[Strelles] Strike the Match

Chapter 10: The Shattered Star (Edited)

"Are you ready?"

"If we wait any longer, I'm going to crawl right out of my fur."

Jackdawpaw laughed at him, offering a teasing nudge; "Sit down ants in your pelt."

"How am I supposed to calm down?" Cardinalpaw demanded, his paws grounding the dirt beneath impatiently. This was the first Peace Meeting he'd been to since Mottledstrike's death and it was the first that would be unknowingly be held without sign of the Galespun. Asterdawn had sent out a few more patrols to poke around the moor in the hopes of finding more Gale stragglers or even better, a group of members resisting, but the lanky faction's scent had near completely vanished by this point. "Who knows how this meeting will go!"

"Make sure to pay attention to everything," Ravenpaw said firmly, still pacing around them in his own impatience. "Quietpaw will be waiting to hear the smallest details."

Cardinalpaw and Jackdawpaw nodded in agreement - they would've been close enough attention to begin with if only to relay information to Chaffinchpaw and Wrenpaw but the Galespun refugee deserved answers. The cadet wasn't attending the Peace Meeting for her own safety - if the Fennyield's new Skua had broken the unspoken agreement regarding not chasing another faction out, there was a real worry regarding them respecting the Full-Moon Pact.

His ears pricked, catching sight of Asterdawn slipping to the front of the group as the Peace Meeting trek began once more. Unlike his first trip, Cardinalpaw elected to push ahead and join her; falling into step beside his mentor. He did his best to summon all the lessons she'd taught him about pacing himself and measuring his breathing. It was an odd experience to be loping alongside all of the rank heads - they were all so much more massive than him but it felt invigorating all the same.

He pushed himself to keep up as smoothly as possible - he was representing Asterdawn's training abilities now and he wanted to make sure that his factionmates knew she was a good mentor. Every time she soared over a log in a single bound, he slid beneath it and emerged just her hind-flanks.; careful to never fall far enough behind that he left the front-line but never outpaced his leader either.

The training must've been working because the trek to The Kirkyard was shorter than he remembered it and sooner than expected, they were standing on the ridge overseeing the clearing. It was already teeming with cats - he saw a race being set up for the cadets and a few legionaries were already sparring. Cardinalpaw opened his mouth to taste the air but not even the faintest traces of the Galespun lingered.

I hope Magpietail is okay, Cardinalpaw worried.

"Remember," Asterdawn's voice brought him back to the moment. "Stay polite but on guard, reveal as little as possible and collect as much information as possible. With the Galespun gone, we've no idea what the current leadership in the Fennyield looks like."

She paused, overlooking her cats to ensure that they were all taking her seriously. When she saw that even Jackdawpaw held a serious expression; she flicked her tail and led the way into the clearing. Cardinalpaw observed the ridge and took a pawstep back before leaping onto it, sliding down the edge bounding forward from the bottom with only the smallest of stumbles.

"That was cool," said Ravenpaw.

Cardinalpaw reflexively whirled around, about to slap him with his tail before he calmed down again.

"Where'd you come from?" he demanded.

"Ravenpaw and I were right behind you," Jackdawpaw pointed out with a chuckle, coming to stand with them. "You were just so focused you didn't notice."