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Post by Dewstripe on Jul 4, 2017 12:01:52 GMT -5
>> Starfish <<
My entire life revolves around two simple words, both of which begin with the letter C.
Careful and can't.
For my entire life, every other word out of my mother's mouth has been one of those dreadful terms. If she's speaking to me or about me, they're bound to make an appearance, assaulting my ears like a physical blow.
"Brightkit, you know you can't do that!"
"Lightningpaw, be careful with your sister! You know she can't go as fast as you!"
"Brighteyes, you need to be more careful!"
Most kits experience the smothering of a loving mother at some point in their lives. But most kits stop hearing it by the time they become warriors, if not sooner. Me? I'm old enough to have kits of my own now, and I'm still hearing those hideous words.
Well, I have another C-word for you, mother. Condemned.
Because that's what I am. Condemned. Condemned to a life of "careful"s and "can't"s.
Condemned to a life on three paws.
Yep, you heard that right. I was born with only three legs. As one might imagine, that makes for a challenging life as a warrior. So yes, in some ways, my mother is right. I should be careful. There are some things I can't do. But that doesn't mean you have to constantly remind me, and it certainly doesn't mean I have to be happy about it.
Which is why I find myself here, in a little cave my mother doesn't know about, staring into a tide pool. I come here when I feel lost, or overwhelmed. My brother Sunstorm and I found this hideaway seasons ago, back when we were still apprentices. Back when the two of us were thick as thieves. He and I got into every kind of trouble you could think of, to the utter dismay of my sister Lilyfall. She'd wrinkle her nose and cast a disapproving glance at us, but at least she kept her muzzle shut.
Sunstorm and I used to sneak out of camp at night and come down to this cave to play-fight, or talk, or watch the creatures in the tide pool. My favorite was the starfish. Sunstorm would dip his paw into the water, sending pristine ripples in every direction. I'd watch, eyes wide, as he cut the starfish's leg off with his claws.
"See," he'd say, grinning at me. "Now it's just like you!"
I knew all of his secrets, and he knew mine. He was the only person that never treated me as lesser because of my leg. He never told me to be careful. He never told me what I couldn't do. Instead, he would show me the starfish healing the next day, and tell me all of the things I could do.
Then he died, and it was like someone took the oxygen right out of the air.
It was like I'd lost another leg. I mourned him the same way as my missing limb - like a piece of me was gone.
My mother only got worse after that. My grief made me reckless, hers made her afraid. Everything only got worse from there.
My mother has another litter of kits now, so you'd think that would keep her off my back, but it doesn't. She pitches a fit every time Pebblepelt puts me on patrol. If she had her way, I would never leave camp again. Luckily for me, Ebonystar is the one that has her way, so I get to be a warrior.
Mother demanded that I be a medicine cat. Ebonystar demanded that I made my own choices. My father, who is also Ebonystar's brother, prefers to stay out of it.
Which leaves me in a daily battle to be, and do, what I want.
I got hurt on patrol today, and my mother was furious. It was just a couple scratches from failing to leap over a fallen tree, but you would've thought I'd lost an eye. She screamed at me, screamed at Pebblepelt, screamed at Ebonystar and my father and anyone who would listen. I just wanted to shake her and say "I'
Instead, I ran out of camp the moment Snailstep finished tending my wounds. Being treated like a kit has the funny effect of making you act like one. I stormed out, knowing my mother wouldn't follow me with her newborn kits to take care of, and came straight to my cave.
The water in the tide pool is still and clear, the opposite of my thoughts. The creatures inside sway and crawl and swim. Watching them stirs up the familiar ache in my chest. I miss you, Sunstorm.
I don't know if I do it out of anger, or grief, or desperation, but I inch forward and plop my front leg into the water. My aim is good - I step right on a starfish. It wriggles beneath my grasp, but I hold it in place, and carefully slice off one of its legs. I want to fell connected to my brother. I want to not feel so alone.
But Sunstorm was wrong. The starfish isn't just like me. The starfish will just grow another leg and go on living like nothing had ever happened.
Me? I'll never heal. I'll never grow another leg. I'll never get my best friend back.
I'm just broken.
Condemned.
>> Sea Foam <<
Waves bombard the rocks, relentless as a summer sun. With each crash, the scent of salt dissipates into the air, carried off on a gentle breeze. The waves are a comfort to Sandyclaw. The sounds and smells are old friends, soothing in their dependability.
Stones peer up from the water's surface like unsheathed claws, misshapen from the ocean's abuse. Whenever Sandyclaw is overwhelmed, he finds himself staring down at these rocks from the northern cliffs. Sea spray clings to his pelt and fills his nose. Another wave batters another rock, stirring up cloud-like froth that dissolves as quickly as it appears. The pattern is routine, familiar. It's as reliable as the sun rising each day and setting each night
Sandyclaw has always craved the solace of routine. When faced with unexpected circumstances, he has trouble handling his frustration. The unpredictable confuses him, and he hates to be confused. He needs time to process. Analyze. In such situations, he seeks out the comfort of the mundane. Hence, the waves.
Unfortunately, Orchidsong knows this. She also tends to use this knowledge to her advantage and his irritation. She interrupts while he is still struggling to develop some sense of composure before he deals with whatever has thrown him off course. Coincidentally, Orchidsong usually has something to do with it.
"I know you're there," the cream and white tom mews, voice sharp with annoyance. "Might as well come out."
A brown tabby she-cat - Orchidsong - steps out from the shadows of the undergrowth behind him. Her dainty white paws are nearly soundless as she pads across the rough stone to sit beside him. Sandyclaw's gaze never leaves the waves, though he tenses slightly.
After a drawn-out silence, Orchidsong finally speaks. "We should talk about this."
"What's there to talk about?" he spits. "You obviously don't respect what I ask of you. Why should I bother asking?"
"Look, I know you're upset, but-"
"But what?" Sandyclaw interrupts, finally turning to look at her. "But I should just get over it? But you meant well so I should just ignore the fact that you haven't listened to a single thing I've told you? But if I was more normal it wouldn't have bothered me? But what, Orchidsong?"
The tabby she-cat is silent, and satisfaction surges in Sandyclaw's chest. It's no small feat to leave Orchidsong speechless. The feeling passes when he realizes she's hanging her head. In shame? Sadness? Anger? Disappointment? It's so hard to tell. Either way, he feels a twinge of guilt.
Sandyclaw sighs. "I know you meant well," he murmurs plaintively. "I know you thought you were helping. But I can't handle your helping anymore. It's just too much for me."
"I only wanted you to not be so lonely."
"I'm not lonely," Sandyclaw says, wrinkling his nose in confusion. "I like to be alone."
"No one likes to be alone," Orchidsong scoffs. "Everyone needs someone to go through life with."
"I don't," Sandyclaw snarls.
Orchidsong ignores him. "Even socially awkward cats with brains filled with foam like you can find love. Mistywing is super sweet, you should really give her a chance. I know you aren't much of a talker but I think if you just spent a little time with her maybe-"
"No, Orchidsong," Sandyclaw mews forcefully. "You're not listening to me. You never listen to me! I get that you're happy with Spiderfang, and I'm glad. I really am. You deserve to be happy in whatever way you choose. But I'm not like you. I don't need someone to be happy. In fact, I would be unhappy in a relationship. Why can't you just understand that?" His voice rises with each word, building like a wave preparing to crash. By the end, he's practically out of breath. "I'm not like you. I never was, and I never will be."
"You're just upset," Orchidsong says, shaking her head. She flashes him what must be meant as a reassuring smile. "Maybe you're afraid of commitment. I understand that. Spiderfang was too, at first. There's no rush, go at your own speed-"
"Orchidsong, stop. Just stop."
"-and if you just give it a little time, I'm sure you can find someone that will make you happy. If you don't like Mistywing, what about Plumdapple? She's sweet, although not the smartest fish in the sea if you know what I mean." She chuckles to herself.
"Enough!" Sandyclaw yowls. "I can't take it anymore! I don't want your idea of happiness. I don't feel that way about other cats, okay? I don't want a mate, I don't want kits, I just want to be myself. Get that through your empty head!"
After another pause, Orchidsong speaks. Her voice is soft and her eyes are sad as she meets his gaze. "That was cruel Sandyclaw. I thought we were friends."
"That's right. Were. Past tense."
Orchidsong's face hardens at his words, any hints of sadness replaced by rage. Sandyclaw may not be good at reading emotions, but anger is definitely the easiest. Anger burns with an intensity he's never seen from any other feeling.
"Fine," Orchidsong hisses, getting to her paws. "I'm sorry to have been such an inconvenience in your life. I'll leave you to your stupid sea foam. I'm sure you two will be happy together."
Sandyclaw shakes his head, hardly comprehending her words. "You really don't get it, do you?"
She lets out an indignant hmmph, lifting her nose into the air as she turns to leave. Sandyclaw watches the waves as she stalks off, taking a deep breath of salty air. The waves continue to blast the rocks, sea foam continues to appear and fade, and the sun will soon begin to rise. Everything is as it should be.
Alone at last.
>> Sand <<
"You've always been accident prone," my sister says to me, a smirk playing on her lips. "It only makes sense that you would fall in love by accident, too." My eyes nearly bug out of my head at her words. "Minnowsplash!" I yelp, glancing around wildly. "Keep your voice down!" "Why?" she asks. "Who's going to hear me? The finches?" She flicks her tail up at the tree branches above us as if to prove her point. "There's nobody around." "Still," I mumble, feeling a bit silly. But also nervous, because hello, I'd prefer my personal thoughts and feelings were kept, well, personal.
"So when did you have this sudden realization?" Minnowsplash asks, changing the subject.
I duck my head, suddenly regretting I even brought it up. "I wouldn't call it a realization, per se. Spending time with her is just... different now. Like I've always known she was pretty, and smart, and sweet, but all of that means something more now."
"She is really pretty."
Leave it to my sister to have the same taste in she-cats as me. I shake my head, chuckling despite myself. "Oliveheart and I have been friends for as long as I can remember. But now it's like all of a sudden, every time I'm with her, I just spend the whole time trying not to act like an idiot. Then I do act like an idiot, and beat myself up over it later."
"Sounds like love to me," Minnowsplash jokes. Then her smile fades. "In all seriousness, though, why don't you just tell her?"
"I was afraid you'd say that," I groan. "There's no way I can tell her. I don't have the heart to hear her reject me."
"But what if she feels the same way?" My sister tilts her head, studying my face. "I could talk to her about it if you'd like."
I shake my head. "I don't want to mess up our friendship any more than I already have. I'd rather have her as a friend than nothing." Even if all I can think about these days is having her as more than a friend. "Besides, I'm pretty sure she's interested in Eaglefang."
Minnowsplash rolls her eyes. "Eaglefang is a jerk. I wouldn't worry about him if I were you."
I just shrug. This conversation isn't turning out as helpful as I'd hoped. "Forget I said anything. Let's just head back to camp."
Her face falls, and I immediately feel guilty. I'm angry with myself, not my sister, so why am I taking it out on her?
"Okay," she mews, bumping me gently with her shoulder as she walks past me. "Just let me know if you need anything, I guess."
"Thanks, Min," I reply half-heartedly.
"Troutwhisker. Psst. Troutwhisker, wake up." "Hmmm?" I open one eye, still mostly asleep. My brain is slow to take in the dappled form standing over me. Once I realize who it is, though, I leap to my paws. "Oliveheart!" "Shhh!" she scolds, glancing at the sleeping warriors surrounding us. She motions with her tail to the den's exit. Without even having to think about it, I follow her out. I'm careful not to step on my sister's tail, which swishes around like a mouse on the run. She must be dreaming. As I step out into the night air - humid but not too warm - I shake out my fur to wake myself up a bit more. Oliveheart is waiting for me, her amber eyes glinting mischievously. I know that look well. "What are you interrupting my beauty sleep for tonight?" I joke, licking a paw and smoothing the fur on my head self-consciously. "Let's go to the beach," she says simply, turning to leave without another word. She trusts that I'll follow her, and I do. I've hardly said three words to her since my conversation with Minnowsplash a quarter-moon ago, but tonight I don't bother trying to resist her pull. We treck wordlessly through the forest, the stirring of bugs the only sound accompanying us. I try to look anywhere but at Oliveheart, to not think of her in that way. I keep my head down and only watch where I'm putting my paws. When we reach the edge of the treeline, though, my resolve wavers . The moonlight bathes her in light, a soft glow that makes her fur seem to shimmer. She looks like she belongs among the stars above us, and I find myself thanking StarClan for sharing her with us mere mortals. She sits down a few tail-lengths from the water's edge, and I only hesitate a moment before sitting beside her. For a while, neither of us speaks. We watch the waves crash, starlight dancing across the surface of the ink-black water. The sand tickles my paws and I sigh softly. I haven't felt this peaceful, since, well, the last time we did this. "Troutwhisker," Oliveheart whispers, breaking the silence. I turn to look at her, struggling to keep my breathing when I realize how close we are. Our noses are nearly touching. I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out, so I just move imperceptibly away from her. This is exactly what I don't want - to feel awkward around my best friend. Oliveheart's eyes narrow. "Have... Have you been avoiding me?" she asks. "I feel like I haven't seen you at all lately." "No, of course not," I lie, shaking my head for good measure. "I've just been busy I guess, that's all." The relief on her face is palpable, and I feel a stab of guilt. I hadn't been talking to her because she's been around Eaglefang so much. I was so focused on protecting my own feelings that I didn't think about how she might interpret it. You don't deserve her. "Good," she purrs, all somberness forgotten. "I was worried I'd done something to make you upset." She bumps my shoulder with hers, sending a shiver down my spine. The feeling is intoxicating. I nudge her back, a little harder.
The next thing I know, we're both tumbling around, play-fighting like we're still apprentices. She thumps me in the ear with her paw, stunning me. My eyes bug out of my head, and I must look ridiculous because she starts to giggle. Her laugh is clear and unrestrained, and I feel lighter just hearing it. She falls back on her haunches, spraying sand up at me. I don't care. I'm grinning like a fool.
Just as suddenly as it started, Oliveheart's laughter stops. She leaps to her paws, yellow eyes gleaming. It's her I-have-an-idea face. I stay where I'm sitting as she walks in a circle around me, drawing a circle in the sand with one paw. When she finished, she jumps in the circle and sits next to me. Her face is lit up like the night sky. No, brighter.
"Now you're stuck here," she informs me sternly. "You have to talk to me whenever I want."
She's grinning in triumph. I'm grinning too, shaking my head in awe of all that she is. Oliveheart must think I'm making fun of her, because she frowns, serious once more.
"I mean it Troutwhisker," she mews, staring me down. "You're stuck here. Just try to leave, I dare you."
"What if I don't want to leave?" I reply softly.
Her eyes widen for a moment, and I'm worried I said something wrong. But then she smiles. If I didn't know any better, I'd even say it's a shy smile.
"Then don't," she says. She leans against me, head resting on my shoulder. I'm suddenly aware of every inch of her pelt and where it's touching mine. I'm on fire and freezing cold all at once. The words of my sister come back to me like a blow to the chest.
What if she feels the same way?
"You're my best friend, Troutwhisker," she mumbles against my fur.
Being here with Oliveheart now, in this moment, makes me feel braver than ever before. Which is how I end up doing the one thing I promised myself I would never do.
"Oliveheart," I whisper. "I think I'm in love with you."
>> Waves <<
Bombarded.
That is the only word to describe how Pebblepelt feels, every waking moment. Actually, waking and sleeping, because his dreams are filled with their own kind of bombardment.
By day, Pebblepelt is the hardworking, if not over-worked, deputy. Loyal to a fault, dedicated to his work, and always around when anyone needs something. He gives orders every morning, answers questions every afternoon. and then gives orders all over again in the evening.
A never ending cycle of need.
By night, he's plagued by nightmares. Waves crashing over his head. Current pulling at him in every direction. Water weighing him down, threatening to pull him into the shadowy depths. Salt burning his nose and eyes. Wind churning up the water, roaring in his ears.
And her screams. Always her screams.
By day, Pebblepelt is tormented by condolences. Given and received. He apologizes to her mother. Keeps her father from falling apart. Feels the stabs of guilt with every sorrowful glance from her siblings. But above all else, he hears words that pain him more than the waves ever did.
"You did what you could."
By night, he watches her die. The stone-like weight of the water is too much for her fragile paws. Her soaked pelt bobs above the water a few times. He hears her calling his name, begging for help, begging to be saved. But he never reaches her in time. She disappears beneath the surface, lost to the ocean's wrath.
Gone.
By day, he is surrounded by friends and family. They gush over his bravery. His courage for jumping into the raging sea after her. For doing "everything he could" to save her, to bring her safely to shore. They batter him with sympathy and support. They tell him that he tried his hardest. That she was so lucky to have had him as a mentor. They say that StarClan took her too soon. They do everything they can to comfort him, to show that they are there for him in the way he is always there for them.
He feels utterly alone.
By night, he sees her eyes. Green, bright, intelligent. He sees her seeing him, clawing at the waves in an effort to reach her. To be the protector he was meant to be. But the waves always push him back, keep him from being her savior. He sees her eyes as she realizes that his help won't arrive in time. He sees her eyes as they accept her death. In his memories, her eyes were afraid. In his nightmares, they are only sad.
Somehow, the sadness is worse.
By day, he struggles to find the words to express how he feels. Her mother is too sad to blame him. Her father is too lost to blame him. Her brother can't blame anyone if he never accepts that she's really gone. But her sister... her sister is different. Ivymask looks at him the way that he thinks he would look at himself. Not with pity, but with rage. He knows exactly what she wants to say to him because it's what he tells himself each and every day. You did what you could, but that wasn't enough.
He wasn't enough.
By night, he relives the worst moment of his life over and over again. But the worst part isn't watching Featherpaw disappearing beneath the waves. The worst part is the piece of the puzzle he never told anyone. It's the part that makes him blame himself. The part that Ivymask must suspect.
The part where Featherpaw jumps.
By day, Pebblepelt wonders what Featherpaw's warrior name would have been. Feathersong, after her mother? Featherpelt, after her mentor? She'd been only days away from her warrior ceremony, not that she could've known that. Pebblepelt had expected Ebonystar to give the apprentice her warrior name after her death.
But no body meant no burial, and no burial meant no ceremony.
By night, as Pebblepelt watches his worst moment over and over and over again, he only wonders one thing. How didn't he see it coming? How did he miss her sadness, her loneliness, whatever it was that made her leap into the unforgiving ocean. No matter how much he wondered, though, he would never find the answer in his dreams. He would never know what he could have done, what he should have done.
Worst of all, he would never know who she should have become.
>> Storms <<
In TideClan, a storm is rarely just a storm.
In most places, a storm means wind and rain. Clouds, perhaps some thunder and lightning. But on the tropical island that TideClan calls home, a storm means much more.
To TideClan, a storm means flash floods, angry tides, and fallen trees. A storm means humidity that clings to pelts and steals air from lungs. A storm means danger and chaos. Danger and chaos, however, are perfect for surreptitious doings.
Viperclaw hates storms.
She hates the rain that seeps into her den and the puddles that collect around her paws. She hates the wind that howls and the thunder that cracks. She hates the debris that litters the territory and how prey is scarce in the days that follow. She especially hates the humidity, which sticks to her fur and makes her sweat without even moving. But mostly, she hates what she always ends up doing during a storm.
So when the mountainous clouds begin to build in the sky, and the air gets damp and thick, Viperclaw wants to run to her mother like she did as a kit. But she's not a kit any longer, so she's forced to face her fears instead.
One particularly humid afternoon, Viperclaw finds herself catching Waspnose's knowing glance. Tonight? he seems to ask. She nods once in reply, then looks quickly away.
The rest of the day, as the storm begins to build and the air gets thicker, Viperclaw tries not to think about what a storm means. She fails.
By the time it actually starts raining, Viperclaw is sitting half in and half out of the warriors den, watching the sky. One moment, all is still. The next, the sky is opening up, dumping its contents onto the Clan cats. A single bolt of lightning streaks across the sky. So it begins.
As the wind whips through the trees, Viperclaw hears the muffled shouting of Pebblepelt. He's giving orders, preparing the camp for what comes next. More lightning illuminates the sky, and Viperclaw sees her Clanmates rushing blindly around, trying to help but not really knowing what to do. Every storm is different. Should they be worrying about flooding or debris? What if the lightning starts a fire? There's no way to know until it happens. Viperclaw wonders why they ever bother to prepare. They're never actually prepared.
In all of the commotion, no one notices three cats slipping outside into the storm.
Viperclaw finds Waspnose sitting at the usual meting point: the base of a tree that had once caused a major fire during a storm not unlike this one. The branches no longer looked charred, but it never grew back quite right. Viperclaw had been going for irony when she chose it.
Waspnnose's pale yellow eyes are wide and his striped fur is slick with rain when Viperclaw approaches. He's a mirror image of her own anxiety, except she's much better at keeping hers hidden.
Neither of them says a word as they wait for their third companion. Lightning carves a scar into the angry sky and thunder shakes the ground. The rain continues to come down, and the wind continues to howl, but they just wait. Viperclaw is just about to hiss a complaint when he finally arrives.
"You're late," she spits at the large brown tom lumbering toward them. He only grins a lopsided grin. The crooked smile is thanks to an old injury, not charm, but Viperclaw feels a little flutter in her stomach all the same.
"Sorry," Eaglefang meows smoothly, though he certainly isn't. "Got a little held up talking to Oliveheart. You understand."
She does not. But Waspnose nods, so Viperclaw holds her tongue.
"Shall we?"
The three of them pad deeper into the trees. The storm keeps raging.
"When I was young," Viperclaw says, just loud enough to be heard over the wind. "My mother used to tell me that storms like these happened whenever StarClan was angry with TideClan. She said the destruction they caused was a sign of our ancestors' fury."
"Oh yeah?" Eaglefang smirks. Viperclaw immediately regrets saying anything. Eaglefang tilts his head to the sky and yowls, "Is that the best you've got, StarClan? I guess we'll just have to show you what real fury looks like!"
Thunder booms as if in response and Eaglefang cackles to the heavens.
"Knock it off!" Viperclaw hisses. Much as she hates to admit it, she inherited her mother's superstitious nature. Eaglefang only chuckles again.
As usual, Waspnose has nothing to say on the subject. For once, Viperclaw wishes he would take a side.
Eaglefang must notice her discomfort. "Aw, come on Viperclaw," he mews, nudging her shoulder. "You know I'm only teasing."
Yeah right, Viperclaw thinks. But she doesn't say it. She just picks up her pace, tail lashing. They walk the rest of the way without speaking, the wind and thunder the only sounds to fill the silence. And fill it it does.
All too soon, they reach their destination. Eaglefang signals with his tail. Viperclaw and Waspnose fall into step behind him, forming a triangle. The arrangement is familiar. Viperclaw's heart begins to race as two small Bengal toms come into view. They were expecting them. Just like always, Eaglefang takes the lead; Viperclaw and Waspnose are just the muscle.
"Good evening, Haku," Eaglefang purrs, dripping in charisma. "Have you thought about what we discussed?"
The larger Bengal tom's eyes are mere slits. Another flash of lightning fills the sky as he speaks. "We are not leaving, pepehi. My family has lived here for generations, and no TideClan leader has taken issue with that before.
"That was then," Eaglefang says smoothly. "This is now."
"Well now, we aren't going anywhere," Haku spits. Viperclaw's heart sinks at the words.
"For your sake," Eaglefang says, smile gone from his voice, "and for the sake of your family, I urge you to reconsider."
Thunder shakes the ground before Haku is able to reply. "I will not bargain with you, pepehi. Ebonystar may speak with me if she would like, but right now, we are not leaving."
Eaglefang's smile returns, but this time it is sinister. "Big mistake."
Before the Bengal can so much as yelp, Eaglefang leaps at Haku, claws already extended. Waspnose goes after the smaller tom - Haku's son - in nearly the same instant. Viperclaw only hesitates a moment before dashing into the den the toms had been guarding. Inside, she finds exactly what Eaglefang had told her to expect: a Bengal queen - Haku's mate - and a younger Bengal she-cat - Haku's daughter.
Well, not exactly what she'd been told to expect. Haku's mate is very large and very pregnant. Viperclaw's gut twists.
She knows her mission. She also knows she can't do it. Not like this.
The daughter leaps to her paws, soaked in rain and fear-scent. Viperclaw shakes her head once, eyes wide with uncertainty and the weight of her decision. So instead of attacking, instead of tearing into the throats of these she-cats as she has so many rouges and loners before them, she says one word:
"Run."
The daughter only hesitates a moment. She takes a step back, as if not believing what she's hearing. Thunder booms and Viperclaw says, more urgently this time, "Go!"
And they do. They dash out the back side of the den, not wasting any more time to question her motives.
Viperclaw waits what she hopes is enough time, before slinking out of the den. Haku and his son lie dead at Eaglefang's paws. The brown tom is triumphant, a force not unlike the storm.
When Viperclaw approaches, he tears his gaze from the bodies. His eyes give her the chills in a different way than she's grown so accustomed to. Her longing is replaced with terror. She hopes he can't see it on her face.
"Is it done?" he asks simply.
She hesitates, then shakes her head. "They... They got away."
Eaglefang's face twists into confusion, then morphs into shock, then finally settles on rage. "What do you mean, they got away? You couldn't take on a pregnant queen and a scrawny little she-cat."
Now it's Viperclaw's turn to look confused. "You mean you knew she was carrying?"
"Of course I knew!" Eaglefang yowls. "It's my job to know these things, and it's your job to take care of the vermin. That was the deal."
"Killing unborn kits was not part of the deal," Viperclaw mews, struggling to keep her voice steady.
Waspnose glances back in forth during the exchange, like a kit watching its parents fight. As usual, he doesn't say a word. Once more, Viperclaw wishes he would take a side.
"The deal was you do what I say," Eaglefang snarls. Then, he leaps.
Somehow, Viperclaw didn't see it coming. She should have, but she didn't.
Another thing Viperclaw's mother used to tell her was that when a cat dies, they see their entire life flash before your eyes. The only thing that flashes before Viperclaw's eyes is lightning.
Her mother was right about one thing, if not about the life flashing before one's eyes. Viperclaw sees all of StarClan's rage in Eaglefang's face. He is a living, breathing storm, here to punish TideClan for their failings.
As Eaglefang's claws sink cleanly into her throat, she only has two thoughts as she stares into his stony yellow-green eyes. The first comes along with a feeling of dread. Waspnose chose a side after all.
The second is a single word. Pepehi. Murderer.
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Post by Dewstripe on Jul 31, 2017 21:18:43 GMT -5
ᴛᴜᴇsᴅᴀʏ ahhh I'm so glad you liked waves, it's definitely my favorite of the ones I've done Alternatively, here's my least favorite: storms. (It was a huge pain to write on my iPad but I wanted to do at least one more ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) I'm just putting it here because i don't want to ruin my page by trying to edit on mobile
In TideClan, a storm is rarely just a storm.
In most places, a storm means wind and rain. Clouds, perhaps some thunder and lightning. But on the tropical island that TideClan calls home, a storm means much more.
To TideClan, a storm means flash floods, angry tides, and fallen trees. A storm means humidity that clings to pelts and steals air from lungs. A storm means danger and chaos. Danger and chaos, however, are perfect for surreptitious doings.
Viperclaw hates storms.
She hates the rain that seeps into her den and the puddles that collect around her paws. She hates the wind that howls and the thunder that cracks. She hates the debris that litters the territory and how prey is scarce in the days that follow. She especially hates the humidity, which sticks to her fur and makes her sweat without even moving. But mostly, she hates what she always ends up doing during a storm.
So when the mountainous clouds begin to build in the sky, and the air gets damp and thick, Viperclaw wants to run to her mother like she did as a kit. But she's not a kit any longer, so she's forced to face her fears instead.
One particularly humid afternoon, Viperclaw finds herself catching Waspnose's knowing glance. Tonight? he seems to ask. She nods once in reply, then looks quickly away.
The rest of the day, as the storm begins to build and the air gets thicker, Viperclaw tries not to think about what a storm means. She fails.
By the time it actually starts raining, Viperclaw is sitting half in and half out of the warriors de, watching the sky. One moment, all is still. The next, the sky is opening up, dumping its contents onto the Clan cats. A single bolt of lightning streaks across the sky. So it begins.
As the wind whips through the trees, Viperclaw hears the muffled shouting of Pebblepelt. He's giving orders, preparing the camp for what comes next. More lightning illuminates the sky, and Viperclaw sees her Clanmates rushing blindly around, trying to help but not really knowing what to do. Every storm is different. Should they be worrying about flooding or debris? What if the lightning starts a fire? There's no way to know until it happens. Viperclaw wonders why they ever bother to prepare. They're never actually prepared.
In all of the commotion, no one notices three cats slipping outside into the storm.
Viperclaw finds Waspnose sitting at the usual meting point: the base of a tree that had once caused a major fire during a storm not unlike this one. The branches no longer looked charred, but it never grew back quite right. Viperclaw had been going for irony when she chose it.
Waspnnose's pale yellow eyes are wide and his striped fur is slick with rain when Viperclaw approaches. He's a mirror image of her own anxiety, except she's much better at keeping hers hidden.
Neither of them says a word as they wait for their third companion. Lightning carves a scar into the angry sky and thunder shakes the ground. The rain continues to come down, and the wind continues to howl, but they just wait. Viperclaw is just about to hiss a complaint when he finally arrives.
"You're late," she spits at the large brown tom lumbering toward them. He only grins a lopsided grin. The crooked smile is thanks to an old injury, not charm, but Viperclaw feels a little flutter in her stomach all the same.
"Sorry," Eaglefang meows smoothly, though he certainly isn't. "Got a little held up talking to Oliveheart. You understand."
She does not. But Waspnose nods, so Viperclaw holds her tongue.
"Shall we?"
The three of them pad deeper into the trees. The storm keeps raging.
"When I was young," Viperclaw says, just loud enough to be heard over the wind. "My mother used to tell me that storms like these happened whenever StarClan was angry with TideClan. She said the destruction they caused was a sign of our ancestors' fury."
"Oh yeah?" Eaglefang smirks. Viperclaw immediately regrets saying anything. Eaglefang tilts his head to the sky and yowls, "Is that the best you've got, StarClan? I guess we'll just have to show you what real fury looks like!"
Thunder booms as if in response and Eaglefang cackles to the heavens.
"Knock it off!" Viperclaw hisses. Much as she hates to admit it, she inherited her mother's superstitious nature. Eaglefang only chuckles again.
As usual, Waspnose has nothing to say on the subject. For once, Viperclaw wishes he would take a side.
Eaglefang must notice her discomfort. "Aw, come on Viperclaw," he mews, nudging her shoulder. "You know I'm only teasing."
Yeah right, Viperclaw thinks. But she doesn't say it. She just picks up her pace, tail lashing. They walk the rest of the way without speaking, the wind and thunder the only sounds to fill the silence. And fill it it does.
All too soon, they reach their destination. Eaglefang signals with his tail. Viperclaw and Waspnose fall into step behind him, forming a triangle. The arrangement is familiar. Viperclaw's heart begins to race as two small Bengal toms come into view. They were expecting them. Just like always, Eaglefang takes the lead; Viperclaw and Waspnose are just the muscle.
"Good evening, Haku," Eaglefang purrs, dripping in charisma. "Have you thought about what we discussed?"
The larger Bengal tom's eyes are are mere slits. Another flash of lightning fills the sky as he speaks. "We are not leaving, pepehi. My family has lived here for generations, and no TideClan leader has taken issue with that before."
"That was then," Eaglefang says smoothly. "This is now."
"Well now, we aren't going anywhere," Haku spits. Viperclaw's heart sinks at the words.
"For your sake," Eaglefang says, smile gone from his voice, "and for the sake of your family, I urge you to reconsider."
Thunder shakes the ground before Haku is able to reply. "I will not bargain with you, pepehi. Ebonystar may speak with me if she would like, but right now, we are not leaving."
Eaglefang's smile returns, but this time it is sinister. "Big mistake."
Before the Bengal can so much as yelp, Eaglefang leaps at Haku, claws already extended. Waspnose goes after the smaller tom - Haku's son - in nearly the same instant. Viperclaw only hesitates a moment before dashing into the den the toms had been guarding. Inside, she finds exactly what Eaglefang had told her to expect: a Bengal queen - Haku's mate - and a younger Bengal she-cat - Haku's daughter.
Well, not exactly what she'd been told to expect. Haku's mate is very large and very pregnant. Viperclaw's gut twists.
She knows her mission. She also knows she can't do it. Not like this.
The daughter leaps to her paws, soaked in rain and fear-scent. Viperclaw shakes her head once, eyes wide with uncertainty and the weight of her decision. So instead of attacking, instead of tearing into the throats of these she-cats as she has so many rouges and loners before them, she says one word:
"Run."
The daughter only hesitates a moment. She takes a step back, as if not believing what she's hearing. Thunder booms and Viperclaw says, more urgently this time, "Go!"
And they do. They dash out the back side of the den, not wasting any more time to question her motives.
Viperclaw waits what she hopes is enough time, before slinking out of the den. Haku and his son lie dead at Eaglefang's paws. The brown tom is triumphant, a force not unlike the storm.
When Viperclaw approaches, he tears his gaze from the bodies. His eyes give her the chills in a different way than she's grown so accustomed to. Her longing is replaced with terror. She hopes he can't see it on her face.
"Is it done?" he asks simply.
She hesitates, then shakes her head. "They... They got away."
Eaglefang's face twists into confusion, then morphs into shock, then finally settles on rage. "What do you mean, they got away? You couldn't take on a pregnant queen and a scrawny little she-cat."
Now it's Viperclaw's turn to look confused. "You mean you knew she was carrying?"
"Of course I knew!" Eaglefang yowls. "It's my job to know these things, and it's your job to take care of the vermin. That was the deal."
"Killing unborn kits was not part of the deal," Viperclaw mews, struggling to keep her voice steady.
Waspnose glances back in forth during the exchange, like a kit watching its parents fight. As usual, he doesn't say a word. Once more, Viperclaw wishes he would take a side.
"The deal was you do what I say," Eaglefang snarls. Then, he leaps.
Somehow, Viperclaw didn't see it coming. She should have, but she didn't.
Another thing Viperclaw's mother used to tell her was that when a cat dies, they see their entire life flash before your eyes. The only thing that flashes before Viperclaw's eyes is lightning.
Her mother was right about one thing, if not about the life flashing before one's eyes. Viperclaw sees all of StarClan's rage in Eaglefang's face. He is a living, breathing storm, here to punish TideClan for their failings.
As Eaglefang's claws sink cleanly into her throat, she only has two thoughts as she stares into his stony yellow-green eyes. The first comes along with a feeling of dread. Waspnose chose a side after all.
The second is a single word. Pepehi. Murderer.
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