Windclan bustled with whispers. Fairystar trudged out of her den, and all eyes turned to stare.
She stopped, confused.
For a moment, the world seemed to still. Then, cats went back to whispering to eachother. Fairystar heard bits and pieces as she went to sit next to the deputy.
"Does she not know?"
"Did Applefur not tell her?"
Fairystar knew Applefur. He was a senior warrior, good at his job. Yet, see couldn't see him. Fairystar sat onto her haunches, tail brushing against CowSpot's shoulder.
Even Cowspot, her amazing deputy, seemed concerned.
"Did... Anycat tell you?" He asked, his usual confident demeanor now in ruins. Fairystar shook her head. "No?" She was confused. "What happened?"
Cowspot lowered his head. "StarkPaw... He..." Cowspot didn't need to finish his sentence. Death was practically all Windclan talked about these days. "How..?" She asked.
"He was held underwater. They slit his throat." Fairystar tried to imagine the gruesome scene. She rose. "I'm... Going for a walk." She declared quietly.
She stood, limbs stretching as she walked from the sad scene. On her way out, she spotted Applefur, tracing out of the medicine den. His head was hung low, avoiding eye contact with any other cat. She saw him walk to the warriors den, before she left the camp.
Fairystar walked, making her way to the edge of the territory, near the Shadowclan border. She stood before the thunderpath before her. It's presence seemed comforting, despite the danger it brang. She looked around, not seeing anything. A cream coloured pelt caught her eye, but quickly vanished. She must've been imagining it.
She lifted a paw, placing it on the thunderpath. The texture was rough, like gravel. But smoother than gravel. Fairystar looked both ways, clearing the area. In a flash, she leaped onto the thunderpath, sprinting across. A honk startled her. She didn't bother to turn and look. Her pawpads scratched across the surface. She came to a stop, finally on grass again.
The grass felt soft and welcoming beneath her paws. She turned. The thunderpath was clear now. The monster that had seemingly chased her had simply vanished from sight. Euphoria and excitement rippled through her body as she completed the dangerous activity.
A petite smile crossed her jaws. First in a long time. She stretches, back arching in a way that relieved her muscles. She felt like a young warrior again.
A voice, sharp, female, but young, made her stop.
"You look like you've just discovered hunting, mousebrain!"
Fairystar lifted her head, audibles narrowing down where the sound came from. She spun around.
There stood, a black she, bits of orange on her chest fur, tail tip, etcetera. Next to her, or, rather behind, a pale yellow tom, the tiniest bit bigger than her. He had a black tail tip, and black ears. He also had strange, arrow markings on the top of his paws. His eyes seemed to always be closed, despite him knowing where he was going somehow.
The she spoke again.
"Speak in my mighty presence! Or are you deaf!?"
She has a loud voice... Fairystar thought to herself. Both of them looked to be apprentice aged.
"Who... Are you..?" She managed to blurt out.
The she stepped forward, tail lashing, yet an almost... Demonic... Smile crossed against her face. Her gaze was unwavering.
"I'm Chaospaw. That's Arrowpaw. But I just call him whatever. He's cooperative enough." She explained like she was simply stating the weather.
"Do... You have a home?" She asked, noticing both of their tangled fur and Arrowpaw's tired-seeming demeanor .voice slightly rougher than intended.
"You sound inches from death." The she remarked. She walked closer to Fairystar, inspecting her with a newfound curiosity. "And yes. We do."
Fairystar nodded. The two looked well kept and fed. "So... Your clan cats, yes?" She assumed.
Chaospaw shrugged. "Sorta. It's kinda complicated."
"Oh. What about Arrowpaw?" Fairystar panned to the cat behind her, who hadn't seemed to talk this entire time. Arrowpaw looked up at his name, yet his eyes remained closed. "Wha..?" He mumbled. Arrowpaw's voice sounded lighter than Fairystar had expected.
"How did you get little arrows on your paws? They don't seem natural." Fairystar questioned. Arrowpaw paused for a second, before speaking back to her. "We were house cats at one stage. Our owner had them... Tattooed... On my paws."
Fairystar's eyes widened in shock. Did he mean to say that the arrows on his paws were painfully tattooed into his flesh? Her eyes held untold sympathy for the cat.
Bored of the short silence, Chaospaw barged her way into the conversation.
"What he means, is that we were showcats. They did it to him for an aesthetic or something." Fairystar listened in understanding. "Well. I should be going." She purred. Arrowpaw nodded subtly. Chaospaw, of the otherhand, leaped at her, bowling her over. The apprentice grinned victoriously. "Bye!" She practically yelled.
Fairystar managed to wiggle from beneath her, rising back to her paws. Smiling, Chaospaw lead Arrowpaw back the way they came. The two seemed to fade away as they left. Fairystar looked both ways, before again, crossing the thunderpath, back into Windclan territory. This time, a monster did not chase her.
She walked past the Outlook Rock, familiar scents coming to mind. She navigated the moor expertly, as the camp came into view. She trekked into the camp, casting a gaze around. Cowspot, along with a few other cats, had gone. Possibly on patrols. Fairystar trudged her way to the tall rock, sitting beside it.
The walk she had been on had done anything but clear her head. She decided to wait for Cowspot and the other cats to return before calling a meeting. In the meantime, she pondered to herself about the prophecy that Pumpkinleaf had delivered to her while she was asleep.
A gift shared by two... Two of them... But who? Fairystar didn't know what who either of them were, let alone if they were even in Windclan. She made a face, one of disdain and confusion. How was she supposed to know who they were?
A paw prodded Fairystar's side. Looking up, she recognised the cream coloured face. "Hareleap!" She purred. "What's up?" The pale tom grinned, genuinely happy to see her. He sat beside the old grey she. "Hey, Fairystar!" He smiled warmly. "Just wanted to check in! You seem so down!" His voice was honeyed but not venomous. Fairystar shook her head, short-furred tail resting on the toms shoulder. "It's nothing."
Hareleap looked her up and down, optics showing obvious signs that he didn't believe her. But he didn't push further. "Oh. Ok!" His voice got damper, but didn't loose it's spark completely. "Wanna share a raven?" He asked.
Fairystar raised an eyebrow. 'What are you playing, hm?' Hareleap looked in a mix of disbelief and shock, before letting an exasperated sigh escape his jaws. "Finee! You caught me!"
"I saw you talkin to some weird cats." He explained.
Fairystar froze up, her whole body going rigid. She narrowed her eyes, ears pinning against her head. "And?" Hareleap's eyes widened. 'Nonono! Not like that! I didn't mean to get all up in your business! Please forgive m-' Fairystar cut him off.
'Oh, be quiet, you blabbering fleapelt.' Her voice held no aggressiveness, only teasing. 'They were only two apprentices I found.'
Hareleap nodded. "Ok! Cool! See ya round!" He exclaimed, and leaped to his paws, bounding off. Fairystar watched him dissapears. He was still young, and had much to learn. But he was a good warrior.
IN THE DARK FOREST
Pine trees hugged eachother as two cats trudged through the roots and mud at their paws. "Tch... My fur will need deep cleaning after this..." A male voice scoffed. The other, female, responded coldly. "Hush. Your fur looks just fine to me. Plus, when we get out of here, we can start new lives. No more of your stupid blindness."
"There might not even be a way out of here, Chaospaw.." He remarked, following the sounds of her footsteps. Chaospaw stopping walking, turning to face him. "Stop groveling, Arrowpaw. Obviously there's a way out. There has to be!" She yelled, turning away and starting her walk again.
Even the she's voice didn't sound as confident now. She stopped. "There has to be..." She repeated, voice quieter. She turned to him again. "Cmere. I'll help you onto this rock. There's no mud." Arrowpaw hesitated. He wasn't used to her being this... Kind. He let her grab his scruff in her jaws, allowing her to pull him onto the rock.
His claws scraped across the rock. She was right. The rock had no mud, apart from the bits that clung to both of their pelts. "Gross..." He muttered, referring to the grime matted in his fur, but looked up, estimating her position. "But thanks..." A few seconds passed. "Chaospaw?" His shoulders visibly tensed. "I'm right next to you, dummy." She scoffed.
Arrowpaw winced as Chaospaw ran her tongue across his fur. "I thought you hated being dirty. You should clean your pelt more." She told him sternly. Arrowpaw grumbled. "I would, but you always just mess it up again..."
Chaospaw stopped. "You can just ask me to stop. You know that, right?" She inquired. "I know, I know... I just... Don't want you to leave. I'd be lost without you." Chaospaw smiled, not evil, or mean. Just... Happy.
She rasped her tongue along his cheek, tail wrapping around him as she shuffled closer to him. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that."