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| - "I'm a SpringClan warrior. I am brave, and loyal." Brightpaw picked up a rock and held it up. "I call upon the power of LionClan through this Life-Rock, like Oakstar!" Sleepypaw staggered forward, crossing his eyes. "Durr, I am a GreenClan warrior. I'm stupid and I can't think for myself." He pretended to trip over nothing, flailing his legs wildly and looking like an utter idiot. Sleepypaw, Brightpaw, and Flowerpaw fell over themselves, giggling loudly. I exchanged exasperated glances with the other mentors, Nighthawk and Cranelegs. "You guys, keep it down," Nighthawk hissed. "You're going to get all of us in trouble." Squaring her jaw defiantly, Brightpaw said, "So what? I don't care." I shot her a dark look. "You will care when I make you clean the entire elders' den by yourself." "What?" she whined. "That's not fair!" "Suits me. I don't wanna do it," shrugged Flowerpaw. Brightpaw batted her sister's ear, and the two of them tumbled into a bush, wrestling. I watched them, nostalgia welling inside me. Had there ever been a time when I was like that? Logically, I knew there had. My best friends and I had gone through our fair share of troubles before we were warriors, but overall, our apprenticehood had been a wonderful time. It might not have been, if we'd had to go through all that alone, but having each other had ensured that it would be. That explained how Brightpaw and her siblings could remain so cheerful. Don't get angry with them for being happy in their youth, just because one of the cats who got you through growing up is no longer here. More than one cat, actually. As Cranelegs, Nighthawk and I headed back to the camp with the apprentices following noisily behind us, I thought back to all the cats who had impacted my life and were no longer here. It was a long list that had begun when I was a kit, with Ravenwing and Cloudberry, my parents. Then I had lost Fuzzears and Oakstar, and in a different way, I'd lost Ivyrose and Ryan. Most devastating of all, Daisyheart. I couldn't let myself think about her death very often. It was crippling. I refused to allow that pain to flow through me. Maybe it was because of Fire's words to me, about not letting my heart rule me, or because I simply didn't want to give in to the weakness that I would succumb to if I faced my best friend's death head-on. Either way, I couldn't do it. I would just keep pulling along through life, trying to survive while avoiding that particular pitfall. - - - - Dewfrost trotted hurriedly through the woods with a mouse clutched in his jaws, careful to make as little noise as possible. He felt like a complete idiot. Never before had he had to act like a criminal in his own territory. But then, he'd never been in this position before. Nothing like this had ever happened in SpringClan previously. Pretending to fully agree with Quailstar and Viperstar for the past few days had been killing him. He had patiently organized the move-in of GreenClan cats, watching them blunder through the delicately crafted dens his Clanmates worked so hard to maintain and steal more than their fair share from the hard-won fresh-kill pile. He had faked smiles for Quailstar and kept his head down around Viperstar and his obnoxious crew of cronies. He had followed every order he'd been given at the click of claws, rushing around and wearing himself to the bone to please everyone. All this time, he'd endured dirty looks and verbal abuse from his own Clanmates. Hawkeye, of course, was ruthless. He was furious and not afraid to implement the most unsavory words he knew to let Dewfrost know about it. This Dewfrost could handle; he'd put up with Hawkeye for longer than he could remember. But Hawkeye wasn't alone this time. Breezeflight was angry with him as well. Seeing his old apprentice, the she-cat he'd taught and watched grow up, look at him in such disappointment was worse than anything else. I'm not a traitor, he wanted to tell her. Just give me a little time. I've got to figure out what to do. Now, he trotted past High-Rock and gazed out at the plains beyond, dropping the mouse onto the ground. "Hello?" he called softly. The grass rustled and parted, and a sleek cream she-cat slipped out. Dewfrost relaxed a little when he saw her. "Hi," she mewed softly, glancing around furtively. "Don't worry, I wasn't followed. You're safe." He nodded at the mouse. Hollystrike darted forward and grabbed the prey in her jaws, beginning to eat hungrily. "I tried hunting out on the plains, but it is hard. Even for someone who's used to hunting in that environment. So I'm really glad you brought this." "No problem." "How are things back at the Clan--I mean, Clans?" Hollystrike asked. Dewfrost hesitated, wondering how much to say. "There have been... tensions." "Ah." "Yeah. Hawkeye--he's one of our, er, more loud-mouthed toms--got a bit roughed up by some of Viperstar's warriors for being rude. The SpringClan apprentices dumped dirty bedding on the GreenClan apprentices, so the GreenClan apprentices got the apprentices' den all to themselves, as per Viperstar's orders. Sleepypaw, Brightpaw, and Flowerpaw are now sleeping in a little trench outside the camp." A flash of apology went through Hollystrike's eyes, but Dewfrost shook his head, indicating it wasn't needed. It wasn't her fault. "What about the GreenClan cats? Are they having issues settling in?" she asked. "Most of your Clanmates seem fine with things. Only one--your sister, the dark brown she-cat--she seems to be quite outspoken about opposing things." "Odessa," affirmed Hollystrike with a sigh. Frowning, Dewfrost said, "I don't understand. You guys are sisters, but you have a warrior name and she doesn't. A lot of GreenClan cats have weird names. Why is that?" "Viperstar is loose about the warrior code, in case you haven't noticed," said Hollystrike grimly. "His top priority is what you can do for him. He doesn't care what your name is, as long as you can further his own agenda." "Does that mean you aren't Clanborn?" She sighed. "Yeah. I used to be Hallie. Isn't that the worst name? Hallie and Odessa. My sister got the better end of that deal; no wonder she didn't change hers. We both joined the Clan at the same time, together, but we had different takes on it. I embraced the idea of the code instantly. My vision for GreenClan was similar to what SpringClan is, or was, I guess, but obviously Viperstar had other plans. I had to grovel in order to be selected as deputy. Odessa... she had a different tactic to earn status." "She's Viperstar's mate," realized Dewfrost. "Is that why she can get away with anything?" "Talk about a dysfunctional relationship," snorted Hollystrike. "But don't underestimate my sister, okay? She's intelligent. We haven't always seen eye-to-eye on things, but there's no denying that she's cunning. And don't talk back to her. She's expecting Viperstar's kits right now, which makes him even more protective. In his own twisted way, I guess." Still trying to wrap his head around the fact that a tom like Viperstar had a mate and would soon have kits, Dewfrost sat down and curled his tail around his paws. "Enough about the Clans. How's the eye?" "The herbs you brought me that Blossomleaf recommended really helped," Hollystrike said, but she immediately looked away from him, as she did whenever he brought up her injury. It was true that the wound still didn't look too pretty; it was dark red and the scratches made by Viperstar's claws were uneven and jagged. But it looked better. The blood was gone, the fur around the area was clean, and it was beginning to seal itself permanently already. Nothing to be ashamed of. When he said this, Hollystrike didn't respond. Her jaw was clenched, her remaining eye closed tightly as if to block out all thought of her handicap. To anyone else, it might seem very strange that he was out here in the first place, helping this strange she-cat who'd gotten herself kicked out of the Order on the day it had started. But the truth was, they weren't actually strangers. They'd known each other for a while. Unknown to her Clan, Quailstar had been meeting with Viperstar for a while, and she'd always taken Dewfrost with her. The two leaders and their deputies had discussed the idea of the Order--and since both Hollystrike and Dewfrost had strongly opposed it, they were kicked out of the discussion on most days, so they had nothing better to do than just talk to each other. Eventually, Dewfrost had given up trying to persuade Quailstar that her idea was insane. Paranoia and desperation to control her Clan was driving her to great lengths, and he resolved that he would go along for the ride and try to contain the damage she would wreak on the Clan. Someone had to be in on the plan so he could protect his Clanmates from the worst of things. But not Hollystrike. She saw no point in being a hypocrite or putting on a charade. Obviously, that strategy hadn't worked perfectly. It had lost her her eye and her Clan membership. To be completely honest, parts of Dewfrost didn't like the general idea of working with Hollystrike. She was, after all, from another Clan, and that was the entire factor he was opposing in by working against the Order: no Clan was meant to be united with another like this. Yet, on the other hand, he did respect her. She was a strong cat and honestly, from the conversations he'd had with her, she was fairly likable once she opened up a little bit. Anyway, whether he liked her or not, he didn't really have a choice on whether to help her. She didn't deserve exile from her Clan. And that eye-wound could easily have gotten infected if he hadn't checked with Blossomleaf and gotten herbs to help her out. Keeping her safe and healthy ensured that he had at least one ally, and that was a reassuring feeling. After all, she had been deputy; no one knew more about GreenClan, other than maybe Viperstar himself. "Dewfrost," Hollystrike said, nudging him. "You should probably get back to the camp." Heaving a sigh, he said, "I really don't want to. They're having a celebration for the Order and a reading of the rules." "Isn't that the third one since a few days ago, when the Order began?" "They really like those stupid rules. Trying to scare everyone into obeying them, since everything's chaotic right now." "Well, then, you probably know the rules by now. I guess you could stay for a bit longer," conceded Hollystrike, her lips twitching in amusement. She began to bury the remains of her mouse, careful to make sure there were no traces left. "Let's go hunt," Dewfrost said, shrugging. "Since we've got so many more mouths to feed back at camp." "Sure. I'll teach you a little something about hunting on the plains." This proved to be fairly unsuccessful. Dewfrost had always considered himself a quick cat--back when Breezeflight was his apprentice, they'd gone on runs together all the time. But compared to Hollystrike, he was nothing. Modestly as she could, she explained that she'd gotten her warrior name because her hunting strike was so fatal. After watching her catch a rabbit in the blink of an eye, he had no trouble believing her. She tried to teach him her techniques, but that ended with Dewfrost thoroughly embarrassing himself by eating dust on every rabbit chase he tried. He was feeling quite discouraged as they began heading back towards the border and High-Rock, Hollystrike's rabbit swinging easily from her jaws. Purely by luck, he startled a prairie hen from her roost in a clump of weeds. She rose into the sky with a loud squack. Dewfrost squacked himself, surprised, but quickly got over it. Determined to redeem himself, he leaped into the air and locked his jaws into its flesh, dragging it back down and swiftly killing it. "Nice!" Hollystrike was laughing. "Next time try to catch it, though. You nearly had a heart attack when it flew up in your face." "Oh, shut up," he said, examining his catch proudly. Sure, it was a little messy, and, as Hollystrike pointed out, his face was now covered in fluffy white feathers, but it would still help feed his Clan. "I'm going to smuggle this into camp and make sure this gets to SpringClan warriors only." "Take this too," said Hollystrike, pushing over the rabbit. "I can't carry all of that. I'll come back for it," he promised. "Hurry," she said doubtfully, a nervous gleam entering her eyes. "Don't worry, you don't have to wait by it. Just hide it in that long-stemmed grass over there, and I'll come fetch it once I hand out the prairie hen meat. You should go bed down for the night somewhere far from the border. Don't want any evening patrols catching you." Nodding, Hollystrike hurried to do as he'd asked, placing her rabbit in a thatch of grass. Then she waved her tail good-bye and disappeared into the plains. Meanwhile, Dewfrost spun and raced back to camp. - - - - Odessa lay in her nest in the nursery, wondering when her life had gone so incredibly haywire. Maybe it had been the moment she'd agreed to be Viperstar's mate. Or maybe the moment she and Hollystrike, who had then been called Hallie, had joined GreenClan. New thought: maybe she'd been doomed the day she was born. Not pleasant thoughts, admittedly. Especially for a queen with two newborn kits nestled at her belly. They'd been born as the last rays of sunlight slipped over the horizon. An evening birth, which was a really uncommon occurence. Now it was midnight, and the new mother was still up. Odessa glanced down at her son, a fuzzy brown tabby kit. Owlkit. And then her daughter, a ginger tabby. Vixenkit. The kits were named after the creatures that usually represented the qualities she and Viperstar prized most: wisdom and cunning. "Your mother is no angel, and your father might be the devil... but I hope that your lives will hold something beyond just wisdom and cunning," she whispered softly to her litter. "I hope you find that thing I've always felt I've been missing. Whatever it is." In response, Vixenkit let out a drowsy burp that smelled of milk and snuggled closer to her mother and brother. Owlkit stretched out one stubby paw and poked Odessa in the stomach, his little face so comfortable and trusting. Odessa felt a distinct pang of unworthiness. She wasn't innocent. She wasn't trustworthy. She didn't deserve to be blessed with these two bundles of fluff, and she couldn't shake the feeling that the universe would punish her for thinking herself good enough to raise them. She felt like she was a dirty, wretched kit-stealer who had kidnapped Owlkit and Vixenkit, and that it would cost her. But that's ridiculous. These are my kits. "Listen, little ones. Bad things are going to happen, simply because of who your parents are and the world we've created for you to live in. But I will not let anything bad happen to either of you," she promised fiercely. Feeling a little unsteady, she got to her paws and padded to the edge of the nursery, hoping to grab a snatch of fresh air. She almost ran straight into Viperstar. Gasping, she stumbled backwards. "I didn't even see you there!" "What did you say to those kits?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. That I'm sorry for who their father is. "It's none of your concern. Why are you here?" "Checking in on my family," he said emotionlessly. Odessa almost responded, but she was distracted by a stinging stench in her nose. The fur along the back of her neck rose, and she let out a low hiss of disbelief. "It can't be..." Viperstar whirled around as well, ears flattening in anger. "What on Earth?" Peering out of the nursery, she saw bloodchilling streaks of orange and red at the edge of the camp, shooting up into the midnight sky. The camp was about to be set ablaze. - - - - Brightpaw and I padded through the forest, sticking to the parts that were lit up by the beams of moonlight that managed to slip through the canopy of trees. "I can't believe you agreed to come out at this time of night," said my apprentice, skipping ahead. "You said you wanted to talk. I'm here to talk," I said softly. She hesitated, slowing her pace. "I--yeah. Thanks, Breezeflight." I smiled. "No problem. Besides, I couldn't sleep tonight anyway." "Yeah, I know. It's hard now, isn't it? So crowded in the camp. And it's no fun for me and my littermates either, sleeping out in that trench." I rolled my eyes. "That was so dumb. I can't believe you have to sleep outside the camp." She shuffled her paws. "That's what we get for dumping that used bedding on the GreenClan apprentices. Though Duckpaw was asking for it. StarClan, I hate him. Anyway, it was my idea to do the prank. I feel terrible that Flowerpaw and Sleepypaw have to pay the price too, though they insist that we're all in this together." "Of course you are. You're siblings and best friends." Brightpaw sighed softly. "I know. But I think we're also really different in some really important ways. And that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Do you know how as a kit I always had a reputation for sneaking out of the camp unnoticed?" Chortling, I said, "Of course. I remember all the random moments we'd look up from our conversations while walking in the woods, only to see you perched in a tree or a bush, eavesdropping. You were quite the little rascal." I expected her to agree or make some teasing comeback, but instead, she turned very pale. "I know. And I never really thought anything about it until I heard Fire and Ryan talking a while ago, before he left. About the powers of legend." Freezing, I said, "What do you know about that?" "Everything. All I need to know. More than you," she responded. My thoughts were going fuzzy, trying to comprehend what she was getting at. "How?" "I know who the third cat is." Then she vanished. I blinked rapidly, trying to process what had just happened. Then I heard a branch rustle overhead; she'd leaped up onto the tree. "H--how did you get up there so quickly?" I stammered. "I am the third cat." She vanished again, reappearing back in her former position. "You can transport--" "--almost anything," she finished. "At least, small things. Short distances. It's very draining, but yes, I can do it. It started when I was a bit younger, obviously. I call it shadowhopping. I can't magically go anywhere I want, but I can move myself a few tail-lengths, hiding in bushes and trees. It's why I've always been so sneaky. And I can pull things towards me, too." Out of nowhere, a pinecone flew past my head, landing at Brightpaw's feet. "You coulda summoned a mouse or something," I muttered, giving her a lopsided smile. "What am I going to do with this pinecone?" She looked astounded at my joke. "You don't think it's really weird? That I'm a freak?" "Brightpaw, don't ever say that. This power doesn't change anything about who you are at heart unless you let it. You make the choice, ultimately." Skeptically, she said, "Do you really believe that?" With a shiver, I thought of Aldereyes' dark prediction about Fire, Ryan, and Brightpaw's fates. And it was coming true, wasn't it? Ryan had left, striking off with Lily. Fire had lost her family and continued to push other cats away. Their powers appeared to grow as time went on, but at what cost? As for Brightpaw, she had two siblings and both parents... She had so much to lose, I realized. I won't let this power rob her of her youth, or her loved ones, I decided fiercely. Brightpaw had already lost her mentor. I was determined to let that be the last death to affect her life. No matter how irrational a hope that was. I opened my mouth to say something, but just then, we heard a cat crashing through the bracken behind us. Chamomile came bursting out, her fur wild and her eyes huge. "You guys have to come quickly!" she yelled. Utterly bewildered by the fact that she was charging through the woods at midnight like a crazy badger, I said, "Why? What's going on?" "There's been an attempt on the leader's life," she said. There were tears coursing down her cheeks. "It's going on right now." "What? What do you mean?" "Breezeflight, p-please don't hate me. I was walking with Specklenose and he left to catch some prey and I saw Hawkeye... and he said... he said he was going to attack Viperstar. He had a small container of coals--he said he got them from Twolegplace, from Ren and Saori. He said he was going to light a fire and slaughter Viperstar as many times as lives he had left. You have to understand... I should've stopped him, I should've attacked him, but Viperstar killed my parents! For just one second, I hesitated, I thought about how nice revenge would be. And Hawkeye pushed past me." "Hawkeye's going to kill Viperstar? We have to save Viperstar?" demanded Brightpaw, who clearly thought letting him burn was a better option. As for me, I was just too shocked to form any opinion. Ren and Saori had agreed to help Hawkeye kill Viperstar in such a morbid fashion? Frantically, Cammy shook her head. She looked ready to to full-out sob. "Viperstar was out of his den, and one of the GreenClan she-cats, Thornfeather, found Hawkeye. Breezeflight, she's very angry. She's going to use the coals to set fire and kill Quailstar." My mouth set in a thin line. "Not on our watch." I raced back through the woods, Brightpaw and Cammy hard on my tail. When I saw the entrance to the camp, my blood ran cold. Flames were licking around the bushes, headed straight for the leader's den, cornering most of my Clanmates. I could hear desperate shouting and attempts at evacuation. "We have to help," I said. "Brightpaw, stand over there, at that narrow strip of land by the old apprentices' den. Help the GreenClan apprentices get out through the parts without the fire. Cammy, you're in charge of helping warriors out of the smoke." Brightpaw nodded, though I could tell she resented the idea of helping GreenClan cats. "What about you?" coughed Cammy, her eyes watering from the sting of the heat. "I have to go get Quailstar and the medicine cats and elders." "But the fire's blocking them!" "Brightpaw, can you transport me through the line of fire?" "Yeah, if you get close enough. But shouldn't I go, then? I can just shadowhop myself." I shook my head adamantly. "It has to be me." When my apprentice hesitated, I screamed, "Now!" Nodding grimly, Brightpaw lead me right over to the inferno that was cutting off half the camp from escape. She grit her teeth, calling upon all her strength. The next thing I knew, I was on the other side of the flames. I had shadowhopped. There was no time to even process how it felt. I bolted for the elders' den. I had to save my Clanmates. The Order might go down in blood, fire, and an attempted assasination. But SpringClan would not.
- Blood and Fire by Tavi is a Halo/Mass Effect Fusion Fic. The Citadel races have long been involved in a cold-again, hot-again war with the Covenant, a technologically advanced but numerically inferior theocratic empire. When they attack Shanxi, a colony belonging to the newly encountered race known as "humanity", the Citadel comes to the rescue with offers of assistance to the newcomers, who gladly accept. Fast forward several decades. Covenant forces attack the human colony of Eden Prime...
- Blood and Fire is an audiobook produced by Big Finish Productions. It was released in June 2016.
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