Super Edition: Briarsong's Renascence

Chapter 7

Briarsong yawned an stretched out her front legs, feeling the hay sticking to her pelt as she started to move around. She looked around to see Morris and Mango curled up together asleep, and the slow rise and fall of Sully and Moose's sides, but Cookie was gone. Quietly, Briarsong left her nest and headed towards the front of the barn where the sun was just staring to rise outside. She saw Cookie sitting alone watching the twoleg, and Brody get the sheep and goats moved back out into the field. Cookie's ear twitched and Briarsong knew she heard her approaching even when she didn't look. She sat next to the back she-cat and they both watched as Brody moved with his flock from the holding pens back out to freedom. The twoleg waved at the two cats as he passed but didn't stop moving as he herded the flock.

"Is your clan going to come looking for you?" Cookie asked harshly, not even looking at Briarsong. "Because we don't need that kind of trouble here."

"I don't think so," Briarsong answered sadly. "I think they have all but forgotten about me."

"Probably for the better," Cookie looked over, her face a little softer than her voice. "We don't need a bunch of forest can storming through the Barn and starting something."

"They wouldn't just come in and kill everyone," Briarsong felt defensive. "That is not what clan cats do," 

Cookie scoffed in disbelief. "Clan cats are some of the most self centered, battle hungry cats I've ever met. I was only with Meadowclan a short time but it was enough time to see what you all were about."

"Each clan is different," Briarsong tried to explain, pushing down the anger that was rising. "Each leader and each cat is different. I was the Moonclan Medicine Cat and I can guarantee my clanmates would not storm the Farm and try to hurt any of you for no reason."

"A medicine cat?" Cookie looked surprised. "What is a medicine cat doing so far away from her clan? I know the training you go through and the vows you take for that position. I talked with the Meadowclan medicine cat when he helped me with a bite I had. I know how important you are to your clan."

"They don't want me anymore."

"Don't want you." Cookie narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "What did you do to get pushed out from your clan? We don't need trouble here so if you are going to bring trouble then you are not welcome." 

"I allowed our leader to fall down a rock wall to her death," Briarsong said the words for the first time out loud since it had happened and felt a shiver run through her spine as the cold reality took her in its cold grasp. 

"Uh-huh..." Cookie said slowly. "Don't leaders have like 9 lives or something?"

"She only had 3 left and lost them as she hit rocks on the way down." Briarsong whispered, feeling her paws tremble with the memory. "I didn't want to," she added, her eyes getting blurry with tears. "Starclan made me do it."

"Starclan? Oh that's right." Cookie nodded, remembering. "Dead cats made you drop your leader to her death?" she challenged. 

"Just because you don't understand our ways doesn't make them mouse-brained," Briarsong snapped. "Starclan couldn't allow her to destroy Moonclan with her vendetta against Mountainclan. She would have destroyed both clans before she was satisfied."

"Then why did your clan send you away if it sounds like you did the right thing?"

Briarsong shuffled her paws in the dirt before answering. "It's more complicated than that. All they saw was me let Cinderstar fall, they wouldn't understand the reason. Starclan doesn't speak to all the clan."

"This Starclan you dedicated your life too doesn't seem like they care about you," Cookie offered. Briarsong would normally have interjected and defended Starclan but what Cookie said made sense. There had been no word from Starclan since she left the forest and the silence made her feel abandoned. 

"Yeah..." Briarsong agreed hesitantly. "it does feel that way." Cookie licked her paw and rubbed her face with it a few times before letting out a long sigh an arching her back in a stretch.

"Are you going to continue to uphold your vows as a medicine cat?" she said casually, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Briarsong asked, not understanding what Cookie was trying to get at.

"Sully," Cookie said exasperated. "Are you going to be his mate or are you going to continue to pretend to be a medicine cat and stay single because dead cats told you too?"

"Its not that easy," Briarsong stood up and was done talking to Cookie.

"You aren't a medicine cat anymore, Starclan has abandoned you. Do what you want with your life," Cookie called after her as Briarsong made her way away from the Barn and through the gate and into the field to find Brody.

Briarsong made her way through the grass trying to clear her head. The sun was high in the sky and it warmed her back and reminded her of her apprentice days with her mentor Cloverclaw as they would search for herbs in the sunny spots. The gentle breeze brought the strong scent of wild flowers and sheep. Briarsong had to go quite a ways before she could hear the sheep and goats munching away on grass. The barn was a red blob in the distance behind her but she felt the urge to keep moving. Little birds swooped from the skies or flew startled out of the grass. She wasn't interested in hunting, but just wanted to feel far away from twolegs and their strange belongings. Then she was stepping among the goats and sheep who took little to no notice of her sudden appearance. One of the goats even gave her a little nudge with its nose when she walked through its clover patch. From among the dense wool the slobbery face of Brody appeared with his hanging jowls and floppy ears. He saw her and his large tail swung back and forth.

"Pearl," he called. "How are you today?"

"Hello Brody," she licked the large white dog on his muzzle and he nudged her back gently. "I just wanted to get away."

"I like being away," Brody agreed. "I like the tall grass, the trees and the open air." 

Briarsong nodded in agreement as she looked around. "So you just stand here all day?"

"I protect the flock from any dangers," Brody explained.

"Are there many dangers?" Briarsong asked, a little shocked and concerned. 

"Not with me around," Brody held his head high. 

"Can I stay here with you for a little while?"