Moss and Heather Chapter 3
Sept 12, 2015 17:46:14 GMT -5
Post by ~Hollyspark~ on Sept 12, 2015 17:46:14 GMT -5
Chapter 3
Moss stared at him in amazement. “You mean, I grew up here? I was Mosskit?”
ThunderClan had seemed vaguely familiar. He knew he hadn’t grown up in the barn. Everyone acted like they knew him. Why didn’t he put the pieces together sooner?
“How long was I here?” he asked, longing to know more.
“A little under two moons,” Birchstripe answered. “After that, you’re mother decided to leave.” His eyes clouded with sadness.
“Why didn’t you go with her?” Moss pressed. “She’s your mate.”
He shook his head. “My loyalties lied in ThunderClan. I couldn’t leave.”
“But-”
Birchstipe raised a paw to silence him. “Come on. I’ll show you around.”
But I thought mates were as close as siblings, Moss thought. I would never leave Heather.
***
Heather stepped out of the den into the cool leaf-fall air. It had been three sunrises since the talk with Dappledstar, and Mapletail had said that she was ready for the trip back to the barn.
Finally.
It had become almost unbearable not being able to leave the camp and sleeping in the medicine cat’s den, with all the strong scents of the herbs. But she did get to know the apprentices, Honeypaw, Dustpaw, and Lionpaw. They were nice, but most of the time they were out training with their mentors. On the first day when she stayed in the medicine cat’s den most of the time, the medicine cat’s apprentice, Dovepaw, was good company. And of course, playing with the kits, Seedkit, Hollykit, and Fernkit was always fun. The elders, Nightfeather, Cinderfleck, and Otterbird, always have good stories, but all of those got boring after awhile.
“Hey,” Honeypaw meowed, standing next to Heather. “It’s too bad you’re leaving soon. It would be great to train together! You could be Heatherpaw! Plus I wouldn’t have to be the only she-cat apprentice.” She rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t be able to imagine, sharing a den with the toms! At least the kits will become apprentices in a couple of moons.”
“Yeah,” Heather agreed. “In the barn, though, Moss is the only tom! I feel so bad for him.”
They stood in silence for a while.
“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highrock for a Clan meeting!” Dappledstar’s yowl broke the silence.
“Come on, let’s get a spot up front,” Honeypaw whispered. They ran across the camp to the giant boulder.
“Alright,” Dappledstar started as soon as everyone was situated. “It has been three sunrises since Heather, Feather, and Moss have arrived, and they are ready to go back to the place they live.”
“Why do we have to have a whole meeting for this, Dappledstar?” Feather called out.
“Yeah, I was in the middle of a mouse,” Otterbird put in.
“Well, I just thought ya’ll might want to know, so ya’ll can say your goodbyes and all that,” Dappledstar meowed, looking slightly flustered.
“Well, come on then,” Feather meowed. “We’d best be on our way. Come on, Moss, Heather, we should be back by sunset if we leave now.”
“Would you like an escort?” Dappledstar asked, obviously concerned.
“No,” Feather answered icily. “After all, you wouldn’t want any of your Clan cats to be vulnerable. My family can defend ourselves.”
“Very well,” Dappledstar meowed.
Feather turned and stalked away, tail raised high. “Come on.”
“Bye,” Honeypaw meowed. “I’ll miss you, even though I only knew you for a few sunrises.”
“Bye!” Heather called over her shoulder.
“Come on, Moss,” Feather snapped.
Even though it wasn’t directed to her, Heather flinched. Feather hasn’t been acting herself ever since they came into the Clan.
Moss was meowing to a few cats. On of them, Birchstipe, touched his tail lightly on Moss’s shoulder and whispered something into his ear. Moss nodded and trotted up to the gorse tunnel. Feather had already slipped through.
“Well, you seem rather close to Birchstipe,” Heather meowed cooly. She winced as she heard her words. She didn’t mean for it to come out like that, but an odd feeling surged inside her.
Moss looked slightly hurt. “We were in ThunderClan for a while...and you expect me to not make any friends? Never get to know anyone?”
“I met cats,” Heather meowed defensively. “But...I don’t know...it’s just…” She sighed. “I know everyone now, but you...it’s like…” Just spit it out! She thought crossly. Her mouth was moving faster than her head. “It’s like you’ve been living there all your life! It’s like everyone already knew you, and it’s strange.” Moss was looking at her strangely. “I’m just so confused!” She burst out.
Moss hesitated. “I-I’m sure everything will be better once we get back,” he meowed.
He’s not telling me everything, she thought, but didn’t press it.
“Hurry up,” Feather meowed good-naturedly. Heather relaxed. Things were finally going to get back to normal.
Heather stalked through the tall grass, keeping low to the ground. Just a couple tail-lengths away, a mouse nibbled on some seeds. She bunched her hind legs, ready to pounce.
Suddenly the high-pitched bark of a fox made her jump. The mouse scurried off, it’s squeal audible as it ran to the bushes, then cut off abruptly.
Heather peered into the bushes, ready to bolt off at a moment’s notice. Amber eyes blinked out from the brush. Her heartbeat quickened.
A russet-furred face appeared, holding the mouse in it’s jaws. The fox growled low in it’s throat, legs positioned to pounce.
It thinks I’m prey! Heather thought, panicked. And there’s no ThunderClan patrol to save me this time.
Without thinking, she zoomed towards ThunderClan territory, the fox snapping at her heels. She burst into the trees, tripping over brambles and thorns. The moor is so much easier! The fox didn’t seem to be having any troubles, weaving through the trees skillfully.
Before she knew it, Heather found herself backed up against a large tree. The fox barked in happiness as it lunged for her. She quickly clawed up the tree, going up to the top.
She looked down and gasped. The height was dizzying. The bark was slippery from the rain that had come earlier. I could die! she thought fearfully, suddenly missing the days curled up at Feather’s belly, not a care in the world.
The fox was trying to climb the tree. It finally gave up, but sat by the tree, eating the mouse, waiting for her to come down.
It knows I have to come down sometime. Heather filled with dread. I just hope Moss and Feather don’t come looking for me.
***
Moss’s stomach rumbled. Where was Heather? She was supposed to be hunting. A sudden thought came to him. What if the fox came again? He had been reluctant to let her go out by herself, but he wasn’t the boss of her. Besides, if there was a fox, it wasn’t like he would’ve made a difference…
“I’m worried about Heather,” Feather voiced his thoughts. “Should I have waited another quarter moon? Should I have gone with her? Mapletail warned me…”
Even though Moss was also worried, he decided he had to comfort his mother. “She’ll be fine,” he meowed. “She’s one of the toughest cats I know.” Not that I know much cats, he added to himself. With a pang, he realized he missed Birchstripe.
Now’s not the time for that! Moss scolded himself. His sister was missing.
“I know, but still…”
“She’s just probably taking her time and bringing back loads of prey,” he assured Feather.
“I told her not to be long,” Feather meowed fretfully.
“You just said to be back before sunset,” Moss meowed. “It’s not sunset yet.”
Feather nodded, but still looked worried.
The moon was just starting to rise when Heather came back, her tail slightly bushed. She smelled like ThunderClan mixed with...something else that smelled familiar.
Feather immediately rushed up to her. “Where have you been? We’ve been so worried!”
Heather shrugged. “Hunting,” she meowed.
“And you didn’t catch anything? Prey is that scarce? It’s not even leaf-bare,” Moss wondered out loud, not believing a word she said.
Feather suddenly bristled. “I smell ThunderClan and fox,” she hissed. “What happened?”
“I-I don't know what you're talking about,” Heather stammered. “I think I’ll just go to sleep now.”
“When we sent you out hunting you came back with nothing and now you’re lying to me?” Feather growled.
Heather flinched and crouched down submissively. “Get up!” Feather spat. “I will have no daughter of mine act like this. At dawn tomorrow I expect you to go out hunting and come back with enough food to last us a week. Understand?” Heather nodded, not saying a word. Feather stalked off to her nest.
“Who put brambles in her nest?” he muttered to Heather, trying to lighten up the mood. She just flicked her tail and curled up on the other side of the barn.
Moss padded over to her, concerned. “What happened?” he whispered. “Feather’s right,” you smell like ThunderClan and fox.”
A pair of amber eyes blinked at him. “Why do you need to know?”
“Because I’m your brother,” he meowed, trying not to sound hurt, but failing.
Heather sighed. “Nothing, okay? I accidently wandered into ThunderClan territory, near a fox den, that’s why I smell like that. It was just a bad hunting day.”
“Then why didn’t you tell Feather that?”
Heather didn’t answer.
We used to tell each other everything, he thought. Then he realized something - Birchstripe had told Moss not to tell Heather that he was Moss’s father. He had kept that promise. He missed Birchstripe, and ThunderClan, but was it keeping a promise for his father really worth this rift between he and Heather?
After a long, restless night, Moss woke up to see light filtering in the barn. Heather was already up and grooming herself. Feather opened her eyes and yawned. She looked between Moss and Heather. “Heather, why aren’t you hunting,” she growled, standing up. “I didn’t raise you like this. Do as I say.”
Instead of acting submissive like Heather did last night, she stood her ground. “Feather, I’m sorry I didn’t bring back any food last night. But the truth is-” Finally, get to hear the truth. “The truth is, I wandered into ThunderClan territory - that’s why I smelled like ThunderClan - and I went very near a fox’s den. That’s why I smelled like fox.”
Feather hissed and clouted Heather on the head, hard. Heather gasped in pain but didn’t say anything. “You’re lying again. I am very disappointed. Our family was hungry last night because of you. Go.”
Without thinking, Moss spoke up. “If we lived in ThunderClan, if one cat didn’t do well in hunting, the Clan wouldn’t go hungry. There are multiple cats to hunt.” Heather froze. The two she-cats stared at him in surprise.
“This will just happen more and more often, when leaf-bare comes. It’s already getting colder. Do we want to live like this?”
Nobody answered.
“Well, I don’t.” Moss took a deep breath. He had made this decision last night, while he was trying to go to sleep. “I want to join ThunderClan."
Moss stared at him in amazement. “You mean, I grew up here? I was Mosskit?”
ThunderClan had seemed vaguely familiar. He knew he hadn’t grown up in the barn. Everyone acted like they knew him. Why didn’t he put the pieces together sooner?
“How long was I here?” he asked, longing to know more.
“A little under two moons,” Birchstripe answered. “After that, you’re mother decided to leave.” His eyes clouded with sadness.
“Why didn’t you go with her?” Moss pressed. “She’s your mate.”
He shook his head. “My loyalties lied in ThunderClan. I couldn’t leave.”
“But-”
Birchstipe raised a paw to silence him. “Come on. I’ll show you around.”
But I thought mates were as close as siblings, Moss thought. I would never leave Heather.
***
Heather stepped out of the den into the cool leaf-fall air. It had been three sunrises since the talk with Dappledstar, and Mapletail had said that she was ready for the trip back to the barn.
Finally.
It had become almost unbearable not being able to leave the camp and sleeping in the medicine cat’s den, with all the strong scents of the herbs. But she did get to know the apprentices, Honeypaw, Dustpaw, and Lionpaw. They were nice, but most of the time they were out training with their mentors. On the first day when she stayed in the medicine cat’s den most of the time, the medicine cat’s apprentice, Dovepaw, was good company. And of course, playing with the kits, Seedkit, Hollykit, and Fernkit was always fun. The elders, Nightfeather, Cinderfleck, and Otterbird, always have good stories, but all of those got boring after awhile.
“Hey,” Honeypaw meowed, standing next to Heather. “It’s too bad you’re leaving soon. It would be great to train together! You could be Heatherpaw! Plus I wouldn’t have to be the only she-cat apprentice.” She rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t be able to imagine, sharing a den with the toms! At least the kits will become apprentices in a couple of moons.”
“Yeah,” Heather agreed. “In the barn, though, Moss is the only tom! I feel so bad for him.”
They stood in silence for a while.
“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highrock for a Clan meeting!” Dappledstar’s yowl broke the silence.
“Come on, let’s get a spot up front,” Honeypaw whispered. They ran across the camp to the giant boulder.
“Alright,” Dappledstar started as soon as everyone was situated. “It has been three sunrises since Heather, Feather, and Moss have arrived, and they are ready to go back to the place they live.”
“Why do we have to have a whole meeting for this, Dappledstar?” Feather called out.
“Yeah, I was in the middle of a mouse,” Otterbird put in.
“Well, I just thought ya’ll might want to know, so ya’ll can say your goodbyes and all that,” Dappledstar meowed, looking slightly flustered.
“Well, come on then,” Feather meowed. “We’d best be on our way. Come on, Moss, Heather, we should be back by sunset if we leave now.”
“Would you like an escort?” Dappledstar asked, obviously concerned.
“No,” Feather answered icily. “After all, you wouldn’t want any of your Clan cats to be vulnerable. My family can defend ourselves.”
“Very well,” Dappledstar meowed.
Feather turned and stalked away, tail raised high. “Come on.”
“Bye,” Honeypaw meowed. “I’ll miss you, even though I only knew you for a few sunrises.”
“Bye!” Heather called over her shoulder.
“Come on, Moss,” Feather snapped.
Even though it wasn’t directed to her, Heather flinched. Feather hasn’t been acting herself ever since they came into the Clan.
Moss was meowing to a few cats. On of them, Birchstipe, touched his tail lightly on Moss’s shoulder and whispered something into his ear. Moss nodded and trotted up to the gorse tunnel. Feather had already slipped through.
“Well, you seem rather close to Birchstipe,” Heather meowed cooly. She winced as she heard her words. She didn’t mean for it to come out like that, but an odd feeling surged inside her.
Moss looked slightly hurt. “We were in ThunderClan for a while...and you expect me to not make any friends? Never get to know anyone?”
“I met cats,” Heather meowed defensively. “But...I don’t know...it’s just…” She sighed. “I know everyone now, but you...it’s like…” Just spit it out! She thought crossly. Her mouth was moving faster than her head. “It’s like you’ve been living there all your life! It’s like everyone already knew you, and it’s strange.” Moss was looking at her strangely. “I’m just so confused!” She burst out.
Moss hesitated. “I-I’m sure everything will be better once we get back,” he meowed.
He’s not telling me everything, she thought, but didn’t press it.
“Hurry up,” Feather meowed good-naturedly. Heather relaxed. Things were finally going to get back to normal.
Heather stalked through the tall grass, keeping low to the ground. Just a couple tail-lengths away, a mouse nibbled on some seeds. She bunched her hind legs, ready to pounce.
Suddenly the high-pitched bark of a fox made her jump. The mouse scurried off, it’s squeal audible as it ran to the bushes, then cut off abruptly.
Heather peered into the bushes, ready to bolt off at a moment’s notice. Amber eyes blinked out from the brush. Her heartbeat quickened.
A russet-furred face appeared, holding the mouse in it’s jaws. The fox growled low in it’s throat, legs positioned to pounce.
It thinks I’m prey! Heather thought, panicked. And there’s no ThunderClan patrol to save me this time.
Without thinking, she zoomed towards ThunderClan territory, the fox snapping at her heels. She burst into the trees, tripping over brambles and thorns. The moor is so much easier! The fox didn’t seem to be having any troubles, weaving through the trees skillfully.
Before she knew it, Heather found herself backed up against a large tree. The fox barked in happiness as it lunged for her. She quickly clawed up the tree, going up to the top.
She looked down and gasped. The height was dizzying. The bark was slippery from the rain that had come earlier. I could die! she thought fearfully, suddenly missing the days curled up at Feather’s belly, not a care in the world.
The fox was trying to climb the tree. It finally gave up, but sat by the tree, eating the mouse, waiting for her to come down.
It knows I have to come down sometime. Heather filled with dread. I just hope Moss and Feather don’t come looking for me.
***
Moss’s stomach rumbled. Where was Heather? She was supposed to be hunting. A sudden thought came to him. What if the fox came again? He had been reluctant to let her go out by herself, but he wasn’t the boss of her. Besides, if there was a fox, it wasn’t like he would’ve made a difference…
“I’m worried about Heather,” Feather voiced his thoughts. “Should I have waited another quarter moon? Should I have gone with her? Mapletail warned me…”
Even though Moss was also worried, he decided he had to comfort his mother. “She’ll be fine,” he meowed. “She’s one of the toughest cats I know.” Not that I know much cats, he added to himself. With a pang, he realized he missed Birchstripe.
Now’s not the time for that! Moss scolded himself. His sister was missing.
“I know, but still…”
“She’s just probably taking her time and bringing back loads of prey,” he assured Feather.
“I told her not to be long,” Feather meowed fretfully.
“You just said to be back before sunset,” Moss meowed. “It’s not sunset yet.”
Feather nodded, but still looked worried.
The moon was just starting to rise when Heather came back, her tail slightly bushed. She smelled like ThunderClan mixed with...something else that smelled familiar.
Feather immediately rushed up to her. “Where have you been? We’ve been so worried!”
Heather shrugged. “Hunting,” she meowed.
“And you didn’t catch anything? Prey is that scarce? It’s not even leaf-bare,” Moss wondered out loud, not believing a word she said.
Feather suddenly bristled. “I smell ThunderClan and fox,” she hissed. “What happened?”
“I-I don't know what you're talking about,” Heather stammered. “I think I’ll just go to sleep now.”
“When we sent you out hunting you came back with nothing and now you’re lying to me?” Feather growled.
Heather flinched and crouched down submissively. “Get up!” Feather spat. “I will have no daughter of mine act like this. At dawn tomorrow I expect you to go out hunting and come back with enough food to last us a week. Understand?” Heather nodded, not saying a word. Feather stalked off to her nest.
“Who put brambles in her nest?” he muttered to Heather, trying to lighten up the mood. She just flicked her tail and curled up on the other side of the barn.
Moss padded over to her, concerned. “What happened?” he whispered. “Feather’s right,” you smell like ThunderClan and fox.”
A pair of amber eyes blinked at him. “Why do you need to know?”
“Because I’m your brother,” he meowed, trying not to sound hurt, but failing.
Heather sighed. “Nothing, okay? I accidently wandered into ThunderClan territory, near a fox den, that’s why I smell like that. It was just a bad hunting day.”
“Then why didn’t you tell Feather that?”
Heather didn’t answer.
We used to tell each other everything, he thought. Then he realized something - Birchstripe had told Moss not to tell Heather that he was Moss’s father. He had kept that promise. He missed Birchstripe, and ThunderClan, but was it keeping a promise for his father really worth this rift between he and Heather?
After a long, restless night, Moss woke up to see light filtering in the barn. Heather was already up and grooming herself. Feather opened her eyes and yawned. She looked between Moss and Heather. “Heather, why aren’t you hunting,” she growled, standing up. “I didn’t raise you like this. Do as I say.”
Instead of acting submissive like Heather did last night, she stood her ground. “Feather, I’m sorry I didn’t bring back any food last night. But the truth is-” Finally, get to hear the truth. “The truth is, I wandered into ThunderClan territory - that’s why I smelled like ThunderClan - and I went very near a fox’s den. That’s why I smelled like fox.”
Feather hissed and clouted Heather on the head, hard. Heather gasped in pain but didn’t say anything. “You’re lying again. I am very disappointed. Our family was hungry last night because of you. Go.”
Without thinking, Moss spoke up. “If we lived in ThunderClan, if one cat didn’t do well in hunting, the Clan wouldn’t go hungry. There are multiple cats to hunt.” Heather froze. The two she-cats stared at him in surprise.
“This will just happen more and more often, when leaf-bare comes. It’s already getting colder. Do we want to live like this?”
Nobody answered.
“Well, I don’t.” Moss took a deep breath. He had made this decision last night, while he was trying to go to sleep. “I want to join ThunderClan."
