“The heat was overwhelming, the clouds dark as night… the lightning struck through me and I felt like ice.”
“It felt so.. real. I couldn’t sleep the whole night.. what does it mean?” Heronsmoke pleads, skin beneath the eyes dark and watery. She stopped dead in her tracks as the wind ruffled her short fur, staring wide-eyed at the cat accompanying her: Warmmask. He nods earnestly, taking a step forward and craning his neck to lick the messied fur on the warrior’s side. He offers a warm smile, taking a seat and inviting Heronsmoke to do the same. She did so.
“You have been blessed with a vision, Heronsmoke. What luck!” He purrs, a deep rumble emanating from his softly-striped chest. “It is clear you are in good graces with Starclan- few receive such messages so directly.” He hums, tail tapping against Heronsmoke’s side. She exhales a shaky breath, lifting a paw to rub her exhausted eyes.
“I am thankful for the blessing.” She begins, glancing skyward, where the light of dawn twinkled softly with slowly disappearing stars. “I just.. didn’t think it’d be so frightening. I feel like something bad will happen, Warmmask.” She sighs, turning her head to catch his gaze.
“It is only natural. The weight of such visions is a heavy one to bear.” He murmurs, trailing off quietly to break her eye contact, trading it to stare at the ascending sun. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. Petrichor. Grass. Lightning. Warmth. Blood. Heronsmoke still stares expectantly, breath hitched in her throat.
“Starclan does not distinguish the obvious. It exposes what is hidden from us.” He begins. “We may enter a difficult Greenleaf. Heat and lightning… storms approach. This much is clear, you and I have seen it.” His brows furrow, eyes remaining closed. Warmmask’s tail slides from Heronsmoke’s side, curling around his paws, flicking.
“We must exercise caution as I unravel this. Thank you, Heronsmoke. I shall inform Raggedstar and Russetkestrel swiftly.”
He dips his head, and Heronsmoke nods, looking past his shoulders, out into the grasslands.
...
“Nevermind, sorry…”
Russetkestrel mumbles, head held lower from behind Hollyhockstripe. The pair had spent the entire morning checking the outer borders of the territory, where the paths that monsters roamed converged. The gentleness of dawn had since faded into an aching mid-morning, where darkened clouds dug into the sky like claw marks. The white tom marched in front of her, ear flicking backward at her quiet muttering. He huffs and pauses, turning around momentarily.
“You’re not patrolling with Swanstone, you’re patrolling with me.” He grumbles, narrowing his eyes. “Quiet and keep up.” He turns, leaving Russetkestrel to stare, mouth slightly agape, claws digging in to the hard soil. Her one-sided resentment had been boiling over ever since the fox attack, leaving Russetkestrel to often complain about the noble warrior, much to the chagrin of Cricketleap and the others in the den. The only one who hadn’t heard her pouting yet was Hollyhockstripe, but now he had to deal with it. Russetkestrel huffs, blinks, and begins to follow him into the lower cut brush near the asphalt.
The pair stopped just underneath a small tree, branches swaying with the wind of oncoming rains. Russetkestrel let the scent float into her nostrils, anticipation of petrichor making the hairs on her spine rise. Hollyhockstripe scanned the land below before turning to the deputy, flicking his tail. “The border seems in check. We can return.” He affirms, glancing back down. Russetkestrel nods her head, beginning to turn around.
Something rustles nearby, a flash of red and white. The molly pauses, quickly turning to Hollyhockstripe, bumping his side with her paw. She jerks her head quickly, silent, pointing to the source of the sudden noise. The pair stares, creeping forwards. The grasses rustle again. A tail, long and multicolored, sticks upwards, waving like a banner in the air. Russetkestrel glances at Hollyhockstripe, brows furrowed and bridge of the nose wrinkled.
Without warning, a cat bursts from the grass with a yowl. His bright blue eyes would match the sky on a cloudless Greenleaf, his face sporting red and white split distinctly down the middle. A snarl twists on his maw, ears flattened to his skull as he bounds towards Hollyhockstripe, tackling the tom to the ground. Russetkestrel gasps, freezing in place as the toms tussle for a split second.
Almost instantly, Hollyhockstripe kicks the lean cat off of him with an enraged hiss. Blood dribbles from his snout, a clean mark just missing his eyes. The attacker tumbles into the grass.
“You fight like a kit!”
He screeches before sprinting away towards the thunderpath. Hollyhockstripe huffs, staring down the newcomer as Russetkestrel slinks towards her peer. They watch in silence as the red and white body disappears towards the asphalt expanse, bewildered.
MOON TWO - PART TWO Heronsmoke has a vision. Russetkestrel keeps complaining about Swanstone. Russetkestrel and Hollyhockstripe stumble across a kittypet who immediately turns on them as they approach. The clan has met Blavingad.
