The Blue Flame -- A short(er) Fic (6.5 parts up)
Aug 5, 2021 21:27:25 GMT -5
mintedstar/fur🦇 likes this
Post by Brownie on Aug 5, 2021 21:27:25 GMT -5
- INFO
AHAHHAHA you thought! But no, I bring to you a SINGLE short story, that is now longer !! I have a few parts planned, this is just the introduction! We will have a full character arc. Wow. So lets get to it!
More notes up here as it gets longer: First off, this is attached to canon but only assumes up to The Last Hope and Bramblestar's Storm. Anything further ruins continuity, so that's where this Lore branches off.
(This Lore also follows my other worldbuild. This is on the "Fantasy" path, which includes Star Rose, Rift, Dragonfly, and the Godtouched.)
Also! Trigger warnings and such for blood, death (nothing worse than the books), but also mention of physical/emotional abuse, and organized violence.
(I might link an extended version on ffnet once this is done/closer to done with a bit darker edits; both for the Blue Flame's literal attempt at Clan Genocide and also for some of Andie's backstory which isn't explicit but does have some extra trigger mentions I don't want to even imply here)
POLL for part 5/6
what minor character do you think will be the first to die? I can promise there will be no death in part 6, but I can also promise there will be heavy fighting in part 7 and that no cat is safe. Which of the four will I kill off first & why? Give me your reasoning in the comments. Love to hear from yall <3 with enough support your fav might even live ;)
- SYNOPSIS
Andie finally managed to escape her troubled life and settled down with her wonderful mate, Clover. They had a quaint home in a small town cemetery, plenty of food, and three healthy kits. But when Clover's blood enemies find his new life, Andie is thrown into a new conflict which brings all her old memories tumbling back. With one kit dead, the other two stolen away, and finding out her mate had an entire life she knew nothing about, Andie must leap into the fray and fight for the family she finally built for herself.
- CHARACTERS
Andie - A cream she-cat with grey lilac point markings and green eyes.
Clover - A strong, dark grey smoke tomcat with amber eyes. Andie's mate.
Jax - A grey smoke tom with a white splotch on his head and amber eyes. Andie's kit.
Talon - A grey-and-white patched tom with yellow eyes. Andie's kit.
Lily - A black she-kit with green eyes. Andie's kit.
Jess - A calico she-cat with one yellow eye and one blue.
Jack - A small, older orange munchkin tom with green eyes. He has scars down his flank and face.
Ike - A grouchy brown tabby tom with grey eyes.
Zara - A scruffy-looking grey tabby she-cat with large blue eyes.
Marshmallow - A very large, fluffy white tom with yellow eyes.
Palla - A dark tortoiseshell she-cat with milky white eyes. Blind.
Clover - A strong, dark grey smoke tomcat with amber eyes. Andie's mate.
Jax - A grey smoke tom with a white splotch on his head and amber eyes. Andie's kit.
Talon - A grey-and-white patched tom with yellow eyes. Andie's kit.
Lily - A black she-kit with green eyes. Andie's kit.
Jess - A calico she-cat with one yellow eye and one blue.
Jack - A small, older orange munchkin tom with green eyes. He has scars down his flank and face.
Ike - A grouchy brown tabby tom with grey eyes.
Zara - A scruffy-looking grey tabby she-cat with large blue eyes.
Marshmallow - A very large, fluffy white tom with yellow eyes.
Palla - A dark tortoiseshell she-cat with milky white eyes. Blind.
- PART 1
Clover hissed, the dark grey fur on his spine prickling as he stalked forward. His claws clicked against stone; a sharp sound that echoed in the thin dusk light. A smaller white she-cat crouched in the grass, her eyes wide and ears pressed flat. But though she was afraid, her fangs were bared in challenge.
Clover slipped from the tall tombstone onto the grass, circling to the left of the she-cat where the sun would be behind his back. She turned to face him, and so he was ready when he saw the flicker of pain as her eyes took too much light. Clover didn't give her time to adjust and crossed the distance in two long bounds. She yowled, then his paws hit her chest and she tumbled under him with a choked gasp. He disconnected quickly, leaping back to where she had sat in the grass.
His claws closed against a grey rock.
"Wooo! Dad's so scary!"
"We're supposed to be cheering for Ma, mouse brain."
Clover sat down beside the trio of rocks, picking the grass clumps from his claws with his tongue. The white she-cat picked herself up from the ground and jumped to the top of the tombstone, where three fluffy kits wriggled impatiently like baby robins. "Okay, time to go back to the den, all of you." She picked up the tiny black she-cat by her scruff, hopping down and depositing her on the grass. The two bigger tom-kits wrestled atop the gravestone.
"We can get down ourselves!" The grey smoke tom wriggled his hindquarters in preparation to leap, but Andie was fast as lightning as she scooped him up and put him down near his sister. The last kit, a grey-and-white tom, pouted as he waited his turn.
Andie nudged the black she-cat to her paws. "Go on, take Lily home. I know you two can protect her."
"Don't need protectin'" Lily said drowsily. The two other kits stood taller with their responsibility, their small tails held high as they started back towards the den beneath the apple tree.
Andie padded to Clover's side, her eyes following the way his claws wrapped around the small stones. "You don't have to go," she said softly, pushing into his flank for comfort.
The larger tomcat flexed his claws, making a sharp sound from the contact. "You should be safe here. This is... just in case." He was watching the stones too. He could easily imagine this one being the dark furred Jax, the smallest one-- He looked away, watching the sun set over the graveyard instead.
The white she-cat put her own paw on his, pulling it away from the stone. "I know they are important to you," she started, "and I know we are important too. I just wish..." she trailed off with a sigh and leaned into Clover's shoulder, her tail flicking against his own.
He let himself rest in that comfortable silence for a few moments longer, until the sun set fully and the moon pulled itself from above the trees into the darkening sky. Then he nudged Andie away and stood. "I'll be home soon," Clover promised. He didn't look back as he started north.
Clover slipped from the tall tombstone onto the grass, circling to the left of the she-cat where the sun would be behind his back. She turned to face him, and so he was ready when he saw the flicker of pain as her eyes took too much light. Clover didn't give her time to adjust and crossed the distance in two long bounds. She yowled, then his paws hit her chest and she tumbled under him with a choked gasp. He disconnected quickly, leaping back to where she had sat in the grass.
His claws closed against a grey rock.
"Wooo! Dad's so scary!"
"We're supposed to be cheering for Ma, mouse brain."
Clover sat down beside the trio of rocks, picking the grass clumps from his claws with his tongue. The white she-cat picked herself up from the ground and jumped to the top of the tombstone, where three fluffy kits wriggled impatiently like baby robins. "Okay, time to go back to the den, all of you." She picked up the tiny black she-cat by her scruff, hopping down and depositing her on the grass. The two bigger tom-kits wrestled atop the gravestone.
"We can get down ourselves!" The grey smoke tom wriggled his hindquarters in preparation to leap, but Andie was fast as lightning as she scooped him up and put him down near his sister. The last kit, a grey-and-white tom, pouted as he waited his turn.
Andie nudged the black she-cat to her paws. "Go on, take Lily home. I know you two can protect her."
"Don't need protectin'" Lily said drowsily. The two other kits stood taller with their responsibility, their small tails held high as they started back towards the den beneath the apple tree.
Andie padded to Clover's side, her eyes following the way his claws wrapped around the small stones. "You don't have to go," she said softly, pushing into his flank for comfort.
The larger tomcat flexed his claws, making a sharp sound from the contact. "You should be safe here. This is... just in case." He was watching the stones too. He could easily imagine this one being the dark furred Jax, the smallest one-- He looked away, watching the sun set over the graveyard instead.
The white she-cat put her own paw on his, pulling it away from the stone. "I know they are important to you," she started, "and I know we are important too. I just wish..." she trailed off with a sigh and leaned into Clover's shoulder, her tail flicking against his own.
He let himself rest in that comfortable silence for a few moments longer, until the sun set fully and the moon pulled itself from above the trees into the darkening sky. Then he nudged Andie away and stood. "I'll be home soon," Clover promised. He didn't look back as he started north.
- PART 2
"Clover!" Andie screamed. She struggled under the large, scarred tomcat, sinking her claws into his shoulders. He laughed even as his blood dripped down her claws and onto her face.
Andie whimpered. She could see Jax at the entrance to the den, her poor, brave son. His head was a weird shape. Darkness spread beneath the small clump of grey fur. "Sorry, hon, this isn't about you," the tomcat said. He loomed over Andie, keeping her pinned. She wished more than anything that she could see her other two kits, but they were behind her, huddled in the back of the den. She could smell their fear even stronger than her own and the scent was heavier than the tomcat's weight on her chest.
"Y-y-you know he won't ever l-let you go," Andie stammered. Then, like elastic pulled too tight, she snapped, her fear suddenly replaced with seething anger. She hissed, spat, "Clover will kill everything you love, even your memory will die!"
Andie struggled, arching her back to try and reach his throat with her fangs. He ducked away, surprised. "Hey, don't make this any harder than it needs to be." He shifted his weight to his forelegs and raked his hind down her stomach with practiced efficiency.
The fight left Andie with her gasp of pain. The tomcat released her and she reflexively tried to stand, but all she could do was curl around the wound with a whimper. "There. Now maybe you'll live long enough that he'll find you alive and you can explain what happened." The tomcat stepped over Andie's huddled body. "Now kittens, you'll be coming with me. We can't have your daddy dawdling."
Andie couldn't move; she could only watch as Talon and Lily were herded between the tomcat's paws. "Be brave my loves, father will save you," she managed between breaths as they passed. The tomcat snorted and picked up Lily by the scruff when she stopped, shocked, by Jax's body. Talon glanced back at Andie, mouthed something she didn't catch.
"Come kitten," the tomcat said through Lily's dark fur, "unless you'd rather stay with your mother like your stupid littermate." Talon hesitated only a moment longer, then followed. It wasn't long before they disappeared from view. Andie sobbed. The pain was so much worse now, aching and stinging with every breath. She set her eyes on Jax's fur and put aside the pain. She dragged herself forward, inches at a time, pausing to heave breaths.
Finally, she was able to curl her body around Jax, licking gently at his dark fur. She felt sticky blood at her paws, both hers and her son's. Andie leaned her head against his soft, soft fur. She was tired now.
Andie whimpered. She could see Jax at the entrance to the den, her poor, brave son. His head was a weird shape. Darkness spread beneath the small clump of grey fur. "Sorry, hon, this isn't about you," the tomcat said. He loomed over Andie, keeping her pinned. She wished more than anything that she could see her other two kits, but they were behind her, huddled in the back of the den. She could smell their fear even stronger than her own and the scent was heavier than the tomcat's weight on her chest.
"Y-y-you know he won't ever l-let you go," Andie stammered. Then, like elastic pulled too tight, she snapped, her fear suddenly replaced with seething anger. She hissed, spat, "Clover will kill everything you love, even your memory will die!"
Andie struggled, arching her back to try and reach his throat with her fangs. He ducked away, surprised. "Hey, don't make this any harder than it needs to be." He shifted his weight to his forelegs and raked his hind down her stomach with practiced efficiency.
The fight left Andie with her gasp of pain. The tomcat released her and she reflexively tried to stand, but all she could do was curl around the wound with a whimper. "There. Now maybe you'll live long enough that he'll find you alive and you can explain what happened." The tomcat stepped over Andie's huddled body. "Now kittens, you'll be coming with me. We can't have your daddy dawdling."
Andie couldn't move; she could only watch as Talon and Lily were herded between the tomcat's paws. "Be brave my loves, father will save you," she managed between breaths as they passed. The tomcat snorted and picked up Lily by the scruff when she stopped, shocked, by Jax's body. Talon glanced back at Andie, mouthed something she didn't catch.
"Come kitten," the tomcat said through Lily's dark fur, "unless you'd rather stay with your mother like your stupid littermate." Talon hesitated only a moment longer, then followed. It wasn't long before they disappeared from view. Andie sobbed. The pain was so much worse now, aching and stinging with every breath. She set her eyes on Jax's fur and put aside the pain. She dragged herself forward, inches at a time, pausing to heave breaths.
Finally, she was able to curl her body around Jax, licking gently at his dark fur. She felt sticky blood at her paws, both hers and her son's. Andie leaned her head against his soft, soft fur. She was tired now.
- PART 3
Words pulled Andie awake. She struggled to open her eyes, fight through the fuzziness of her brain. She heard her name, Clover's. More words she couldn't understand. It sounded like an argument. There were two voices. Then another voice, softer, cut in. He was close to Andie, she could feel it.
She strained, trying to open her eyes. The voice said her name again, fur pressed against her side. She sighed and fell against it. Why did she need to understand? The darkness was so soft. She closed her eyes with a sigh. There was a soft smell, and another, important smell was still there, somewhere. Andie let herself sink into it and let go.
"Andie? Oh, stars," a soft, feminine voice said. Andie opened her eyes. It was much easier this time, though she had to blink against the bright light streaming down from overhead. A calico she-cat crouched in front of Andie, her bi-colored eyes full of concern.
Andie tried to speak, but couldn't get her tongue to wrap around the words. With a surprised exclamation, the she-cat shot to her feet and dashed off, leaving Andie alone. She looked around and realized with some shock that she was inside a house. And unlike the building that was on the edge of the cemetery she and Clover had called home, this one wasn't abandoned.
The bright light came from the center of the room, where fire hung from the white ceiling. The walls were colored sky blue and soft human furniture lined the sides of the room. Andie herself was curled inside a box covered in warm blankets. The calico she-cat returned, carefully pushing a yellow bowl along the unnaturally smooth wooden floor. "Here, water. Let me help you," she said, stepping into the box. It wasn't large enough to fit both she-cats, and the calico pressed against the side in order to help her to her paws.
The first step brought a pinch of pain to Andie's stomach and she panicked, remembering the sharp, aching pain. She tried to look at the wound and would have fallen over if the calico didn't catch her with her shoulder. "Careful," she scolded, flicking her tail over Andie's back. "You've been healing and the danger for infection is past. You will make a full recovery. Right now, you just need to drink, eat, and rest."
Andie tried speaking again, though her mouth felt like it was packed with leaves and sand. "Jax?" she rasped.
The calico shushed her and pushed her towards the yellow bowl, filled with clear water. "Drink first," she said, kindly. A wave of emotions pushed down on Andie, but with the calico's help she managed to step down from the blankets and onto the wooden floor to crouch in front of the water bowl. The water was surprisingly cold, sending a bolt of ice to her stomach.
Andie sat up as best she could. Her stomach was still sore and the flesh tightened and pulled in odd ways when she moved. Was it human doing that she was healed from certain death? "Where are my kits?" Andie asked as the calico sat in front of her, tail flicked over her paws. "And what happened?"
The calico she-cat nodded. Andie noticed that after that first time waking up, she never really made eye contact. "I'm Jess. You could say we have a... mutual friend." Jess smiled at Andie, laughter in her eyes as she looked up for a flash, then fell back into a gentle, somber demeanor. "We found you, but you had lost a lot of blood. Luckily, our friends called me quickly and we were able to get you into human hands. Human doctors have pulled more than one of us back from the brink over the seasons; we were glad they were able to save you as well. Even for humans, it was no sure thing."
Andie finally looked down at herself. Her fur was shaved bare from her chest to her hind legs, showing bright pink skin that was utterly alien to her. Three long, puckered gashes were raised against the flesh. They looked pale, but the pain was mostly gone. She pulled her gaze from herself. "And what about my kits? Jax?" she pressed, growing frustrated as Jess continued to avoid her eyes.
"We buried him beneath the apple tree," Jess said. "We thought that's what you would have wanted."
Andie nodded silently. She had known he was dead. She had known the moment that scarred tomcat stepped on his chest, his face, the way he seemed to melt as he dropped to the ground. "Talon and Lily are safe," Andie whispered, more to herself than Jess, though from this close distance she knew the calico she-cat would hear. "They need them alive." Andie knew that too. She understood Clover, probably better than that scarred tomcat did, but even he would have heard the rumors. Clover would find them, no doubt, but with the kits as hostages...
Andie closed her eyes, blocking out that bright, false fire. "You need to tell me what your 'friends' are doing, Jess" Andie said firmly. "Clover thought by keeping me away, that we would be safe. But that didn't work. I need to know what's really happening so I can help."
Jess looked over her shoulder into the other room, as if waiting for a signal there. "We'll see what we can do. For now, rest." She stood and came to Andie's side, helping the white she-cat to her paws and back into the box. Andie settled down into the warm blankets, wishing they didn't smell so... empty. "I'm going to go check on some things, okay? Everything will be fine, Andie. We have good cats here."
Jess made eye contact again, her bi-color gaze piercing. She nodded, like she was satisfied with what Andie's own eyes held. Then she stalked silently across the wooden human floor and disappeared with a wave of her tail around the corner to another room, leaving Andie alone with her grief.
She strained, trying to open her eyes. The voice said her name again, fur pressed against her side. She sighed and fell against it. Why did she need to understand? The darkness was so soft. She closed her eyes with a sigh. There was a soft smell, and another, important smell was still there, somewhere. Andie let herself sink into it and let go.
.
"Andie? Oh, stars," a soft, feminine voice said. Andie opened her eyes. It was much easier this time, though she had to blink against the bright light streaming down from overhead. A calico she-cat crouched in front of Andie, her bi-colored eyes full of concern.
Andie tried to speak, but couldn't get her tongue to wrap around the words. With a surprised exclamation, the she-cat shot to her feet and dashed off, leaving Andie alone. She looked around and realized with some shock that she was inside a house. And unlike the building that was on the edge of the cemetery she and Clover had called home, this one wasn't abandoned.
The bright light came from the center of the room, where fire hung from the white ceiling. The walls were colored sky blue and soft human furniture lined the sides of the room. Andie herself was curled inside a box covered in warm blankets. The calico she-cat returned, carefully pushing a yellow bowl along the unnaturally smooth wooden floor. "Here, water. Let me help you," she said, stepping into the box. It wasn't large enough to fit both she-cats, and the calico pressed against the side in order to help her to her paws.
The first step brought a pinch of pain to Andie's stomach and she panicked, remembering the sharp, aching pain. She tried to look at the wound and would have fallen over if the calico didn't catch her with her shoulder. "Careful," she scolded, flicking her tail over Andie's back. "You've been healing and the danger for infection is past. You will make a full recovery. Right now, you just need to drink, eat, and rest."
Andie tried speaking again, though her mouth felt like it was packed with leaves and sand. "Jax?" she rasped.
The calico shushed her and pushed her towards the yellow bowl, filled with clear water. "Drink first," she said, kindly. A wave of emotions pushed down on Andie, but with the calico's help she managed to step down from the blankets and onto the wooden floor to crouch in front of the water bowl. The water was surprisingly cold, sending a bolt of ice to her stomach.
Andie sat up as best she could. Her stomach was still sore and the flesh tightened and pulled in odd ways when she moved. Was it human doing that she was healed from certain death? "Where are my kits?" Andie asked as the calico sat in front of her, tail flicked over her paws. "And what happened?"
The calico she-cat nodded. Andie noticed that after that first time waking up, she never really made eye contact. "I'm Jess. You could say we have a... mutual friend." Jess smiled at Andie, laughter in her eyes as she looked up for a flash, then fell back into a gentle, somber demeanor. "We found you, but you had lost a lot of blood. Luckily, our friends called me quickly and we were able to get you into human hands. Human doctors have pulled more than one of us back from the brink over the seasons; we were glad they were able to save you as well. Even for humans, it was no sure thing."
Andie finally looked down at herself. Her fur was shaved bare from her chest to her hind legs, showing bright pink skin that was utterly alien to her. Three long, puckered gashes were raised against the flesh. They looked pale, but the pain was mostly gone. She pulled her gaze from herself. "And what about my kits? Jax?" she pressed, growing frustrated as Jess continued to avoid her eyes.
"We buried him beneath the apple tree," Jess said. "We thought that's what you would have wanted."
Andie nodded silently. She had known he was dead. She had known the moment that scarred tomcat stepped on his chest, his face, the way he seemed to melt as he dropped to the ground. "Talon and Lily are safe," Andie whispered, more to herself than Jess, though from this close distance she knew the calico she-cat would hear. "They need them alive." Andie knew that too. She understood Clover, probably better than that scarred tomcat did, but even he would have heard the rumors. Clover would find them, no doubt, but with the kits as hostages...
Andie closed her eyes, blocking out that bright, false fire. "You need to tell me what your 'friends' are doing, Jess" Andie said firmly. "Clover thought by keeping me away, that we would be safe. But that didn't work. I need to know what's really happening so I can help."
Jess looked over her shoulder into the other room, as if waiting for a signal there. "We'll see what we can do. For now, rest." She stood and came to Andie's side, helping the white she-cat to her paws and back into the box. Andie settled down into the warm blankets, wishing they didn't smell so... empty. "I'm going to go check on some things, okay? Everything will be fine, Andie. We have good cats here."
Jess made eye contact again, her bi-color gaze piercing. She nodded, like she was satisfied with what Andie's own eyes held. Then she stalked silently across the wooden human floor and disappeared with a wave of her tail around the corner to another room, leaving Andie alone with her grief.
- PART 4
"But the blue flame--" the small ginger tomcat cut short when he saw Andie in the doorway. She growled and stalked over to the group of gathered cats, shouldering her way in between Jess and Ike-- a brown tabby tom that frequented the house. "Andie, dear, you should rest--" this time he was cut short by Andie's bared fangs.
"I've been resting for nearly two weeks," she hissed, resisting the urge to dig her claws into the wooden floor. The humans didn't like that. She looked around the circle, recognizing most of the faces as cats that came and went from the house. Jess pulled away from Andie's flank, distancing herself. On her other side, Ike made a sound of contempt and left the room entirely, his tail sweeping low to the ground. Andie stepped forward into the circle, redirecting the attention back to her. "But you haven't told me anything, only scraps and excuses. Mousedung," she swore.
The ginger tom stepped up to meet her. His ears were stubby and rounded and he barely reached Andie's chin despite being covered in many scars. But he spoke to her slowly, as if she was a kit that couldn't understand what he was actually saying. "You will learn in time. We are doing the best we can for you and your family."
Andie loomed over him. "I'll be the judge of that," she said.
A large tom growled a warning to her left.
"Perhaps she should know a little bit," Jess said from behind. "It is her family, and she has shown restraint and trust for staying here so long. You know if it were any of our kits out there, Jack, we'd be clawing these walls in a heartbeat."
Andie stepped down, retreating towards Jess. The calico didn't step any closer to her side, but she did look more determined as she looked around the circle. The ginger tom, Jack, finally dipped his head. "Fine, but you will be responsible for her afterwards," he said. Andie saw fear flicker in Jess's bicolor eyes as Jack dismissed the others, who made their way out the window in the back of the room, leaving Andie, Jess, and Jack on the floor beneath the table. Jack sat and gestured Andie closer with his tail. Jess, notably, hung slightly behind. "What do you know about the lake that lies to the west of the city?"
"Nothing," Andie replied, "other than Clover speaking of it a few times."
"Jess, fetch the map, please." Jess brightened up at this and shot out of the room. She returned soon after with something between her teeth, which she gently spread out beneath their paws under the table. Jack pushed his paws across the paper and though the colors confused Andie, she could generally see the city houses clumped together in brown and the large swath of blue that she thought would be the lake Jack had asked about.
"We're here," Jack poked a claw somewhere in the center of the town. "Your graveyard is just out of town here," he drew a line to the south in an open area of green, "this is the lake," he tapped the blue shape near Andie's paws, "and the mountains," that was to the north, an empty section of grey.
"Mountains," Andie repeated, awed. She had never travelled into the city to see what was beyond. She hardly left the graveyard after fleeing from-- Andie stopped that thought, just as she had every time it clawed its way free of the box deep down she shoved those memories. Being in a house didn't help either, but she had plenty of practice keeping those thoughts away so she shook her head and focused instead on Jack's words.
He had pulled his paw back over the lake. "Years ago, there were Clans here. Four of them; groups of cats that lived out in the wild with rules and honor. But they were destroyed by another group, the Blue Flame." Jess shivered and leaned closer towards Andie. "Clover was descended from these Clan cats. Most the cats in our group were."
"What was left of them," Jess murmured.
Andie looked back at the map and placed a paw over the lake. "Is that where he learned to fight?"
The small orange tomcat shrugged. "Yes and no. I don't think he has ever visited the lake himself. It was his grandmother, a Clan cat, that taught him everything he knows. We all have some Clan training in one way or another, but if any of the stories were true, we only have a fraction of their knowledge left. There are a few descendants, like Clover, that have worked to keep the stories and traditions alive."
"Most don't know their heritage or fear the Blue Flame and don't want to draw attention to themselves."
"Some of the original Clan cats and their families moved on. They went back east, claiming there might be land still there from before the Great Journey," Jack dragged his paw along the map, past the mountains and the city to the edge of the paper beyond. "The Blue Flame were relentless. They hunted and killed any cat with Clan blood. Those that didn't flee further went into hiding."
"It's only recently," Jess started, hesitantly at first, but urged by Jack she continued, "that we've been able to organize against the Blue Flame. They are not kind to any outsiders and even cats that don't know of their Clan blood have been targeted and killed."
She fell silent and Jack finished where she left off. "We called Clover because the Blue Flame had found his grandmother, the last surviving pure blooded Clan cat we know of and the leader of our resistance force." He dipped his head. "We knew we were taking him away from you, but Clover is the only cat that she confided in. We needed his knowledge if we were to push forward. We knew this would make you vulnerable, but he assured us that you would be safe until Splash and Jig could come to protect you."
Those must have been the two cats that found her. She wondered how long it was before they arrived. It couldn't have been long, Andie hadn't seen any fighting but she knew she had been losing blood fast. If only they had been sooner, she thought, claws curling into the paper with a satisfying crunch. "Oh," she exclaimed, lifting her paw from the map. Two dots poked through the blue of the lake like eyes.
Andie pulled her paw back and let her tail curl over her claws. "Where's Clover now?" she said, though she already knew the answer.
Jack reached over and slashed an X in the map between the blue lake and grey mountains. "Scouting for the Blue Flame's base."
"I've been resting for nearly two weeks," she hissed, resisting the urge to dig her claws into the wooden floor. The humans didn't like that. She looked around the circle, recognizing most of the faces as cats that came and went from the house. Jess pulled away from Andie's flank, distancing herself. On her other side, Ike made a sound of contempt and left the room entirely, his tail sweeping low to the ground. Andie stepped forward into the circle, redirecting the attention back to her. "But you haven't told me anything, only scraps and excuses. Mousedung," she swore.
The ginger tom stepped up to meet her. His ears were stubby and rounded and he barely reached Andie's chin despite being covered in many scars. But he spoke to her slowly, as if she was a kit that couldn't understand what he was actually saying. "You will learn in time. We are doing the best we can for you and your family."
Andie loomed over him. "I'll be the judge of that," she said.
A large tom growled a warning to her left.
"Perhaps she should know a little bit," Jess said from behind. "It is her family, and she has shown restraint and trust for staying here so long. You know if it were any of our kits out there, Jack, we'd be clawing these walls in a heartbeat."
Andie stepped down, retreating towards Jess. The calico didn't step any closer to her side, but she did look more determined as she looked around the circle. The ginger tom, Jack, finally dipped his head. "Fine, but you will be responsible for her afterwards," he said. Andie saw fear flicker in Jess's bicolor eyes as Jack dismissed the others, who made their way out the window in the back of the room, leaving Andie, Jess, and Jack on the floor beneath the table. Jack sat and gestured Andie closer with his tail. Jess, notably, hung slightly behind. "What do you know about the lake that lies to the west of the city?"
"Nothing," Andie replied, "other than Clover speaking of it a few times."
"Jess, fetch the map, please." Jess brightened up at this and shot out of the room. She returned soon after with something between her teeth, which she gently spread out beneath their paws under the table. Jack pushed his paws across the paper and though the colors confused Andie, she could generally see the city houses clumped together in brown and the large swath of blue that she thought would be the lake Jack had asked about.
**Map will eventually be placed here, to be made**
"We're here," Jack poked a claw somewhere in the center of the town. "Your graveyard is just out of town here," he drew a line to the south in an open area of green, "this is the lake," he tapped the blue shape near Andie's paws, "and the mountains," that was to the north, an empty section of grey.
"Mountains," Andie repeated, awed. She had never travelled into the city to see what was beyond. She hardly left the graveyard after fleeing from-- Andie stopped that thought, just as she had every time it clawed its way free of the box deep down she shoved those memories. Being in a house didn't help either, but she had plenty of practice keeping those thoughts away so she shook her head and focused instead on Jack's words.
He had pulled his paw back over the lake. "Years ago, there were Clans here. Four of them; groups of cats that lived out in the wild with rules and honor. But they were destroyed by another group, the Blue Flame." Jess shivered and leaned closer towards Andie. "Clover was descended from these Clan cats. Most the cats in our group were."
"What was left of them," Jess murmured.
Andie looked back at the map and placed a paw over the lake. "Is that where he learned to fight?"
The small orange tomcat shrugged. "Yes and no. I don't think he has ever visited the lake himself. It was his grandmother, a Clan cat, that taught him everything he knows. We all have some Clan training in one way or another, but if any of the stories were true, we only have a fraction of their knowledge left. There are a few descendants, like Clover, that have worked to keep the stories and traditions alive."
"Most don't know their heritage or fear the Blue Flame and don't want to draw attention to themselves."
"Some of the original Clan cats and their families moved on. They went back east, claiming there might be land still there from before the Great Journey," Jack dragged his paw along the map, past the mountains and the city to the edge of the paper beyond. "The Blue Flame were relentless. They hunted and killed any cat with Clan blood. Those that didn't flee further went into hiding."
"It's only recently," Jess started, hesitantly at first, but urged by Jack she continued, "that we've been able to organize against the Blue Flame. They are not kind to any outsiders and even cats that don't know of their Clan blood have been targeted and killed."
She fell silent and Jack finished where she left off. "We called Clover because the Blue Flame had found his grandmother, the last surviving pure blooded Clan cat we know of and the leader of our resistance force." He dipped his head. "We knew we were taking him away from you, but Clover is the only cat that she confided in. We needed his knowledge if we were to push forward. We knew this would make you vulnerable, but he assured us that you would be safe until Splash and Jig could come to protect you."
Those must have been the two cats that found her. She wondered how long it was before they arrived. It couldn't have been long, Andie hadn't seen any fighting but she knew she had been losing blood fast. If only they had been sooner, she thought, claws curling into the paper with a satisfying crunch. "Oh," she exclaimed, lifting her paw from the map. Two dots poked through the blue of the lake like eyes.
Andie pulled her paw back and let her tail curl over her claws. "Where's Clover now?" she said, though she already knew the answer.
Jack reached over and slashed an X in the map between the blue lake and grey mountains. "Scouting for the Blue Flame's base."
- PART 5
"We can't get closer," the grey tabby she-cat hissed from the bushes behind him. She looked strained, as if holding a great weight on her back. Clover ignored her for a few moments longer, peering through the undergrowth at the cats beyond. There were three, no, four cats, walking in a line down a well-worn trail. Clover had been staking out this place for days now; it was the best path from the city to the no-mans-zone they had marked as a potential Blue Flame hideout. He wanted to know what he was going up against and how many cats they had at their disposal. Unfortunately, Clover only recognized the leader of the patrol and so he added the other three to the mental list of Blue Flame members which was growing alarmingly fast.
The she-cat behind him hissed in pain, her ears pinned back. Her paws were beginning to tremble. Clover took one last glance at the patrol as the disappeared into thicker forest, searing their pelts into his memory, then nodded and backed out of the brush he was using for cover. The grey she-cat led the way, limping back the way they had come. "Stars, Clover," she said once they were far enough away from the path that there would be no chance of any cat hearing them, "yas need to decide whatcha gonna to do and then just, do it. None a'this peerin' around; I cannot keep hidin' ya forever, it's bad for my bones."
Clover let her lean against him for support. "I know, Zara, but this is necessary. You're doing wonderfully."
She spat into the grass beneath their paws. "We can stay longer if ya find a spot further from 'em." Clover nodded and hopped over a fallen log. Zara managed to scape her way over the top and to the other side, shook out her fur, and after that looked a little more like herself. "I'm tired, not old," Zara muttered when she caught him worrying over her, shaking off his attempts to help.
Their temporary camp was far from the Blue Flame's land and it took the two cats the rest of the day to trek back to the others. Luckily, they didn't have to hunt for themselves as Marshmallow was waiting for them with a pair of mice at his paws. He rushed over to Clover, his ears pinned back and tail low to the ground as he watched the trail behind them. "No one followed us," Clover said with a sigh, picking up one of the mice. "Zara's cloaking is good."
The large white tomcat puffed his fur, but kept casting worried glances over his shoulder as he followed Clover into the bramble thicket they've been gathering in for the last week. Once they entered, Marshmallow stepped to the left to guard the entrance. A dark tortoiseshell she-cat crouched on the other side, watching through a gap in the leaves with closed eyes. Clover made sure to go as far from her as he could before dropping the mouse on the leaves. Zara joined him, and the two silently ate and later found somewhere in the crowded thicket to sleep.
The next morning brought Jack to the outpost. Several other cats from the city followed, both reinforcements to the outpost and replacements for the cats who have been scouting longest. The orange tomcat was punctual as always, sticking his nose into the brambles just as the sun's rays began to poke through the trees and the smell of dew still bold in the air. Clover was up and ready to meet him. "We have three ready to go back home for now," Clover said as Jack entered the hideout. The short tomcat didn't even have to duck through the thorny archway.
"I brought five cats to stay the next moon," Jack replied as the others arrived. Clover nodded to Malcom, a scarred tom whom he'd fought with many times before. Clover noticed Jack hesitating, eying the entrance. "Plus--"
"Andie!" Clover exclaimed, shocked to see his mate's cream pelt within the group of reinforcements. She darted over to him, leaning into his flank, purring, which he endured in stunned silence. Finally, he got his wits about him and pushed her away, not unkindly, but not without force either. Andie looked hurt, but Clover was angry seeing her juxtaposed alongside this group of scarred and rough fighters. "You should be in the city with the others, it's safer there."
Andie stepped forward, a fire behind her green eyes that Clover had never seen there before. She poked forward with a paw, her joy replaced with an anger deeper than Clover's so suddenly that he stepped back under her touch. "You said it would be safe at home too!" she snarled. Clover was aware of the eyes on the two of them, the rest of the group deadly silent as they watched Andie push their leader back. "And you didn't so much as visit! You kept me in the dark while our kits--" she broke off, a deep, choking breath betraying her emotions. When she continued, she was more subdued, though the fire never left her eyes and her stance was more determined than Clover had ever seen her before, even during their practice fighting sessions. "I know why you did it, but you should have told me."
Clover blinked, then stepped closer until they were nose to nose. He nuzzled her ear hesitantly, then brushed his cheek against hers when she relaxed into his touch. "I know, Andie. I was trying to run away from it too."
He let himself be comforted by her scent for another heartbeat before he stepped aside, acutely aware of the stares their way. "Marshmallow." The white tom looked around, startled, his ears back. "You'll watch over Andie."
A calico she-cat fidgeted beside Jack. Clover recognized her as Jess, a cat that was well known around their safehouse, though he hadn't talked with her much before he left the group to stay with Andie. "I'll help too. I claim responsibility over her actions." She stepped up to Andie and Clover nodded once he saw that Andie was comfortable around Jess.
Clover looked around to the other cats, gathering as much confidence as he could muster. "Well you all have things to do," he said sharply, "get at it." The others were clearly glad to be dismissed as the tension faded from the camp under the brambles. Jack gave Clover an approving smile before slipping out of the den alongside the cats that would be returning to the city for a break. He wished Jack could stay and help, but they both knew better than to keep all their eggs in one basket and the small orange tom was the only one Clover trusted to run things back in the city if something went wrong here.
A few other members of the resistance were talking in the back of the den over a pair of mice, leaving the rest of the space for Clover and Andie, along with Jess, who stood shoulder to shoulder with Andie, and Marshmallow, who looked decidedly uncomfortable with his charge. Clover touched noses with his mate then sat in front of her. When she sat, the wounds on her stomach were clearly visible and Clover felt a sudden pang of guilt. "I'm sorry, Andie. I'll tell you everything."
The she-cat behind him hissed in pain, her ears pinned back. Her paws were beginning to tremble. Clover took one last glance at the patrol as the disappeared into thicker forest, searing their pelts into his memory, then nodded and backed out of the brush he was using for cover. The grey she-cat led the way, limping back the way they had come. "Stars, Clover," she said once they were far enough away from the path that there would be no chance of any cat hearing them, "yas need to decide whatcha gonna to do and then just, do it. None a'this peerin' around; I cannot keep hidin' ya forever, it's bad for my bones."
Clover let her lean against him for support. "I know, Zara, but this is necessary. You're doing wonderfully."
She spat into the grass beneath their paws. "We can stay longer if ya find a spot further from 'em." Clover nodded and hopped over a fallen log. Zara managed to scape her way over the top and to the other side, shook out her fur, and after that looked a little more like herself. "I'm tired, not old," Zara muttered when she caught him worrying over her, shaking off his attempts to help.
Their temporary camp was far from the Blue Flame's land and it took the two cats the rest of the day to trek back to the others. Luckily, they didn't have to hunt for themselves as Marshmallow was waiting for them with a pair of mice at his paws. He rushed over to Clover, his ears pinned back and tail low to the ground as he watched the trail behind them. "No one followed us," Clover said with a sigh, picking up one of the mice. "Zara's cloaking is good."
The large white tomcat puffed his fur, but kept casting worried glances over his shoulder as he followed Clover into the bramble thicket they've been gathering in for the last week. Once they entered, Marshmallow stepped to the left to guard the entrance. A dark tortoiseshell she-cat crouched on the other side, watching through a gap in the leaves with closed eyes. Clover made sure to go as far from her as he could before dropping the mouse on the leaves. Zara joined him, and the two silently ate and later found somewhere in the crowded thicket to sleep.
.
The next morning brought Jack to the outpost. Several other cats from the city followed, both reinforcements to the outpost and replacements for the cats who have been scouting longest. The orange tomcat was punctual as always, sticking his nose into the brambles just as the sun's rays began to poke through the trees and the smell of dew still bold in the air. Clover was up and ready to meet him. "We have three ready to go back home for now," Clover said as Jack entered the hideout. The short tomcat didn't even have to duck through the thorny archway.
"I brought five cats to stay the next moon," Jack replied as the others arrived. Clover nodded to Malcom, a scarred tom whom he'd fought with many times before. Clover noticed Jack hesitating, eying the entrance. "Plus--"
"Andie!" Clover exclaimed, shocked to see his mate's cream pelt within the group of reinforcements. She darted over to him, leaning into his flank, purring, which he endured in stunned silence. Finally, he got his wits about him and pushed her away, not unkindly, but not without force either. Andie looked hurt, but Clover was angry seeing her juxtaposed alongside this group of scarred and rough fighters. "You should be in the city with the others, it's safer there."
Andie stepped forward, a fire behind her green eyes that Clover had never seen there before. She poked forward with a paw, her joy replaced with an anger deeper than Clover's so suddenly that he stepped back under her touch. "You said it would be safe at home too!" she snarled. Clover was aware of the eyes on the two of them, the rest of the group deadly silent as they watched Andie push their leader back. "And you didn't so much as visit! You kept me in the dark while our kits--" she broke off, a deep, choking breath betraying her emotions. When she continued, she was more subdued, though the fire never left her eyes and her stance was more determined than Clover had ever seen her before, even during their practice fighting sessions. "I know why you did it, but you should have told me."
Clover blinked, then stepped closer until they were nose to nose. He nuzzled her ear hesitantly, then brushed his cheek against hers when she relaxed into his touch. "I know, Andie. I was trying to run away from it too."
He let himself be comforted by her scent for another heartbeat before he stepped aside, acutely aware of the stares their way. "Marshmallow." The white tom looked around, startled, his ears back. "You'll watch over Andie."
A calico she-cat fidgeted beside Jack. Clover recognized her as Jess, a cat that was well known around their safehouse, though he hadn't talked with her much before he left the group to stay with Andie. "I'll help too. I claim responsibility over her actions." She stepped up to Andie and Clover nodded once he saw that Andie was comfortable around Jess.
Clover looked around to the other cats, gathering as much confidence as he could muster. "Well you all have things to do," he said sharply, "get at it." The others were clearly glad to be dismissed as the tension faded from the camp under the brambles. Jack gave Clover an approving smile before slipping out of the den alongside the cats that would be returning to the city for a break. He wished Jack could stay and help, but they both knew better than to keep all their eggs in one basket and the small orange tom was the only one Clover trusted to run things back in the city if something went wrong here.
A few other members of the resistance were talking in the back of the den over a pair of mice, leaving the rest of the space for Clover and Andie, along with Jess, who stood shoulder to shoulder with Andie, and Marshmallow, who looked decidedly uncomfortable with his charge. Clover touched noses with his mate then sat in front of her. When she sat, the wounds on her stomach were clearly visible and Clover felt a sudden pang of guilt. "I'm sorry, Andie. I'll tell you everything."
- PART 6
Andie let Clover's story wash over her like a torrent of cold rain. Most of it was just a more detailed version of what Jack had told her back at the house, but much of it was also Clover's life --his childhood, his family, his hidden pain. They had both known they came from rough backgrounds when they met, and neither Andie nor Clover had pried into the other's history, nor did either offer. Hearing Clover tell about how his family was hunted down by these Blue Flame cats, how only his grandmother was able to hide away until she, too, was killed, and he wasn't even there to help protect her. He had three littermates. Only one survived, or so he hoped, as she had made a pilgrimage east to where the other Clan cats had supposedly went.
She pushed against his side, encouraging and comforting him as the story of his life spilled out while Marshmallow and Jess gave them space, realizing this was a fragile moment for the both of them. "And then I ran away," Clover finished. "To be with you, because I didn't want a paw in both worlds and for you to get caught up in this."
"But you left, and I did," Andie said softly, accusingly. "Because they needed you and you couldn't stay away."
Clover nodded, burying his nose into her neck. His voice was muffled by her fur. "I had to, I was responsible--"
"I know," Andie cut him off. "And Jax would still be alive if you ignored them. Talon and Lily would still be with us, happy." She couldn't help but slam that knowledge home, wielding it like a knife. Oh, she hated that he had gotten their kit killed as surely as he had closed the vice around poor Jax's neck, and Andie didn't know if she'd ever forgive him of that. But she didn't think she could fault him for trying to help here either. The two weeks she was recovering sharpened the pain, but gave her enough time to think, to realize that if Clover had ignored this call, that he would not be the cat she fell in love with, the cat that would do anything to help when it was within his power, the cat that never gave up on those he loved.
She knew he had no other choice. That didn't mean she didn't hold him responsible for the fate of their children.
"We will save them," Andie said. "Talon and Lily, and these Clan descendants too. If we're hoping for miracles, we shouldn't stop halfway."
Clover snorted. "Ever the optimist, my Andie. Two birds, one stone, why the hell not?"
Andie hadn't really realized how far they were from actually taking down the Blue Flame. The resistance had seemed so organized, so large, but apparently they didn't even number half of the Blue Flame's cats. "And almost every cat there is Blessed. Each of them is worth two of us, and we only have a pawful of Blessed to fight back."
"Blessed?" Andie asked. She hadn't heard of any blessings in either Jack or Clover's retellings.
Jess hopped over, excitement in her step. Now that they had a plan, the calico she-cat looked fired up. "Mhm, that's what the Blue Flame does. I dunno how, but it, like, awakens something inside of you. Makes you superpowered."
"Zara can explain it better," Marshmallow rumbled. Andie found herself sticking close to the white tomcat when they wandered the woods outside camp, taking comfort in his bulk, though the way he startled at a falling chestnut and comparative lack of battle scars made her question his fighting capabilities.
Zara, the grey tabby she-cat leading the group, stopped. "Yeah, I's born with the Blue Flame, ran with 'em before they told me 'n my sis to kill some kits. Wouldn't do it." She shook her head and spat into the grass. "Angel did though. Wasn't my sis after that'un. The Blue Flame, its in the mountains, deep down. Heavily guarded, small tunnel, we ain't gon take that in years. That's their bolt-hole."
"The Blue Flame gives you powers?"
Zara nodded. "Ya stick a paw in there. Burns you right up." She pushed her right paw forward: the end was slightly disformed where the fur hadn't grown back properly, leaving rough patches of shorter fur and longer tufts in a ragged, uneven pattern. It wasn't obvious when she wasn't looking for it, but now Andie didn't know how she had missed the burn scar. "It doesn't give ya nothin'. At least, that's what the Fire Keepers say. It just awakens somethin' already there, deep inside ya. Some of 'em have telepathy, some always know exact numbers to count. Random." She shrugged, then turned and continued onto the path.
Jess stood beside her in the front, with Andie and Marshmallow following behind.
She pushed against his side, encouraging and comforting him as the story of his life spilled out while Marshmallow and Jess gave them space, realizing this was a fragile moment for the both of them. "And then I ran away," Clover finished. "To be with you, because I didn't want a paw in both worlds and for you to get caught up in this."
"But you left, and I did," Andie said softly, accusingly. "Because they needed you and you couldn't stay away."
Clover nodded, burying his nose into her neck. His voice was muffled by her fur. "I had to, I was responsible--"
"I know," Andie cut him off. "And Jax would still be alive if you ignored them. Talon and Lily would still be with us, happy." She couldn't help but slam that knowledge home, wielding it like a knife. Oh, she hated that he had gotten their kit killed as surely as he had closed the vice around poor Jax's neck, and Andie didn't know if she'd ever forgive him of that. But she didn't think she could fault him for trying to help here either. The two weeks she was recovering sharpened the pain, but gave her enough time to think, to realize that if Clover had ignored this call, that he would not be the cat she fell in love with, the cat that would do anything to help when it was within his power, the cat that never gave up on those he loved.
She knew he had no other choice. That didn't mean she didn't hold him responsible for the fate of their children.
"We will save them," Andie said. "Talon and Lily, and these Clan descendants too. If we're hoping for miracles, we shouldn't stop halfway."
Clover snorted. "Ever the optimist, my Andie. Two birds, one stone, why the hell not?"
.
Andie hadn't really realized how far they were from actually taking down the Blue Flame. The resistance had seemed so organized, so large, but apparently they didn't even number half of the Blue Flame's cats. "And almost every cat there is Blessed. Each of them is worth two of us, and we only have a pawful of Blessed to fight back."
"Blessed?" Andie asked. She hadn't heard of any blessings in either Jack or Clover's retellings.
Jess hopped over, excitement in her step. Now that they had a plan, the calico she-cat looked fired up. "Mhm, that's what the Blue Flame does. I dunno how, but it, like, awakens something inside of you. Makes you superpowered."
"Zara can explain it better," Marshmallow rumbled. Andie found herself sticking close to the white tomcat when they wandered the woods outside camp, taking comfort in his bulk, though the way he startled at a falling chestnut and comparative lack of battle scars made her question his fighting capabilities.
Zara, the grey tabby she-cat leading the group, stopped. "Yeah, I's born with the Blue Flame, ran with 'em before they told me 'n my sis to kill some kits. Wouldn't do it." She shook her head and spat into the grass. "Angel did though. Wasn't my sis after that'un. The Blue Flame, its in the mountains, deep down. Heavily guarded, small tunnel, we ain't gon take that in years. That's their bolt-hole."
"The Blue Flame gives you powers?"
Zara nodded. "Ya stick a paw in there. Burns you right up." She pushed her right paw forward: the end was slightly disformed where the fur hadn't grown back properly, leaving rough patches of shorter fur and longer tufts in a ragged, uneven pattern. It wasn't obvious when she wasn't looking for it, but now Andie didn't know how she had missed the burn scar. "It doesn't give ya nothin'. At least, that's what the Fire Keepers say. It just awakens somethin' already there, deep inside ya. Some of 'em have telepathy, some always know exact numbers to count. Random." She shrugged, then turned and continued onto the path.
Jess stood beside her in the front, with Andie and Marshmallow following behind.