HOME | DD

Description
"They really are beautiful," Frozenfire purred, laying in the nursery with Snakesteps. Both of them gazed down at the softest, mossiest nest Frozenfire had ever seen. In the middle were three adorable kits. The fourth had died earlier that morning. Snakesteps hadn't said anything, but Frozenfire could tell how upset her friend was. "What are their names?"
"The black she-cat with the white dorsal stripe is Moonkit. The black and white tom is Badgerkit, and the pure white one is Dreamkit."
Frozenfire almost gasped. Snakesteps had chosen three perfect names for three perfect kits. She especially liked Dreamkit. Perhaps I'll mentor him, like Dreamstar mentored me.
"They look strong and healthy," she meowed. "I'm sure they'll be great warriors."
Snakesteps sighed, pain in her eyes. "Not Spanglekit," she whispered at last. "Her eyes weren't even open. She was so tiny; barely bigger than my paw! How will she find her way to Starclan?"
"I'm sure someone has carried her to their hunting grounds already," Frozenfire meowed comfortingly, laying her tail across her friend's shoulders. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," whispered Snakesteps, her eyes much clearer now. "I'm beginning to see why Whitewillow grieved for so long after my sister, Birdkit, died, that's all."
-
Beestripes crouched low to the ground, all her weight balanced evenly throughout her four paws. Her claws sank into the earth, and she felt very much like a tree rooted there. In front of her sat an unsuspecting water vole, nibbling on what seemed to be a seed. So slowly, so carefully, Beestripes lifted one paw and put it in front of the other, gradually gliding toward her prey.
She stepped on a twig and the vole dropped the seed, glancing around nervously. Now! Beestripes hurled herself into the air. This was no time for stealth; the vole had already heard her. She landed in front of it, and the meal was hers with only a swift bite to its neck.
"Nice catch!" purred Whitedream approvingly, sitting by a boulder not far away. Beestripes nodded her appreciation.
"The days are getting longer now," observed Whitedream. "Newleaf brings us more time to hunt, but it is getting dark. Shall we head back?"
"You can," meowed Beestripes, shrugging. "I don't feel like I've caught enough today, so I'd like to try some nice, quiet night hunting. You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not!" purred Whitedream. "I'll take this vole back. Good luck!" The white warrior picked up Beestripes's vole and darted off.
Beestripes immediately began looking for more prey. There was a squirrel in a tree, but Rainclan wasn't so fond of squirrels. Bleah, too furry! Besides, there was no way to get it down from the tree. Then a sweet, delicious scent caught her attention. Mouse!
Spotting the little creature near a bush, Beestripes fell into her hunting crouch again, inching toward it one step at a time. Almost there. Just a little bit furth-
The mouse felt her coming, and ran. Beestripes followed, but soon forgot where she was. Soon she was skidding ungracefully over a steep, pebbly hill. She landed safely on the bottom, but there was a bit of sharp stone in her paw. She removed it carefully and licked it, then bolted upright, hearing something. Voices?
Staying hidden behind a bush, she peeked out, and nearly jumped out of her skin. Quite a few badger-lengths away sat Frozenfire and the strange black Beachclan tom. Beestripes tensed her muscles to jump on the intruder, but Frozenfire was not hostile. The two cats were just talking. Beestripes relaxed.
"Well," purred the tom, "I think you'll be a brilliant leader. I know you grieve for Dreamstar, and believe me, so do we. We didn't want to attack. We just had to protect you from them."
To Beestripes's horror, Frozenfire rubbed her muzzle affectionately against the tom's shoulder. They were friends!
"I believe you," mewed Frozenfire. "Your clan looked so scared when Dreamstar died; surely you couldn't have meant for it to happen! I truly don't believe Waffle and Racer are threats, though. They have finally opened up to us, and they haven't had ties with evil cats since they were kittens!"
"That's what they all say," sighed the tom. For a moment, everything was silent. "I wish we were in the same clan," he meowed at last. "Everything would be so much easier then, but you have a commitment to your clan."
Beestripes felt relief rise up in her chest. These cats loved each other, but they loved thier clans more.
"That's right, Liquidgaze," meowed Frozenfire. "I do have a commitment to Rainclan, and I best go, or they shall be wondering where I went." She got up and started climbing up the hill. "Goodbye," she meowed.
Frozenfire, run!
Liquidgaze sat for a moment, then ran up the hill, speeding past Frozenfire in only a few bounds and blocking her way. "You can't go," he whined. "I meant to tell you something today, and I haven't said it yet."
Frozenfire waited. Beestripes held her breath.
"You've always been so honest with me, and now I must tell you my secret. You are not going to like it." He got closer. "Racer was once a part of a group of rouges. He is not dangerous, but the rouges are. I was born into this same group: the Pack of Falling Waters."
Beestripes could have sworn she heard Frozenfire whimper.
"My father was their leader, my mother a clan cat. I grew up thinking that I was pure Beachclan, but I was wrong. I ran into the pack one day and they told me everything. They said I was going to be their spy and keep an eye on the clans for them. I was afraid to say no."
"You didn't!" wailed Frozenfire, shaking her head in disbelief. "But... Surely you are not loyal to them? You can run, right, and they can't hurt you!"
Beestripes's fur bristled. So desperately she wanted to run out and comfort her friend, but Liquidgaze would run if she did, and she had to hear his response.
Liquidgaze sighed. "It isn't that simple. The pack's camp is that cave on the corner of your territory. You ventured too close one day, and they saw you. They thought you saw them too, and that you would go home and tattle on them. They were scared, and now they want you dead."
Beestripes got to her paws, no longer hidden, but the cat's didn't see her. Frozenfire tried to run, her green eyes panicked, but Liquidgaze stopped the young leader.
"I won't hurt you," he promised. "Remember, I feel nothing for them, but you are my best friend. I hate to do anything, but I feel that if you come and join the pack with me, they'll let you work for them. You'd be safe, and we'd be together. I fear it is the only way."
Beestripes had heard enough. She bolted up the hill and heard a cry from Liquidgaze, but he did not give chase, and she would not stop. She had to get rid of the Pack cat, but if she attacked him by herself, Frozenfire might try to help him.
No, she would not risk her life in such a way. She had to find a cat to help her; perhaps the one cat she knew that truly believed Liquidgaze was evil.

Description
"They really are beautiful," Frozenfire purred, laying in the nursery with Snakesteps. Both of them gazed down at the softest, mossiest nest Frozenfire had ever seen. In the middle were three adorable kits. The fourth had died earlier that morning. Snakesteps hadn't said anything, but Frozenfire could tell how upset her friend was. "What are their names?"
"The black she-cat with the white dorsal stripe is Moonkit. The black and white tom is Badgerkit, and the pure white one is Dreamkit."
Frozenfire almost gasped. Snakesteps had chosen three perfect names for three perfect kits. She especially liked Dreamkit. Perhaps I'll mentor him, like Dreamstar mentored me.
"They look strong and healthy," she meowed. "I'm sure they'll be great warriors."
Snakesteps sighed, pain in her eyes. "Not Spanglekit," she whispered at last. "Her eyes weren't even open. She was so tiny; barely bigger than my paw! How will she find her way to Starclan?"
"I'm sure someone has carried her to their hunting grounds already," Frozenfire meowed comfortingly, laying her tail across her friend's shoulders. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," whispered Snakesteps, her eyes much clearer now. "I'm beginning to see why Whitewillow grieved for so long after my sister, Birdkit, died, that's all."
-
Beestripes crouched low to the ground, all her weight balanced evenly throughout her four paws. Her claws sank into the earth, and she felt very much like a tree rooted there. In front of her sat an unsuspecting water vole, nibbling on what seemed to be a seed. So slowly, so carefully, Beestripes lifted one paw and put it in front of the other, gradually gliding toward her prey.
She stepped on a twig and the vole dropped the seed, glancing around nervously. Now! Beestripes hurled herself into the air. This was no time for stealth; the vole had already heard her. She landed in front of it, and the meal was hers with only a swift bite to its neck.
"Nice catch!" purred Whitedream approvingly, sitting by a boulder not far away. Beestripes nodded her appreciation.
"The days are getting longer now," observed Whitedream. "Newleaf brings us more time to hunt, but it is getting dark. Shall we head back?"
"You can," meowed Beestripes, shrugging. "I don't feel like I've caught enough today, so I'd like to try some nice, quiet night hunting. You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not!" purred Whitedream. "I'll take this vole back. Good luck!" The white warrior picked up Beestripes's vole and darted off.
Beestripes immediately began looking for more prey. There was a squirrel in a tree, but Rainclan wasn't so fond of squirrels. Bleah, too furry! Besides, there was no way to get it down from the tree. Then a sweet, delicious scent caught her attention. Mouse!
Spotting the little creature near a bush, Beestripes fell into her hunting crouch again, inching toward it one step at a time. Almost there. Just a little bit furth-
The mouse felt her coming, and ran. Beestripes followed, but soon forgot where she was. Soon she was skidding ungracefully over a steep, pebbly hill. She landed safely on the bottom, but there was a bit of sharp stone in her paw. She removed it carefully and licked it, then bolted upright, hearing something. Voices?
Staying hidden behind a bush, she peeked out, and nearly jumped out of her skin. Quite a few badger-lengths away sat Frozenfire and the strange black Beachclan tom. Beestripes tensed her muscles to jump on the intruder, but Frozenfire was not hostile. The two cats were just talking. Beestripes relaxed.
"Well," purred the tom, "I think you'll be a brilliant leader. I know you grieve for Dreamstar, and believe me, so do we. We didn't want to attack. We just had to protect you from them."
To Beestripes's horror, Frozenfire rubbed her muzzle affectionately against the tom's shoulder. They were friends!
"I believe you," mewed Frozenfire. "Your clan looked so scared when Dreamstar died; surely you couldn't have meant for it to happen! I truly don't believe Waffle and Racer are threats, though. They have finally opened up to us, and they haven't had ties with evil cats since they were kittens!"
"That's what they all say," sighed the tom. For a moment, everything was silent. "I wish we were in the same clan," he meowed at last. "Everything would be so much easier then, but you have a commitment to your clan."
Beestripes felt relief rise up in her chest. These cats loved each other, but they loved thier clans more.
"That's right, Liquidgaze," meowed Frozenfire. "I do have a commitment to Rainclan, and I best go, or they shall be wondering where I went." She got up and started climbing up the hill. "Goodbye," she meowed.
Frozenfire, run!
Liquidgaze sat for a moment, then ran up the hill, speeding past Frozenfire in only a few bounds and blocking her way. "You can't go," he whined. "I meant to tell you something today, and I haven't said it yet."
Frozenfire waited. Beestripes held her breath.
"You've always been so honest with me, and now I must tell you my secret. You are not going to like it." He got closer. "Racer was once a part of a group of rouges. He is not dangerous, but the rouges are. I was born into this same group: the Pack of Falling Waters."
Beestripes could have sworn she heard Frozenfire whimper.
"My father was their leader, my mother a clan cat. I grew up thinking that I was pure Beachclan, but I was wrong. I ran into the pack one day and they told me everything. They said I was going to be their spy and keep an eye on the clans for them. I was afraid to say no."
"You didn't!" wailed Frozenfire, shaking her head in disbelief. "But... Surely you are not loyal to them? You can run, right, and they can't hurt you!"
Beestripes's fur bristled. So desperately she wanted to run out and comfort her friend, but Liquidgaze would run if she did, and she had to hear his response.
Liquidgaze sighed. "It isn't that simple. The pack's camp is that cave on the corner of your territory. You ventured too close one day, and they saw you. They thought you saw them too, and that you would go home and tattle on them. They were scared, and now they want you dead."
Beestripes got to her paws, no longer hidden, but the cat's didn't see her. Frozenfire tried to run, her green eyes panicked, but Liquidgaze stopped the young leader.
"I won't hurt you," he promised. "Remember, I feel nothing for them, but you are my best friend. I hate to do anything, but I feel that if you come and join the pack with me, they'll let you work for them. You'd be safe, and we'd be together. I fear it is the only way."
Beestripes had heard enough. She bolted up the hill and heard a cry from Liquidgaze, but he did not give chase, and she would not stop. She had to get rid of the Pack cat, but if she attacked him by herself, Frozenfire might try to help him.
No, she would not risk her life in such a way. She had to find a cat to help her; perhaps the one cat she knew that truly believed Liquidgaze was evil.