Private Thread Plot Thread Cat on a Mission (18CF21)

Without passion you don’t have energy, without energy you have nothing.

･ﾟ✧⭑🍓⭑✧･ﾟ

It had finally been a good time for Berrypaw to be out hunting on his own... sort of, Breezewing had told him he needed to go out with someone and who better than his sister and best friend! Though Cedarpaw had been doing her own hunting and Berrypaw was doing his, he made sure that she was safe with a keen eye every so often. But not often enough that he had lost sight of what he was tracking. Prey was important too. Without prey, there wouldn't be a cat in WindClan, not Bayflower, not Beewhisker, not Cedarpaw, nobody would be with Berrypaw, they would have all starved without prey caught by the cats devoted to protecting and serving WindClan, Berrypaw was no different.

After he had plunged his teeth into a vole, he caught another flash of movement from the corner of his eye, another prey? No it was too big. But then, there was a cat, a seal point with blue eyes. Had Boldclaw been able to leave the camp again? Was he disobeying orders from Fawnstar? Had... he been putting pollen on his face? Eh, not his problem. He'd try and bring 'Boldclaw' back to camp if he wasn't there by the time Berrypaw had been satisfied with the amount of prey he'd caught. A vole just wasn't going to cut it. Berrypaw needed more if he wanted to feed more than one of the clan kits or an elder with a small stomach.

After covering the vole beneath well covering tall-grass, Berrypaw lifted his nose, too far to smell Boldclaw... or a freakishly similar clone, before slinking further to see if he could find any other scent that might cause his interest to peak. A rabbit? a finch? a mouse? Something? he didn't know yet, whatever it would be better be tasty, otherwise this trip would be fore nothing.

"You're a star in my sky!"

⚝──⭒─𖣂.ೃ࿔ ✈︎ *:･𖣂.ೃ࿔ ✈︎ *:･─⭒──⚝

Cedarpaw had not been able to stop her mind or calm down for even a heartbeat the past half-moon, the molly furious at the truth that had been revealed to her by none other than her ancestor Hesheta himself. But after seeing how carefree Berrypaw remained, the she-cat decided that she needed some time to think and reflect. Maybe she was overreacting or being melodramatic.

As if the stars had already written a part of her destiny for her, the apprentice found herself going on a walk in the middle of her hunting trip, she told herself that she was following this path because it smelled of rabbits. But was she really or was it intuition or something else? How was she meant to approach Bayflower, Beewhisker and Kestrelswipe about this? 

The short-furred feline glanced back at her brother, golden eyes looking at his pale blue ones. Perhaps it all made too much sense, the chocolate-point sighed. Her eyes didn’t even look like Bayflower’s or Beewhisker’s. One of Cedarpaw’s ears twitched as the molly used her tail to invite her brother over - once he was done catching whatever he was catching of course.

 That was when the she-cat noticed the stranger, without missing a beat, cautiously and silently, Cedarpaw padded closer, curious as to who this feline she had never seen before was. They didn’t look like a clan cat. Far from one. But they didn’t seem to be a kittypet either. So perhaps a strange rogue or loner. She planned to ask them to leave then there would be no problems.

You must have single minded devotion to your goal.

‹‹‹‹ ››››

“I’ve been waiting for the two of you.” And so the waiting was over!

The words came from the color-marked cat resting on the stone. His voice was raised enough so that it reached the both of them. The expression on his face was neutral, but the tail behind him continued to twitch.

“I’ve come with a message from afar for you.”

Without passion you don’t have energy, without energy you have nothing.

･ﾟ✧⭑🍓⭑✧･ﾟ

As Berrypaw found what he was stalking, a rabbit straying far from its den, he smirked at the opportunity and began his stalk toward it. Though a shout from the distance, something Berrypaw didn't quite hear properly, startled it and Berrypaw didn't hesitate to chase after it, his paws thumping against the ground in quick succession as he tried to corner the rabbit between to rocks.

When the rabbit had been slain, Berrypaw was even further away from where he didn't know he needed to be, he held the prey in his jaws, it dragged less from the first one he had caught, he had gotten bigger! Or maybe the rabbit was smaller, either way he was happy to make such a big cat today. Especially at this time of day and by himself no less! He couldn't wait to show this off to Breezewing! Maybe he'd get some kind of special praise for doing it without his mentor's help, but he doubted they'd cheer for him over a rabbit.

Regardless, now it was time to look for a place to store it to see if he could catch anything else before it was time to return to camp. And if Cedarpaw didn't catch anything, than he would have a catch to give her to bring back! Whether that be the rabbit or the next thing he found! This hunting trip was the most fun he was having in a while!

"You're a star in my sky!"

⚝──⭒─𖣂.ೃ࿔ ✈︎ *:･𖣂.ೃ࿔ ✈︎ *:･─⭒──⚝

“You’ve been waiting for us?” Cedarpaw questioned, golden eyes staring into the stranger’s ocean-blue ones. The molly didn’t know how to feel about a strange cat claiming to have been waiting for them nor what to do. She tried to think back on her lessons but nothing came to mind.

“A message? Alright… A message from how far? And what’s the message?” the she-cat questioned, ears twitching as if prepared to listen attentively. The apprentice looked over at her littermate, sighing. At least he was focusing on what was most important in the moment. But he really needed spatial awareness.

Maybe she could relay the message later- No. The messenger probably just wanted them to hear it from them. “Berrypaw!” Cedarpaw called “Come over here!” The molly meowed as loudly as she could, internally praying that there wouldn’t be any warriors coming over and interrogating them or getting them in trouble.

You must have single minded devotion to your goal.

‹‹‹‹ ››››

“Of course I’ve been waiting for you.” The pointed tom’s eyes fell directly on Cedarpaw. “The prophet told me where to wait, and thus you came.”

The cat followed the cant of the apprentice’s eyes towards her sibling, waiting until after she put out the call for them to come. This was good. The message must wait until it could be given to them both or given to no one at all. “I traveled for six phases to reach you here.”

The tail behind him twitched.

One full of fire, and one full of love.
So the prophet spoke, and so it was.

Without passion you don’t have energy, without energy you have nothing.

･ﾟ✧⭑🍓⭑✧･ﾟ

When Cedarpaw called him, Berrypaw lifted his head, he hadn't really smelt anything more than the rabbit so it wasn't anything gone to waste. He was angry, more-a-less confused on why Cedarpaw seemed so... insistent? Maybe she had hurt herself. Or maybe she had found something REALLY cool that she wanted him to look at, but all he saw was Boldclaw... or the nearly identical copy of him, sitting on the ground covering in a stain of sorts. "Yeah! One second! Just grabbing something!" he chirped, hopefully loud enough to hear by his sister before darting away to fetch the rabbit he caught.

He dragged the rabbit by the back of its neck, awkwardly pulling it as its body slid on the grass, there was no way for him to run, but he was too proud of the rabbit for him to waste the chance to show Cedarpaw and the Boldclaw-or-stranger. However he arrived just time to hear the lengths of time the cat came to get to them. That wasn't Boldclaw.

Berrypaw dropped the rabbit and stepped over it protectively with his body, his nose crinkled at the cat, flattening his ears "It doesn't matter how long it took for you to get here, you need to leave! This is WindClan territory. This land isn't yours to stay as you please." the young cream tom bared his teeth, however if anything it was just a big show to try and scare off the cat, he didn't really want to fight anyway, not now anyway.

"You're a star in my sky!"

⚝──⭒─𖣂.ೃ࿔ ✈︎ *:･𖣂.ೃ࿔ ✈︎ *:･─⭒──⚝

Cedarpaw kind of just stared at Kiiro, a little dumbfounded. ‘Of course’? You make it sound like we should have known you were here.” the molly responded, before tilting her head to the side. “Prophet? What’s a prophet?” the young she-cat questioned, trying to dig through her brain to see if the word had ever been mentioned to her before. 

When the apprentice’s brother responded, her right ear twitched in acknowledgement but before he arrived, she kept her attention on Kiiro, more questions escaping Cedarpaw. “How long is a phase? A phase of what?” the molly asked before going silent to let Kiiro answer her questions. She could hear Berrypaw approaching and was about to speak when Berrypaw lashed out 

“Berrypaw!” The apprentice scolded with a hiss, batting the tomcat’s head with a paw. “Don’t be rude! I don’t know how old this tom is but he looks older than us. Besides, he’s brought us no harm and doesn’t appear to have any ill intentions… So be nice! I don’t think he’s planning to stay either. Just a messenger.” Cedarpaw grumbled at her brother, giving him a warning shove.

You must have single minded devotion to your goal.

‹‹‹‹ ››››

“The Prophet is the one who can see what the Great Mother of all wishes to be done on earth.” He turned his head when the pointed apprentice started asking questions. So very many questions. “Phases of the moon. We began when her eye was closed. Then through the waxing quarter, on under the Mother’s Eye, and into waning quarter. Then she closed her eye again, the quarter waxed, then bright and open once more.”

The painted cat’s tail stilled as his head cocked to observe the territorial young cat. Fire and love, indeed. “I’ll leave when you have heard the message the Prophet sends you.” He gave the pair a beat in hopes that they might settle before he continued on.

“The Prophet, on behalf of she who is Mother of my kind, wishes to offer the two of you a place amongst us. This place is beyond the reach of the White-maned Dreamwalker who stalks you. The Great Mother offers her love and protection in a place where the one who has walked your dreams cannot reach.”

Without passion you don’t have energy, without energy you have nothing.

･ﾟ✧⭑🍓⭑✧･ﾟ

Berrypaw's bristled fur didn't dare lay flat, but the growling in his throat settled to a soft but still threatening rumble, not a purr, something more primal as if he was ready to begin his threat again at any given moment. Berrypaw's tail lashed at the offer his teeth growing bared. "Me and Cedarpaw's home is WindClan, a place you will be vacating from now that you've said this mouse-brained nonsense." Berrypaw snapped, what was this cat talking about? Great Mother? Dreamwalker? Prophet? This cat was something else.

However, Cedarpaw didn't seem as angry, which lowered his ears slightly. He may have spoken her name as a WindClan cat but he was sure that she would stay as well, after all. They were in this life together wherever Berrypaw was, he was certain Cedarpaw would be there too... he hoped she would. They had promised to see their warrior ceremonies together, didn't they?

Oh course they did! It was silly to think Cedarpaw would leave him in WindClan without her! Who else would she have living with a bunch of stangers? Not Berrypaw that was for sure. Not Beewhisker, not Bayflower, not anyone she knew. It was silly to think she would be so disloyal to WindClan. As he remembered the rabbit, Berrypaw's ears rose. "Oh, Cedarpaw, I just remembered, if none of the elders or nursery cats want this rabbit, would you want to share it with me later? It's a big'n isn't it!"

"You're a star in my sky!"

⚝──⭒─𖣂.ೃ࿔ ✈︎ *:･𖣂.ೃ࿔ ✈︎ *:･─⭒──⚝

Cedarpaw’s eyes widened in surprise. She didn’t know what exactly it was this tomcat was saying but something about it sounded… Right? The molly didn’t know how exactly to describe it. What she did know was that she felt a pull. A pull stronger than the pain she had felt that night. But at the same time, she was scared. Scared of the consequences of her actions if she agreed.

“Why us?..” the she-cat questioned. “And I’ll be safe from Hetesha?” the apprentice continued, imagining how enraged the lion would be. Cedarpaw didn’t have it in her to make eye contact with Berrypaw. She was sure that the fact she was even considering it was heavily upsetting to her brother and she didn’t think she could take the possible pain and confusion in his eyes. Even if what he felt was valid.

They did promise each other after all, that they’d stick together as long as they both breathed the same air. She started to feel her stomach twist, bile rising in her throat at the sudden anxiety that plagued her. It was a big decision. But she had to make it now or Hetesha would be out for her. “Is there any chance I could get back to you later?” she whispered.

You must have single minded devotion to your goal.

‹‹‹‹ ››››

The stranger’s eyes closed with a small huff of laughter at the dismissal of the entire situation by the cream apprentice. He had made an offer that would involve many changes to one’s life if it was taken. Bravado to cover fear of change, or denial at the entire concept of choice perhaps? But alas, He was no prophet.

The pointed apprentice, however, understood the offer and feared the Dreamwalker. Though, she was brave enough to utter his name. He leaned towards her, ears suddenly back as he glanced around the moor. “Speak not his name, for it might draw the attention of the White-maned one.” There was warning in his voice, but it carried no fear. Spoken by one who the Dreamwalker had warned, and in the light of day, made his attention unlikely but not impossible. The Prophet had not warned of the possibility, so he chose to trust that the lapse would not bring harm to them.

“The Great Mother has the strength to keep the Dreamwalker at bay, yes.” He confirmed to her. “She walks in places beyond his reach. She welcomes you to walk beside her glory if you wish.” The pointed stranger believed that she had the courage to do it, if she made the choice to.

“I do not need to begin homeward until dawn tomorrow. Think tonight, and if you wish to join me on the path away from the White-maned one you should meet me at the border where tall ones till the earth for vegetables rather than herbs in the darkness before the sun shows herself. Until then, may your paws find the paths you were meant to walk.”