Danger Knows No Boundaries - a short story
Apr 25, 2017 14:45:13 GMT -5
[~Ghost Writer~], mintedstar/fur, and 1 more like this
Post by Rує on Apr 25, 2017 14:45:13 GMT -5
I've already discovered several awesome stories here, and I can't wait to post my own. 
This is just a short story I wrote a while back. (Feel free to ignore the title - I came up with it like two minutes before posting this because I couldn't think of anything better.) This story isn't much, but it's all I have till I write the fanfiction I'm currently planning. Hopefully that will be better.
Characters:
- Ravenstorm - all black she-cat with green eyes (Thunderclan)
- Thornpaw - dusty brown tabby tom with golden eyes (Thunderclan)
- Tigerfoot - dark brown tabby tom with green-yellow eyes (Shadowclan)
This story takes place at the clans' home around the lake.
"What can you smell, Thornpaw?" Ravenstorm tested her young apprentice. The two were out doing some late afternoon hunting in the frosty forest.
Thornpaw took a few deep whiffs of the air. "Um... shrew?" he answered hesitantly.
Ravenstorm stifled a laugh. "Not quite," she said. "It's squirrel. Good job for picking up the scent though! I think the squirrel right over there under those bushes." She flicked her tail towards a cluster of holly bushes laden with snow several foxlengths away. Sure enough, a squirrel was there.
The two of them crept forward. The squirrel, oblivious, scrabbled for something to eat in the patchy snow beneath the bushes.
Before they got close enough to the squirrel for Ravenstorm's black pelt to give her away against the snow, they paused. "Okay, Thornpaw, you stay here and I'll run around to the other side of the bushes. When I give the signal, I want you to chase the squirrel in my direction. Got it?" she instructed. The dusty brown tom nodded enthusiastically.
Ravenstorm padded in a wide circle around the bushes where the squirrel was still busy, never taking her eyes off of the creature. It would be a wonderful addition to the fresh-kill pile in the middle of the harsh grip of leafbare.
Once she reached a good position, she located her apprentice, whom she now faced from across the clearing. She gave him a little nod.
Thornpaw burst out at the squirrel, and the little creature immediately leaped up and started dashing about, looking for any sort of tree to escape into. Fortunately Ravenstorm was hiding almost directly in the squirrel's path. When she sensed the moment was right, she sprang up, pounced neatly on the squirrel, and killed it before it even knew what had happened.
Thornpaw came to a stop beside her, eyes shining. "That worked great!" he puffed.
"It did! Mice and shrews are easy to catch solo, but things like squirrels and rabbits are harder to bring down unless you can use teamwork. You did a great job chasing it!" she praised.
As she bent down to pick up the squirrel, a sudden scream tore through the crisp air, turning Ravenstorm's blood as cold as the snow.
She looked at Thornpaw. "Someone's in trouble. Let's stash the squirrel and hurry. That sound can't be good."
They quickly hollowed out a place in the dirt nearby and threw snow over their catch, and then they were off. Another shriek pierced Ravenstorm's ears, and then another, so she pushed on faster and faster until she was racing through the trees, hoping Thornpaw could keep up with her.
Soon enough she realized the two of them were quickly approaching the border between Thunderclan and Shadowclan territory. Was the cat in trouble one of her clanmates, or someone else?
About the time the border was in sight, that's when she saw it: there was a dark brown tabby, locked in a bloody tussle with a mangy fox. The fox had its teeth buried in the cat's scruff and shoulders and was violently shaking the cat. The cat fought back with a ferocity almost more than Ravenstorm had ever seen before. But the fox was just a little too big, a little too strong despite its skinny leafbare demeanor, and it was clearly taking its toll on the tabby warrior.
Ravenstorm's first instinct was to rush in and help the warrior.
Her second thought was that the warrior was Shadowclan. An enemy.
But there wasn't much time to think. This was a warrior - so what if it was a Shadowclan warrior? - whose life had value. And she wasn't about to just sit back and let this fox tear the warrior apart.
She didn't slow her pace and instead quickly closed the distance between her and the fighting pair. She leaped right onto the fox, scoring her claws down its back and biting its ear. The fox let out a sharp screech and was jostled just enough that it let go of the tabby. The next few moments almost seemed to progress in slow motion - the tabby warrior whipped around to slash at the fox's face, Ravenstorm clawed its shoulders, and even little Thornpaw bravely bit at its hind legs. Virtually as one, they overpowered the fox and sent it yowling off towards the edge of clan territory. Hopefully it would not forget its wounds quickly, and would stay away.
Once it was out of sight, Ravenstorm realized how tired she was from running and fighting. She tried to control her breathing and calm her mind. She turned to see the tabby warrior now hunched over, shaking, bleeding.
"A-are you alright? Do you need help getting back to your camp? How badly hurt are you?" She felt hesitant fussing over someone who was considered a rival, but she couldn't just leave a badly wounded warrior here after what had just happened.
"I'm fine," the warrior replied gruffly. He stood up and took a step, and one of his hind legs gave out and he sprawled back onto the dirty snow with a gasp.
Ravenstorm almost snorted, because obviously he was not fine, but her heart went out to him. "Let's get you back to camp," she said, nudging him back to his feet and supporting his weight with her own. She nodded for Thornpaw to follow.
The tom was tense at first, his pride not letting him fully accept the help of a warrior from a different clan. But soon enough his shoulders drooped and he leaned into Ravenstorm as she walked, and he limped, back to camp. At least he still had enough strength in him to guide them to the right place.
The Shadowclan scent suddenly grew much stronger as the three cats approached a lot of brambles and a tight grove of pine trees. They had reached the camp. The tabby directed Ravenstorm to a small opening in the brambles, and they entered the camp. Thornpaw slipped in behind them.
A few cats were lazing around in the clearing of the camp but instantly became alert when they appeared.
"Tigerfoot!" a tortoiseshell she-cat cried from across the clearing. She bounded over to the three cats, staring in shock at the brown tabby's wounds. "What happened?" She pressed her muzzle against his. She must be his mate.
"Fox," he managed to rasp.
Ravenstorm wasn't exactly sure what she should do, but she was saved when a large gray tom trotted over. "Greetings. I am Hawkstar," he meowed. Then he looked at Tigerfoot. "Let's get you settled so Brackenfall can take care of you. Emberstep, can you get him to her den?" he asked the tortoiseshell she-cat.
Emberstep nodded, and took the role of supporting Tigerfoot's weight from Ravenstorm. The two slowly made their way to what must have been the medicine cat's den at the back of the camp.
Ravenstorm shifted her paws awkwardly and looked back to Hawkstar. "I hope it's not a problem with bringing him back, I don't mean to be on your territory, but I just couldn't stand there and let the fox kill another warrior..." she trailed off, not sure what to say.
Hawkstar cut her off. "No, no, thank you. Tigerfoot is one of our best warriors, and recently became deputy. He'll also be a father soon. He's a very important cat to us all, and we are grateful for your help in getting him back here." He dipped his head respectfully. Then he peered back at Thornpaw, who had been standing behind her the whole time, probably nervous. "And you, sir, are well on your way to becoming an excellent warrior," he purred. Thornpaw seemed to stand a little taller after that.
"Tigerfoot is in good paws with Brackenfall now, so it is time for you to leave our territory," Hawkstar told her. "Your actions will be remembered in Shadowclan, though. Thank you."
He sent a Shadowclan warrior to escort Ravenstorm and Thornpaw back to the border. Once in Thunderclan territory again, Ravenstorm breathed a sigh of relief and relished in the chilly air that numbed the couple of scratches she'd received from the fox. She was glad the whole situation was over. But she didn't regret anything. She had helped another warrior, possibly saved his life, even if he was from another clan. And she had hopefully set a good example for Thornpaw as well.
Speaking of her apprentice, he suddenly complained loudly, "I'm so HUNGRY! Can we go find that squirrel?"
Ravenstorm let out a mrrow of laughter. "Of course!"
And with that, they set off across the snow in the direction they'd been hunting. After all, even the most honorable of warriors still had to eat.
This is just a short story I wrote a while back. (Feel free to ignore the title - I came up with it like two minutes before posting this because I couldn't think of anything better.) This story isn't much, but it's all I have till I write the fanfiction I'm currently planning. Hopefully that will be better.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Characters:
- Ravenstorm - all black she-cat with green eyes (Thunderclan)
- Thornpaw - dusty brown tabby tom with golden eyes (Thunderclan)
- Tigerfoot - dark brown tabby tom with green-yellow eyes (Shadowclan)
This story takes place at the clans' home around the lake.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"What can you smell, Thornpaw?" Ravenstorm tested her young apprentice. The two were out doing some late afternoon hunting in the frosty forest.
Thornpaw took a few deep whiffs of the air. "Um... shrew?" he answered hesitantly.
Ravenstorm stifled a laugh. "Not quite," she said. "It's squirrel. Good job for picking up the scent though! I think the squirrel right over there under those bushes." She flicked her tail towards a cluster of holly bushes laden with snow several foxlengths away. Sure enough, a squirrel was there.
The two of them crept forward. The squirrel, oblivious, scrabbled for something to eat in the patchy snow beneath the bushes.
Before they got close enough to the squirrel for Ravenstorm's black pelt to give her away against the snow, they paused. "Okay, Thornpaw, you stay here and I'll run around to the other side of the bushes. When I give the signal, I want you to chase the squirrel in my direction. Got it?" she instructed. The dusty brown tom nodded enthusiastically.
Ravenstorm padded in a wide circle around the bushes where the squirrel was still busy, never taking her eyes off of the creature. It would be a wonderful addition to the fresh-kill pile in the middle of the harsh grip of leafbare.
Once she reached a good position, she located her apprentice, whom she now faced from across the clearing. She gave him a little nod.
Thornpaw burst out at the squirrel, and the little creature immediately leaped up and started dashing about, looking for any sort of tree to escape into. Fortunately Ravenstorm was hiding almost directly in the squirrel's path. When she sensed the moment was right, she sprang up, pounced neatly on the squirrel, and killed it before it even knew what had happened.
Thornpaw came to a stop beside her, eyes shining. "That worked great!" he puffed.
"It did! Mice and shrews are easy to catch solo, but things like squirrels and rabbits are harder to bring down unless you can use teamwork. You did a great job chasing it!" she praised.
As she bent down to pick up the squirrel, a sudden scream tore through the crisp air, turning Ravenstorm's blood as cold as the snow.
She looked at Thornpaw. "Someone's in trouble. Let's stash the squirrel and hurry. That sound can't be good."
They quickly hollowed out a place in the dirt nearby and threw snow over their catch, and then they were off. Another shriek pierced Ravenstorm's ears, and then another, so she pushed on faster and faster until she was racing through the trees, hoping Thornpaw could keep up with her.
Soon enough she realized the two of them were quickly approaching the border between Thunderclan and Shadowclan territory. Was the cat in trouble one of her clanmates, or someone else?
About the time the border was in sight, that's when she saw it: there was a dark brown tabby, locked in a bloody tussle with a mangy fox. The fox had its teeth buried in the cat's scruff and shoulders and was violently shaking the cat. The cat fought back with a ferocity almost more than Ravenstorm had ever seen before. But the fox was just a little too big, a little too strong despite its skinny leafbare demeanor, and it was clearly taking its toll on the tabby warrior.
Ravenstorm's first instinct was to rush in and help the warrior.
Her second thought was that the warrior was Shadowclan. An enemy.
But there wasn't much time to think. This was a warrior - so what if it was a Shadowclan warrior? - whose life had value. And she wasn't about to just sit back and let this fox tear the warrior apart.
She didn't slow her pace and instead quickly closed the distance between her and the fighting pair. She leaped right onto the fox, scoring her claws down its back and biting its ear. The fox let out a sharp screech and was jostled just enough that it let go of the tabby. The next few moments almost seemed to progress in slow motion - the tabby warrior whipped around to slash at the fox's face, Ravenstorm clawed its shoulders, and even little Thornpaw bravely bit at its hind legs. Virtually as one, they overpowered the fox and sent it yowling off towards the edge of clan territory. Hopefully it would not forget its wounds quickly, and would stay away.
Once it was out of sight, Ravenstorm realized how tired she was from running and fighting. She tried to control her breathing and calm her mind. She turned to see the tabby warrior now hunched over, shaking, bleeding.
"A-are you alright? Do you need help getting back to your camp? How badly hurt are you?" She felt hesitant fussing over someone who was considered a rival, but she couldn't just leave a badly wounded warrior here after what had just happened.
"I'm fine," the warrior replied gruffly. He stood up and took a step, and one of his hind legs gave out and he sprawled back onto the dirty snow with a gasp.
Ravenstorm almost snorted, because obviously he was not fine, but her heart went out to him. "Let's get you back to camp," she said, nudging him back to his feet and supporting his weight with her own. She nodded for Thornpaw to follow.
The tom was tense at first, his pride not letting him fully accept the help of a warrior from a different clan. But soon enough his shoulders drooped and he leaned into Ravenstorm as she walked, and he limped, back to camp. At least he still had enough strength in him to guide them to the right place.
The Shadowclan scent suddenly grew much stronger as the three cats approached a lot of brambles and a tight grove of pine trees. They had reached the camp. The tabby directed Ravenstorm to a small opening in the brambles, and they entered the camp. Thornpaw slipped in behind them.
A few cats were lazing around in the clearing of the camp but instantly became alert when they appeared.
"Tigerfoot!" a tortoiseshell she-cat cried from across the clearing. She bounded over to the three cats, staring in shock at the brown tabby's wounds. "What happened?" She pressed her muzzle against his. She must be his mate.
"Fox," he managed to rasp.
Ravenstorm wasn't exactly sure what she should do, but she was saved when a large gray tom trotted over. "Greetings. I am Hawkstar," he meowed. Then he looked at Tigerfoot. "Let's get you settled so Brackenfall can take care of you. Emberstep, can you get him to her den?" he asked the tortoiseshell she-cat.
Emberstep nodded, and took the role of supporting Tigerfoot's weight from Ravenstorm. The two slowly made their way to what must have been the medicine cat's den at the back of the camp.
Ravenstorm shifted her paws awkwardly and looked back to Hawkstar. "I hope it's not a problem with bringing him back, I don't mean to be on your territory, but I just couldn't stand there and let the fox kill another warrior..." she trailed off, not sure what to say.
Hawkstar cut her off. "No, no, thank you. Tigerfoot is one of our best warriors, and recently became deputy. He'll also be a father soon. He's a very important cat to us all, and we are grateful for your help in getting him back here." He dipped his head respectfully. Then he peered back at Thornpaw, who had been standing behind her the whole time, probably nervous. "And you, sir, are well on your way to becoming an excellent warrior," he purred. Thornpaw seemed to stand a little taller after that.
"Tigerfoot is in good paws with Brackenfall now, so it is time for you to leave our territory," Hawkstar told her. "Your actions will be remembered in Shadowclan, though. Thank you."
He sent a Shadowclan warrior to escort Ravenstorm and Thornpaw back to the border. Once in Thunderclan territory again, Ravenstorm breathed a sigh of relief and relished in the chilly air that numbed the couple of scratches she'd received from the fox. She was glad the whole situation was over. But she didn't regret anything. She had helped another warrior, possibly saved his life, even if he was from another clan. And she had hopefully set a good example for Thornpaw as well.
Speaking of her apprentice, he suddenly complained loudly, "I'm so HUNGRY! Can we go find that squirrel?"
Ravenstorm let out a mrrow of laughter. "Of course!"
And with that, they set off across the snow in the direction they'd been hunting. After all, even the most honorable of warriors still had to eat.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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