Warriors: Fear and Hope

Dashfang couldn’t get to sleep almost all night. The image of her sister still lingered in her head, and her smell filled Dashfang’s nostrils. She pushed out of her den, hoping the smell of the forest would get rid of this one. It was a cold, frosty day. The bare-leaf breeze was coming from the cold north and it hit Dashfang as she walked past the den. Cloudystorm and Daringtail were about to leave on patrol. Twistfur greeted Dashfang with a quick “Hello!” and she ran to join the patrol. Cloudystorm called for her mentor, Lightningpaw, and he bounded out of the den and he ran over to his mentor. Dashfang had before wanted to pounce after them, and mew “Hey can I join you?” and they would be off, but she didn’t want that now.

She padded across the clearing, and wondered if Browniepaw was up. Morningdew woke and a young, pink kit padded behind her. She was about two moons old. She had a cute little tiara on her head, most likely from a two-leg child. She came over to Dashfang and smiled. The young kit smiled.

Dashfang felt a pang of sadness. She knew that all those kits were clan born cats, and will become great warriors. Dashfang has been loyal to her clan, but she couldn’t help think that she didn’t belong there. She was born a kitty-pet and now was being raised a warrior. She would die for Lightningclan’s protection. However, no kitty understood her. She has done some bad things in the past, but now she’s a warrior now, right?

Applefur stepped next to Dashfang, and Dashfang touched her nose to her friends. “Can you take Browniepaw today?” she asked.

Applefur looked at Dashfang. “Why, I thought you liked Browniepaw?” she asked standing to her paws.

Dashfang shrugged, and mewed, “I just want to check something out that we saw yesterday.” She mewed. “Just, be careful, he doesn’t listen to orders much.”

Applefur nodded and her whiskers twitched as she smiled. “She sounds like a pawfull,” she mewed happily. “I can take him, it will be good for the two brothers to get together more!” she mewed again.

Dashfang nodded and smiled. “Thanks you,” she mewed and she bounded to the fresh-kill pile. There were still some mice and sparrows left from Redpaw’s kills. She ate a mouse, and then ran off to where Browniepaw and her left.

She saw the same house they found her sister at, and he leaped onto the fence of her sisters. There were no two-legs, but there were strongly scented plants sitting in the garden. She could see a swinging flap of wings behind a bush. She peeked out of the bush, seeing Dashfang.

She walked carefully to another bush, and then to the fence. “Who are you?” she asked quietly.

“I’m Dashfang, err, I mean Dashie!” She mewed, trying to remember her sister’s name.

Her sister cocked her head, and then smiled. “Dashie is that really you?” she mewed. She jumped onto the fence, and Dashfang nodded.

“Cloud, it is me!” she mewed.

“B-but, what’s that on your flank?” she mewed and she pointed her nose to Dashfang’s kitty--mark. “And, you smell like moss!” she mewed and she sniffed her sister.

Dashfang nodded, “I’ve not been living with two-legs for a long while.” She smiled at her sister, and her wings spread.

“Well, I can never forget that rainbow mane,” Cloud mewed.

Dashfang mewed, trying to explain her story, “I am living in a warrior clan, called Lightningclan, ever since I ran into my new best friend, Applefur.” She’s most likely never heard of clans. thought Dashfang looking at her sister.

Cloud looked at her, unsure. “You haven’t answered my question. What’s that on your flank?” she repeats.

Dashfang smiled.  “That is a kitty mark. When you become a warrior, in clans, you get your kitty mark. Anyway, I saw you yesterday in the woods, and I wanted to talk to you,” she mewed and she looked at her sister.

She cocked her head. “Well, first of all, I have never heard of that. Second of all, why?” she mewed looking into Dashfang’s eyes.

Dashfang felt sadness fling inside her. “Because, you’re my sister,” she mewed sadly, looking at the sky.

Cloud looked at her paws. “You’re thinner than any cat I’ve seen.” She mewed and she pointed to Dashfang’s stomach.

Dashfang laughed. “Thinner than a kitty pet, but pretty plump for a clan, err, I mean forest cat!” she mews happily.

Cloud still looked unsure.

“Where’s our mother?” she asked looking behind Cloud.

“She’s still with her house folk,” the blue cat mewed.

“What about. . .” started Dashfang, but her sisters clipped wings cut her off.

“Our brothers and sisters?” she asked. “They are around here. I see some of them in their garden, sometimes.” She mewed and she licked her paw happily.

A silence went over the siblings; finally Dashfang asked a question. “Do you remember mother’s soft, warm bedding?” she asked.

Cloud nodded, “I hope I can have that when I kit.” She mewed.

Dashfang felt embarrassed for a moment, but it faded away. It felt good to get this all out with a cat that understands. “Will this be your first litter?” she asked happily.

Cloud nodded and looked at Dashfang’s eyes. She was very unsure about having the kits. Sympathy waved through Dashfang. “You’ll be fine,” she mewed, and she remembered Morningdew’s face. “You look like your two-legs treat you well,” she mewed.

Cloud hugged her sister, and when she stopped, she pressed her soft fur against Dashfang’s hard fur. For the first time since she was a kit, she caught a glimpse of what the clan cats take for granted:  kinship, a common bond determined by birth and heritage.

Dashfang lifted her head. She wanted to tell her sister what she has kept as her own life. “Have you heard of the clans?” she asked enthusiastically.

Cloud shook her head, and smiled. “Well, you have mentioned a Lightningclan.” She mewed happily.

Dashfang smiled, and mewed, “There are four clans altogether.” She looked down at her small sister, and Cloud’s eyes twinkled. “We all take care of each other in each clan. Younger cats hunt for elders, warriors protect. I trained all Greenleaf, or spring, to become a warrior. Now I have my own apprentice. Dashfang could see her sister’s bemused look in her eyes. Although, as Dashfang spoke, her sister was very lightened up.

“It sounds like you are enjoying your life.” the kitty pet mewed.

When a two-leg called, Dashfang darted under the nearest bush. “I better go, they’ll be worried if I don’t.” she mewed. She looked at Dashfang, and she left.

Dashfang frowned and her ears flattened. “Okay, I have to clan anyway. I’ll come back tomorrow!” she yowled over the fence.

“That would be great!” her sister yowled back, and then her paw steps went away.

Once she went inside, Dashfang flew into the air. Memories of her kit hood swelled inside of her. The scents were larger than even the forest mosses. She stopped above Lightningclan, and felt like she wasn’t ready to go back. She felt as if it would all be strange to her. I’ll just go hunting. she thinks. Browniepaw is probably happy with Redpaw and Applefur, and the clan will accept any extra fresh kill she brings.

When she finally came back, she had a mouse and a vole. Sunstar was setting the sun, and she saw a blue glow around the moon as it rose. The clan came together to eat an evening meal. Applefur stood alone by the den; she held a fat chaffinch in her mouth. Dashfang nodded at her friend as she passed him to put her kill on the pile.

Setclaw stared coldly at Dashfang. She padded over to the pegasus, and mewed, “I saw Browniepaw with Applefur today. Where were you?” she growled to Dashfang.

Dashfang shared the stare. “It seemed like a good day to hunt- too good to waste.” She replied, her heart thumping with sadness. “The clan needs all the fresh-kill it can get its paws on.”

Setclaw nodded, and suspicion clouded her eyes. “Yes, but we also need warriors.” She mewed. “Browniepaw’s your responsibility now.” She whipped her tail back and forth.

Dashfang nodded, “I understand, Setclaw.” She mewed. “I’ll take her out tomorrow.” She dipped her head to the ‘great warrior’.

“Good,” the deputy looked around the clan.

Dashfang grabbed a mouse, and she walked over to eat with Applefur.

“You found what you were looking for?” asked the tabby.

“Yes,” she mewed. She felt a pang of sadness when she lied to her friend. “Are you still thinking about the Lakeclan warrior?” she mewed when she saw the sorrow in her friend’s eyes.

Applefur mewed: “I try not to. It’s just when I am alone.” She mewed and she looked up.

“Here,” started Dashfang, “That chaffinch looks like it’ll be half feathers, wanna swap?” she asks.

As she crunched on the chaffinch, Dashfang scanned the clearing. She saw Soarpaw and Lightningpaw outside of the apprentice den. Soarpaw was ripping into a mouse. Dashfang caught a glimpse of Lightningpaw’s eye, but her looked away.

Browniepaw sat next to an old stump where Dashfang used to always eat as an apprentice. He chatted with his brother as they both ate. Redpaw nodded from time to time as he plucked feathers from an old bird. Seeing the two young siblings sitting together, so at ease, made Dashfang think of Cloud more. For the first time, the sight of the clan made her uneasy. She had been smart to clean off the scent of Cloud off her fur, but the scent of her still lingered in her nose. The sun set nicely as she kept thinking of her sister. She found the closeness she had missed, but it had given shape to a sense of loneliness that, until now, had lain vague and nameless in her heart. Were her deep-rooted memories she had shared with her sister, stronger that her loyalty to her clan?