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NEW BLOOD - WHEN CATS FLY
A short tale
Smokewind trotted with her patrol down the WindClan border, her large black paws squelching in the slushy snows of early New Leaf. Breezepelt, Nightloud, and Slightfoot accompanied her.
“Do you think we’ll find a Roe deer?” Nightcloud asked, green eyes shining. Her black pelt gleamed with health, a big change from the gauntness of Leaf Bare, when Smokewind joined WindClan.
“It’s always possible,” Smokewind answered the she-cat, and glanced at Breezepelt, who blinked gold eyes at her. The black tom looked hopeful. Slightfoot lashed his tail.
“It’s hard,” he complained, before his eyes shone. “But they are tasty! Worth the effort.”
“Only if you don’t have Harespring and Furzepelt in your hunting patrol,” Smokewidn scoffed. “Can you ever see them catching even a fawn?
“When cats fly!” Breezepelt uttered a mrrow of laughter. “But I sure could enjoy one about now.”
“Keep your nose, ears and eyes alert for them. I. . . ” Smokewind meowed, as a screeching hiss echoed over the lake, stuffing the rest of her words back down her throat.
“Trickery! Cowardice! You betray the warrior code of honor,” someone hissed in outrage, and Smokewind recognized her mother’s voice. She bounded downhill and gazed across the ice, focusing in on the cry. Rage inflamed her entire body as she spotted beloved mother stuck in a mud hole along the defrosting shoreline. Harespring and Furzepelt hovered there, and then, with a yowl of glee, Harespring jumped on Kyestorm’s back.
Smokewind forgot the patrol, forgot the hunt. Nothing mattered but her mother. She opened her jaws and uttered the shrieking alarm of distress, as she watched Harespring push Kyestorm under the mud. Her mother fought her assailant, broke the surface, and threw her head back. Smokewind zeroed in on the spot and exploded down the hill, flinging slush in her wake. She hit the lake at full stride, trusting her instincts to keep her away from weak ice.
“DEMON BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!” The desperate cry reverberated across the lake, echoing in the hills, cutting into Smokewind’s heart, fueling her churning legs. Her mother sank deeper into the mud as Harespring shoved her head down again with both paws. She screamed again, but her voice cut off when her head went under again. Kyestorm reared against Harespring with all of her strength, fighting for her life.
“Kyemamaaaaaaaaaaa!” Smokewind’s anguished yowl echoed across the lake.
“Kyemamaaaaaaaaaaa!” The cry repeated, this time from across the swamp from RiverClan territory, and Smokewind recognized her sister Bluefrost’s shriek.
Smokewind’s mother uttered an inarticulate wail, struggling to buck Harespring off her back. The mud crept higher on her body with each move. Smokewind raced like a deer across the slush-covered ice. She barely acknowledged her brothers, who ran with ThunderClan and her fellow WindClan warriors responding many many foxlengths behind her. Slush and ice shards flew up behind the black-smoke Maine Coon warrior, sparkling in the late after-noon-high sun.
“Kyemama! Hold on!” Smokewind cried.
“Kyemama!” She heard Bluefrost’s yowl again from inside the swampland, and saw her blue-smoke sister ripping across the tussocks, followed by Mistystar and RiverClan. From over the lake she heard Indiclaw’s answering wail, as her brown tabby and white sister led ShadowClan across the ice. Smokewind knew her sisters would never reach their mother in time. She drew more speed out of her long legs.
Kyeee!” Smokewind’s father’s high pitched screech reverberated in the hills, and she saw him charging from far across the lake. Lionblaze and his patrol followed, flanking the giant black-smoke and white Maine Coon tom, who ran with surprising speed, despite his old injuries. She saw his claws flash as he gripped the ice, propelling himself across the frozen surface with all the strength in his massive legs. Cats converged on the spot from all sides of the lake, but Smokewind feared Harespring might succeed in drowning her before anyone reached them. She concentrated, and found yet more speed from within her body.
“Stupid kittypet,” Harespring snarled, and shoved Kyestorm’s head down again. She inhaled a breath, before he held her head down, and exhaled in big sloppy bubbles. Smokewind’s heart leaped with dread, and she lowered her head, closing the distance with startling speed. Harespring raised his head, and alarm widened his eyes.
“Get off her you useless piece of foxdung!” Smokewind yowled in fury and triumph. She reached the shore, and barreled across the open land, snow spraying like a huge tail in her wake, followed distantly by Oatclaw, Demonstreak, Phantomstrike, and the rest of WindClan. Greywind led the rest of ThunderClan foxlengths behind.
Harespring leaped up on shore, and Kyestorm flung her head up, gasping and coughing. Satisfied of her mother’s safety, Smokewind concentrated on Harespring, who tried to evade her charge. He ran up the hill back toward WindClan land, avoiding the arriving cats responding to the cry for help. Smokewind bounded up the long hill, gaining on Harespring with every flying leap. He glanced backward, his eyes widening with shock. To evade the tall smokey black Maine Coon warrior’s charge, Harespring swerved back down toward the broken bridge, following the snow-covered thunderpath alongside the Horseplace.
“He’s mine! Help Kyemama!’ Smokewind screamed at her mate and brothers, who arrived, ready to help chase him. They halted near the fencing where Furzepelt cowered, and gaped at her. Unable to match Smokewind’s great speed, all the cats stopped to watch Smokewind’s fury. All four Clan leaders stared, exchanging glances, but nobody moved. Onestar glanced Smokewind, and only nodded.
At the hilltop, Smokewind turned on a clawtip, and chased down the former WindClan deputy. She smashed into a desperate Harespring at the halfbridge, and before his body barely struck the wood, she snapped him up by the scruff of the neck. Without a slowdown in stride, Smokewind flew to the end of the wooden structure, massive paws pounding, dragging and bouncing Harespring on the icy wood, ignoring his screaming and hissing. Her fangs broke skin and she tasted his blood in her mouth, taking satisfaction in it. She skidded to a halt on the very edge of the bridge, and, with a twist of her head, flung Harespring out onto the lake. Skin tore free of her teeth, and she watched, heaving for breath. He screeched in terror, flying through the air, then hit the lake with a thud. His head thwacked against the hard ice beneath the slush, and he slid along the surface like fresh kill, until the slush covered him, stopping his momentum. He lay motionless, bleeding from the back of his neck.
Furzepelt stood up near the fences lining the Horseplace, eyes wide in astonishment and fear. Smokewind looked back at her, fangs bared, eyes blazing, pelt bristling until she resembled a bear from the land across the Great Waters. Furzepelt dropped to the ground, in complete submission from afar.
“Help me.” Kyestorm gasped for air. Demonstreak and Phantomstrike left the terrified Furzepelt, and hurried down the hill. Smokewind panted, her whole body trembling from exertion, and watched her siblings, clanmates and father pull her mother from the trap. Demonstone galloped over to Kyestorm, his golden eyes ablaze. Bluefrost hopped from tussock to tussock until she sat close. Demonstone reached over and grasped Smokewind’s mother by the scruff and pulled. The mud yanked back. His muscles rippled under his thick pelt as he hauled backward, and Kyestorm kicked her legs, but the muck held her in place like cement.
“Its gonna kill me!” Kyestorm wailed. “Help! My kits!”
“Kits?? Kyemama’s pregnant?” Smokewind mewled, and her legs quivered. A stab of fury sparked seem adrenaline into her exhausted body, but she stayed still, unable to move a step, realizing she almost killed a Clan memeber. She gasped for breath, and her heart raced. Slowly, she recovered, watching her family and Clans rescue her mother from the mud’s deadly grasp. She growled, her guilt evapoarting. "No, she mewed. "He deserved it for almost killing Kyemama."
“Kyemama, relax everything,” Bluefrost said, drawing Smokewind's full attention. “ Splay your toes a few times, then paddle your feet very slowly, like you’re swimming.”
Kyestorm obeyed and to Smokewind’s relief, the swimming motion and her father’s strength released the mud’s hold on her mother with each tug he took. Indiclaw grasped Kyestorm’s nape right beside her father, and helped to pull. Bluefrost pushed, with leverage from big blue hind paws planted firmly on the tussock behind the mudhole. Troutleap nimbly jumped up beside her to help. Phantomstrike amd Demonstreak joined their sister on the tussock, obeying her every command. Their enormous paws joined Bluefrost’s and Troutleap’s and they pushed. Demonstone and Indiclaw pulled. Kyestorm’s forelegs broke free of the trap in a spray of muck and a resounding pop. She hooked her claws in the exposed grass clumps, and hauled herself out of the hole and lay still, gasping for air.
Smokewind saw the gashes furrowing her mother’s beautiful red tabby face, and she growled deep in her chest, glancing at the unmoving lump of fur on the lake, suddenly not giving a mouse tail about breaking the warrior Code to save Kyemama.
“Kyemama!” Indiclaw cried, Snowsquall at her side. Most of ShadowClan stood behind her. “Who did this? Who slashed you face?”
“Harespring,” Kyestorm answered in a gravelly snarl. “I hope he’s dead!”
Kyestorm staggered to her feet, and moved slowly, to join Smokewind on the bridge. She leaned her head against her daughter’s chest. Smokewind purred and licked her mother’s head.
“Thank you, thank you, my beautiful, swift, daughter.” she purred raggedly, shivering, with mud covering everything except her back. Her tail hung limp, soaked with icy muck.
“I heard your first hiss of anger and saw you from up on the hill. I sounded the alarm call and came to you as fast as I could run. That piece of crowfood jumped off you when he saw me coming closer!” Smokewind inhaled a sobbing breath, licking the mud and blood off of Kyestorm’s face. “But I was almost too late! ”
“Come now,” Gentleoak, Smokewind’s brown tabby brother, and a ThunderClan medicine cat, spoke up, pushing his way forward, amber eyes stern. “We have to get Kyemama home and in the medicine den. She’s carrying kits.”
“What about him?” Oatclaw asked, eyes narrowed, as he walked up beside Smokewind. He pointed his tail at Harespring, overriding the surprised murmurs of delight at the news of Kyestorm’s pregnancy.
“I’ll take him back to camp,” Kestrelflight answered. “If he’s alive, we care for him. If he’s dead, we bury him.”
“He deserves no warrior’s vigil,” Kyestorm snarled suddenly. “He and Furzepelt tried to kill me and my kits!”
“He deserves banishment or death,” Bramblestar snapped, uncharacteristically harsh. He stepped up beside Kyestorm, and met Onestar’s gaze.
“I agree,” Onestar nodded, glancing at Smokewind. “But allow us to bring him back to camp and deal with him, and his accomplice.” Onestar raised his voice. “Furzepelt!”
The terrified she-cat crept down the slope to Onestar, shaking, ears flat, fear scent radiating from her like stench off carrion. Smokewind growled deep in her chest, anger flaring, despite her tired legs. Furzepelt dropped and exposed her stomach to Kyestorm and Smokewind.
“Please! I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you carry kits!” Furzepelt babbled in desperation. “I’d never ever kill kits! Don’t kill me!”
“Give me good reason why not?” Smokewind stepped up to Furzepelt and planted a huge black paw on the she-cat’s belly. She spread her long toes, revealing white tufts, and unsheathed wicked claws, poking them into the she-cat’s belly. She struggled not to rip open the she-cat’s stomach. Furzepelt wet herself, and wailed.
“He was deputy! I was loyal to him, wanting to be his mate one day.” Furzepelt lost control of her bowels in terror. “I don’t now! I’m sorrrrryyyyyyyyy!”
“Ugh.” Smokewind withdrew her paw, and grimaced with loathing. “Glad you two never mated and had kits! We need warriors, not fox-hearted cowards.”
“If you are truly sorry,” Onestar growled. “Then you will not only take care of the elders for moons to come, but be at Smokewind’s beck and call for seasons to come. She meows, you leap. Understood?”
“Yes,” Furzepelt squeaked like a scared kit, and Smokewwind slanted her ears back, liking the idea of Furzepelt as her subservient apprentice.
“Then get up, and clean yourself,” Onestar commanded. “Get back to camp and tend the elders. Nightcloud, please escort Furzepelt to camp.”
“Yes, Onestar,” Nightcould wrinkled her nose, then gave Smokewind an approving glance. but walked back to WindClan camp with Furzepelt, who stopped often to groom herself. Nightcloud refused to share tongues, and waited with flattened ears, until the disheveled she-cat decided to keep walking.
“He is still alive,” Kestrelflight announced, dragging a sodden Harespring up the shore and deposited him at the edge of the bridge. Smokewind growled, her entire body trembling. “He’s out cold. I can’t in good conscience, just leave him to freeze to death.”
“If that ice cracked, he’d be just where I wanted him,” Smokewind snapped, baring her teeth, energy returning to her body. “The piece of rotten nasty stinking crow-food he was.”
“Sister,”Gentleoak interrupted, and a glint off humor swirled in his amber yes. “If he does come to, he may not be the same cat he was. He may have brain damage, or physical handicaps. Those might be a punishment worse than death or banishment. Let Kestrelflight take him.” Gentleoak turned to look at Bramblestar. “If you agree?”
Bramblestar nodded, a scowl on his face. Smokewind gazed at her brother a long moment, then flattened her fur. Her tail deflated, and she looked down at her unconscious enemy.
“Fine, take him.” Smokewind curled her lip, meeting Kestrelflight’s gaze. “But if he ever speaks ill of, or tries to hurt Kyemama again, he dies.”
“Agreed,” Onestar nodded, then glanced at Crowfeather. “Escort them home and get him in the medicine den. When he wakes, he has much to answer for.”
“Yes, he does,” Crowfeather nodded, and moved off.
“If he ever is a problem ever again to you, your clanmates, or your kin,” Onestar said, leveling his gaze on Smokewind. “ He is yours to do with as you wish.”
Smokewind responded with a purr of approval, nodding at her Clan Leader. Kyestorm moved past Smokewind to the end of the broken bridge, and shook out her thick fur. Yowls of surprise echoed over the lake as those closest to her moved hastily out of the rain of muck. Her thick fur stuck out in, and the breeze sliced its way past the wet clumps. She shivered, and coughed, spitting out mucous and mud. Smokewind flattened her ears, anger at Harespring returning in a rush.
“We gotta get you home,” Demonstone said. “Before you catch green cough.”
“Come on, Kyemama,” Phantomstrike pressed against her side. “Let’s go.”
Indiclaw dashed up to Kyestorm, uncharacteristically demonstrative, rubbing her face on Kyestorm’s and licked the furrows on her mother’s face that just missed the eyes. Smokewind gazed at Indiclaw in surprise, but said nothing to her cantankerous sister. Indiclaw flashed her a feline smile, before burying her face in their mother’s wet ruff.
“I love you, Kyemama,” she mewed, then turned and returned to Rowanstar, and moved off with ShadowClan. Rowanstar caught Smokewind’s gaze, eyes solemn, and he nodded. Indiclaw glanced back several times, and Smokewind raised her tail over her back in salute. Smokewind caught sight of RiverClan vanishing into the swamp. Bluefrost paused to look back, waving her bottlebrush tail, then followed her clanmates. The Clans slowly drifted apart, going back to their camps.
The sun balanced on the treetops, and the slush crunched underfoot as temperatures plummeted below freezing as WindClan veered off toward home. Smokewind paused before following her clanmates. She waved her tail in a farewell to everyone, before bounding up the hill toward WindClan’s camp, satisfied her mother nestled in safe paws. Up ahead, Kestrelflight disappeared into camp with Harespring;s limp form.
“Smokewind should have killed him on the spot,” Slightfoot growled. “He’s been nothing but a mouse-brained fool since that day we met your mother on patrol.”
“He sure has been a fluffbrain,” Weaselfur meowed, a smile closing his eyes. “But Smokewind made a cat fly today.”
“Too bad the ice didn’t break when he came in for the landing,” Smokewind grumbled.
“Don’t worry,” Gorsetail chortled, before his features turned serious. “He’s never going to be the same.”
“True,” Breezepelt added. “Harespring has feared you since he almost botched your deerhunt. You put the fear of StarClan in him today! And almost sent him there.”
“If they’d take him.” Smokewind joined in the feline laughter which echoed over the lake, exchanging glances with her mate. Oatclaw gazed at her with pride.
“I knew you were special the day we met,” he purred. “Yeah, when cats fly! Does this mean he’ll actually catch a Roe deer one day? Because there has never been a cat in all the Clans that flies like you, Smokewind, a true WindClan warrior with wings on her paws !”
“If Harespring ever catches a Roe deer, as StarClan is my witness, I’ll sprout real wings and fly like an eagle!” Smokewind purred with mirth, and followed her clanmates into camp, looking forward to a big meal and a good night’s sleep.♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Last edited by Phantomstar57 on April 18th 2016, 6:22 pm; edited 2 times in total (Reason for editing : remove image)