’s time you stopped playing tricks, Amberfrost, its over.”
“Perhaps the disguise is gone,” I give her a solid glare, “but we will keep fighting.”
“Remember Gingerpaw?” Flareheart is filled with glee, “Remember how she perished? That is your fate now.”
“You’re reminding her more than you are reminding us,” I say softly, unfazed, “you want to prove to her that supporting your side is better than being a rebel because she loved her.”
“Your point?” Flareheart narrows her eyes.
I lift my head and stare straight at Scarlet, wanting her to hear this. “You’re jealous. Does is strike you weirdly that she loved someone? That we have love in our hearts? Is that something you’re lacking?”
Something flashes in Flareheart’s eyes and she digs her claws into the dirt. “Take them away,” she says stiffly, “inform Redstar that I will be there shortly.”
I don’t see the rest of her expression as the troops nudge us along. To my relief, the chaos that had ensued earlier had stopped, though the streets looked like a terrible mess.
They shove us in a temporary prison den to await our trial. We sit there in silence, almost reassuringly, until Snowflare speaks up.
“What are we going to do about her?”
“Her?” Lionclaw echoes, “What are we going to do about ourselves?”
Snowflare purses her lip, “Obviously we’re going to escape some time in the near future. We’re not going to be executed as traitors.” She meets the golden tom’s gaze and some sort of understanding seems to flow between them.
“Scarlet is fabricating a lie,” Hawkpelt growls, “She thinks she can regain her composure by following the rules this time, but it won’t bring Gingerpaw back. It won’t save the lives she wants to save.”
“Us?” Finchwing scowls, “She sure shows it.”
“We don’t know the whole story,” Brownhare reminds us, “perhaps something happened that forced Scarlet’s paw. Remember, she has a high position in the rebels too. This could be in an attempt to keep her own disguise.”
“Whatever the case may be, we can’t do anything about it,” I continue, “Scarlet made her own choices and we will make ours. If that means facing her on the opposite side of the battlefield, so be it.”
Appleleaf is drawing something on the ground. “She knew about Rainstorm,” the red and white she-cat says slowly, “so why didn’t she try to pull something that allowed Redstar to grab the gray she-cat too?”
“Because Rainstorm isn’t a spy,” Hawkpelt lashes his tail, “She isn’t trying to destroy the Beauty from inside out.”
“She’s destroying herself,” Finchwing says softly. “It’s been what…maybe close to nine or ten moons since we were apprentices? Since Gingerpaw was alive? That’s a long time to hold yourself up in such conditions.”
Her words bring down the mood. I glance down at my paws, unsure what to say. Nobody had really understood Scarlet’s love for Gingerpaw.
“Love holds you up,” Snowflare whispers, “even when it’s not there.”
Hawkpelt nods in agreement and Lionclaw wraps his tail around Snowflare. I move closer to Brownhare, though I make no move towards him, nor does he move towards me. Appleleaf and Finchwing glance at each other.
Emotion clouds within me. I’m proud of my squad. Even in such hard times, we can bind ourselves together tighter and realize that we have something fighting for: each other.
“They might have won this battle,” I say softly, “but they won’t win the war.”
~
Hawkpelt really wanted to be with Rainstorm. He wasn’t sure where the gray she-cat was, but he hoped Appleleaf was right and that Redstar hadn’t snatched her up. Surely Scarlet wouldn’t be that cruel.
It felt so surreal to believe that the scarred she-cat could be the outspoken she-cat who had been Gingerpaw’s right flank. The very she-cat who, even though Gingerpaw’s death had broken her, had volunteered to face the hardest challenge of the interrogation.
Who had been lost, because of one mistake.
Cherrypaw was lost, and in return, Scarlet (or Scarletflame?) had been reborn in her place. Were they the same cat with different names or were they different cats with one common identity?
Hawkpelt shook his head. He glanced around at the others, and sighed.
Snowflare was leaning against Lionclaw, her eyes closed, her breathing steady. Obviously they had made up for once, and Hawkpelt wasn’t sure he could take anymore of their shouting.
Brownhare and Amberfrost were talking quietly, and Hawkpelt twitched his whiskers. It was so obvious in Amberfrost’s gestures towards the brown tom that she cared deeply for him. But Brownhare’s nonchalance to their friendship proved the opposite for him. Hawkpelt was sure there was a lot more to their complications.
Appleleaf and Finchwing were comfortably settled near each other, having their own conversation. Neither seemed to be interested their own romances, and were fairly happy with each other instead.
Hawkpelt closed his own eyes and prayed that StarClan would keep Rainstorm safe.
Stay safe, I’ll join you soon.
~
Rainstorm heard the news almost immediately. In her hearts, she kind of knew after the news of the purges Redstar had made. Why spare a group of spies when she was going to arrest everyone who wasn’t loyal enough?
She paced the tunnels, anxiously waiting for anymore news from Shadowfang, who had locked himself in his den with his grand committee to discuss the problem. Rainstorm knew it would annoy Shadowfang to have her outside, interrupting anyone who came out to pursue the topic.
So she paced.
This time Shadowfang himself walked out of the den and Rainstorm practically tackled him. “What’s your decision?” Rainstorm demanded.
“Calm yourself,” the black tom narrowed his eye, “I’ll announce it when I deem necessary.”
“Those are my friends,” Rainstorm snapped, “my squadmates. I’d like to know whether or not--”
“My decision does not regard your friends,” Shadowfang snorted, “When Fire comes back from his mission, and I’ll let him deal with our missing spies.”
Rainstorm bristled. “After all they’ve sacrificed for you, you won’t even lift a claw to help them?”
“Tell me,” Shadowfang leaned forward deliberately, “How many cats would die trying to storm the prison to save say…eight cats? That’s only if Scarlet was with them on this or if she had came back before the raid had started.”
Rainstorm resisted the urge to claw his other eye out. “They may just be eight cats to you but what about their courage? Their will to fight on? They helped you even when you acted so ungrateful towards them.”
The general curled his lip. “You’re welcome to go on your own suicide mission to join them in prison. I will not sacrifice cats for them.”
“What are your plans then?” Rainstorm challenged.
Shadowfang’s eye flashed with anger and annoyance. “This is our chance to attack, that’s what I’m planning.”
“So you want to attack but not save a few loyal soldiers?” Rainstorm exploded, “I can’t believe you’re in charge.”
Before Shadowfang could say anything else, Rainstorm spun on her heel and stormed out of the rebel hideout, tears stinging her eyes.
~
The waiting is excruciating. I’m not sure what to do because it feels like it’s been days but it’s only been a few hours since Flareheart had shoved us in here. Hawkpelt has drifted off and Snowflare and Lionclaw are whispering about who knows what. Appleleaf and Finchwing are dozing while Brownhare is staring into space.
I want to strike up conversation with the brown tom, but after the few awkward ones I’ve had with him, I’m not sure if I want to do that anymore.
I know the others give us knowing looks about our relationship, but at the same time I know Brownhare doesn’t have the same vibe as Lionclaw does around Snowflare. Is this just different?
Or am I just not good enough?
I push the second thought away. Surely it was different, we were different cats after all. I don’t know what it is about Brownhare that attracts me the most: his dark brown pelt, his luminous yellow eyes, or just the nonchalance he carries around him.
Brownhare takes this moment to turn so he’s facing me. His eyes meet mine and I look away hastily, my cheeks flushing. I know he saw, but Brownhare doesn’t make a comment on it.
“I’m worried about Rainstorm,” Brownhare finally mews.
“I am too,” I agree, shifting my paws, “but she can take care of herself.”
“She clashes with Shadowfang too much,” he frets, “surely after this purge, Shadowfang is going to fall for the trap and launch in an attack. What if Rainstorm tries to break us out instead, without the support of troops?”
“She wouldn’t do that,” I mutter, not very convinced myself.
Brownhare shakes his head. “Out of desperation, one would do anything.”
I can hear the twinge of pain and I recall his parents’ decision to sacrifice themselves to save us just a few weeks ago. Despite the almost certainty that they would be walking to their deaths, they had taken the chance.
“I would do anything to save all of you.” To save you. I tell him.
“I know you would,” Brownhare meets my gaze, his yellow eyes two bright suns in the dim light of the prison. “I would save you though.”
This time I don’t feel heat rush to my cheeks, I just stare into the clearness of his eyes. “Why?”
“Because you can save everyone,” Brownhare looks down, “everyone but yourself.”
~
Scarlet bowed her head. Flareheart paced in front of her. “Well, mission one accomplished,” she crowed, “but we still haven’t found any information on him.”
The scarred she-cat raised her head. “Was it worth it?” She asked softly, “Arresting the squad in hopes he’ll come forth to save them?”
“Of course!” Flareheart dismissed, “I don’t remotely like Amberfrost or her petty squad, but I must find him. Sure, my mother had plans for them but Whiteflicker will figure something out for her.”
Scarlet winced at the name “Whiteflicker”. She had enough of the white she-cat. She preferred it when she and Flareheart were planning rather than her and Whiteflicker.
Though it was easier to lie about who you were if you weren’t betraying your own friends.
“But he hasn’t even shown his face! Not even when we purged most of the Beauty to comb out all the disloyal.”
“They weren’t disloyal,” Scarlet said, absentmindedly. “And it’s been less than a day. Do you really think he’ll show his face?”
“What about that general? Have you learned about his plans?”
“I haven’t left this den since we arrested the squad,” Scarlet frowned, “Whiteflicker’s orders.”
Flareheart glared around the den. “What a gloomy place; I can’t believe she didn’t get you something nicer.”
“This is the nicest,” Scarlet muttered darkly.
Flareheart ignored the comment and stared into Scarlet’s eyes. “We will find him, and when we do, I promise I’ll reward you.”
She couldn’t think of anything more rewarding than letting the squad free.
~
Remember me? Yeah, it’s the mysterious voice that you can’t figure out. Well, I’m sure you don’t have to wait much longer before I make my appearance. The purge was a shout-out for me to show my face. I wanted to wait a bit longer but perhaps this will be worth it. Surely if they want to see me this badly, it’s worth a try?
But they don’t know what they’re getting into. I hope they be careful because I won’t be lenient if they try to scorn what I have left.
If you’re close to the royal family, tell them to watch their backs.
Because I will be behind them, waiting for them to fall.
The End.