Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2016 4:37:38 GMT -5
The sun was high overhead as the brown tabby stalked the small bird. He was just about to pounce when a voice called out from across the border. The bird flew off and Eaglechaser straightened, narrowing his eyes and glaring across the border. When he caught sight of the NightClan cat, he turned to face them. The other cat bounded over, staying respectfully across the border.
“I need to speak with Darkspot, Eaglechaser, Reedfang, or Shaletooth. It’s urgent.” The young she-cat seemed slightly out of breath, and Eaglechaser’s glare deepened. “I am Eaglechaser. What is it you need?”
The she-cat looked both nervous and relieved. “It’s about Hollowfur. He’s fallen ill, and he insisted a message be sent to you. Our medicine cat doesn’t think he’ll make it much longer. He says he wants to see his family one last time.” Once she finished, she stood uncertainly, trembling under Eaglechaser’s unwavering glare.
“Thank you. I will pass the message on to my family.” With that, he turned and strode quickly into RainClan territory, heading straight for camp without sparing a backward glance to the NightClan she-cat.
---
Shadefrost looked up as her mate bounded over the stream that separated the camp from the mainland. From the scowl on his face, she immediately knew something was wrong. She rose from where she had been laying, yet made no other movements. She watched him disappear into the warriors’ den, coming out a short time later. She waved her tail to get his attention and he padded over, the same scowl on his face.
“Eaglechaser, what’s wrong?” Shadefrost’s expression was one of soft concern. Eaglechaser glanced around the camp before sighing and stepping closer. With his voice low, he explained.
“I was hunting near the NightClan border, and one of their cats showed up. She carried a message for my family, and I just passed it on to my mother.” He sighed, not knowing how his mate would take this next part. “My mother confirmed what she told me. I... I’m not full RainClan.” He almost flinched at Shadefrost’s sharp intake of breath. The way her eyes hardened made his heart hurt. “I swear, Shadefrost, I didn’t know.” He shook his head, looking away. “My father is NightClan. He’s fallen ill, and likely won’t make it much longer. He said he wants to see his family before he dies.” He hesitated. “Darkspot wants to go see him. I’m going with her.” He flinched at Shadefrost’s low growl. “I never knew him. I always thought my father was dead. Now I know he’s alive; I want to at least meet him before he dies.” He fell silent, still looking down at his paws.
The silence dragged on, and Eaglechaser finally looked up. He flinched.
Shadefrost had stepped back, a fury in her eyes he hadn’t seen before. When he met her eyes, hers narrowed. She was hurt, and felt betrayed, and she channeled that pain as she always did: into anger. “So, you’re just going to leave? Just like that, leave everything behind? For a cat you don’t even know?” She wasn’t screaming, but she wasn’t exactly whispering, either.
Eaglechaser’s ears flicked back and he ducked his head a little. “I just want to see him. I’ll come back, I promise. I love you, Shadefrost.”
“But not as much as your father.” She practically spat the last word at him.
Eaglechaser narrowed his eyes. “What if it was your father? What if he was somewhere else, and dying. You wouldn’t want to go see him?”
“That isn’t the same. My father is here. I know my father. You’re talking about a cat you’ve never even met!”
“But that isn’t my fault! I didn’t choose to be raised without him! I have no control over this! All I’m asking is that you understand, and that you let me do this. Please, Shadefrost. Let me go see him. I’ll come back, and we can forget this ever happened.” Eaglechaser met her gaze, pleading.
Shadefrost hissed at him, taking another step back. “You may not have had control before, but you do now. If you want to go see him, then I can’t stop you. Just know that once you leave here, I won’t welcome you back.” She held her glare, even as her heart broke. The pureblood pride her parents had drilled into her overrode the feelings she harbored for the tom before her. She thought of her kits then, Lotuspaw and Willowpaw. They still thought they were pure. How could she protect them from this?
The pain in Eaglechaser’s face hurt her enough for her gaze to soften slightly. She spoke, her voice quieter. “I’ll give you one more chance. If you stay, then we can work through this.” Eaglechaser’s eyes lowered and he seemed to sag a little.
“I can’t. I have to know,” he whispered.
Shadefrost’s gaze hardened again. “Then leave.” She turned away, pushing past him and bounding out of the camp. Once clear of the stream, she sped up to a run, letting the rushing wind push her pain and her tears away.
“I need to speak with Darkspot, Eaglechaser, Reedfang, or Shaletooth. It’s urgent.” The young she-cat seemed slightly out of breath, and Eaglechaser’s glare deepened. “I am Eaglechaser. What is it you need?”
The she-cat looked both nervous and relieved. “It’s about Hollowfur. He’s fallen ill, and he insisted a message be sent to you. Our medicine cat doesn’t think he’ll make it much longer. He says he wants to see his family one last time.” Once she finished, she stood uncertainly, trembling under Eaglechaser’s unwavering glare.
“Thank you. I will pass the message on to my family.” With that, he turned and strode quickly into RainClan territory, heading straight for camp without sparing a backward glance to the NightClan she-cat.
---
Shadefrost looked up as her mate bounded over the stream that separated the camp from the mainland. From the scowl on his face, she immediately knew something was wrong. She rose from where she had been laying, yet made no other movements. She watched him disappear into the warriors’ den, coming out a short time later. She waved her tail to get his attention and he padded over, the same scowl on his face.
“Eaglechaser, what’s wrong?” Shadefrost’s expression was one of soft concern. Eaglechaser glanced around the camp before sighing and stepping closer. With his voice low, he explained.
“I was hunting near the NightClan border, and one of their cats showed up. She carried a message for my family, and I just passed it on to my mother.” He sighed, not knowing how his mate would take this next part. “My mother confirmed what she told me. I... I’m not full RainClan.” He almost flinched at Shadefrost’s sharp intake of breath. The way her eyes hardened made his heart hurt. “I swear, Shadefrost, I didn’t know.” He shook his head, looking away. “My father is NightClan. He’s fallen ill, and likely won’t make it much longer. He said he wants to see his family before he dies.” He hesitated. “Darkspot wants to go see him. I’m going with her.” He flinched at Shadefrost’s low growl. “I never knew him. I always thought my father was dead. Now I know he’s alive; I want to at least meet him before he dies.” He fell silent, still looking down at his paws.
The silence dragged on, and Eaglechaser finally looked up. He flinched.
Shadefrost had stepped back, a fury in her eyes he hadn’t seen before. When he met her eyes, hers narrowed. She was hurt, and felt betrayed, and she channeled that pain as she always did: into anger. “So, you’re just going to leave? Just like that, leave everything behind? For a cat you don’t even know?” She wasn’t screaming, but she wasn’t exactly whispering, either.
Eaglechaser’s ears flicked back and he ducked his head a little. “I just want to see him. I’ll come back, I promise. I love you, Shadefrost.”
“But not as much as your father.” She practically spat the last word at him.
Eaglechaser narrowed his eyes. “What if it was your father? What if he was somewhere else, and dying. You wouldn’t want to go see him?”
“That isn’t the same. My father is here. I know my father. You’re talking about a cat you’ve never even met!”
“But that isn’t my fault! I didn’t choose to be raised without him! I have no control over this! All I’m asking is that you understand, and that you let me do this. Please, Shadefrost. Let me go see him. I’ll come back, and we can forget this ever happened.” Eaglechaser met her gaze, pleading.
Shadefrost hissed at him, taking another step back. “You may not have had control before, but you do now. If you want to go see him, then I can’t stop you. Just know that once you leave here, I won’t welcome you back.” She held her glare, even as her heart broke. The pureblood pride her parents had drilled into her overrode the feelings she harbored for the tom before her. She thought of her kits then, Lotuspaw and Willowpaw. They still thought they were pure. How could she protect them from this?
The pain in Eaglechaser’s face hurt her enough for her gaze to soften slightly. She spoke, her voice quieter. “I’ll give you one more chance. If you stay, then we can work through this.” Eaglechaser’s eyes lowered and he seemed to sag a little.
“I can’t. I have to know,” he whispered.
Shadefrost’s gaze hardened again. “Then leave.” She turned away, pushing past him and bounding out of the camp. Once clear of the stream, she sped up to a run, letting the rushing wind push her pain and her tears away.
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Fawn
for stalking purposes
851 words
Fawn
for stalking purposes
851 words