Oakheart's Promise - A Warriors AU

Chapter 34

"Oakheart," the tom heard a voice whisper. As a paw poked his side, he opened his eyes. Above him was a canopy of leaves and branches that blocked out the sunlight, casting shade over the Great Rock. The scent of all four Clans mingled, but ThunderClan's was the strongest. Glancing around the clearing, he soon realized why.

"Bluefur," he murmured, rolling over to face the she-cat who laid next to him. "Why are you here?"

Shifting away from Oakheart, Bluefur reminded him, "We're at Fourtrees. The sun is rising. It's time to go."

Suddenly, memories of the night returned to Oakheart. He had met Bluefur and they climbed one of the four great oaks together. Then, they returned to the ground and rested in the clearing, where they later fell asleep.

Grumbling, Oakheart stood and blinked. His eyes were still adjusting to the light. Bluefur stood as well, scrambling to her paws and gesturing to the forest. "It's time I go back."

"Okay," Oakheart absentmindedly nodded. His paws felt reluctant to move, but he slowly distanced himself from the blue-gray warrior and left Fourtrees behind him. He crossed the edge of ThunderClan territory to avoid the gorge and used the minimal light to navigate through the thorns. He squeezed under thickets and briars, soon arriving at the river that separated RiverClan from ThunderClan.

As Oakheart leaped into the river, a questioned flowed through his mind. When will I see Bluefur again? He tried to recall what she had said after the climbed one of the oaks. Her words soon came back to him. We'll meet at Sunningrocks in a moon.

Oakheart clambered out of the river, shaking out his pelt. He dashed through RiverClan territory, racing the rising sun to the camp. The reeds seemed to be leaning down further, drooping in front of the path and blocking his way. He clawed them and trampled past, hoping that he would be able to make it to his nest before any cat woke up.

Finally! Oakheart grinned as he saw the camp coming into view. However, before he could reach it, he skittered to a stop and dived into the nearest patch of vegetation. Someone is guarding the entrance!

Crouching down, Oakheart swiftly and silently crossed a path. He hid in the next patch of plants. He couldn't waste time waiting for the warrior to move away. If he did, the sun would rise, and a patrol would discover him. I need to sneak through the reeds around the camp.

The reed wall around the camp was perfect for keeping cats of other Clans away. It was dense, and the ground was covered in sticky mud. On top of that, the stream that surrounded the camp would deter enemy warriors. However, cats accustomed to the swampy environment could easily find their way in and out. Oakheart knew that this would be his safe way back into the camp.

Wasting no time, the reddish tom crept around a shrub and stepped over a broken log. He ducked down, using the old wood as cover to remain out of the guard's sight. Now, he was close enough to enter the tangle of reeds around the camp. He cautiously moved between them, careful not to make too much noise and wake the warriors.

Finally, with the reeds behind him, Oakheart slipped into the camp. Under the cover of the fleeting darkness, he was able to sneak into the warriors' den. However, as he entered, he was met with a peculiar sight. There he was, lying in his nest, twitching in his sleep.

Oakheart woke up with a jolt of surprise. He lifted his head and lowered his ears as he remembered the night he had spent with Bluefur. He continued to dream about it nearly every night, but he knew he could never get it back. It was over, and it had been over for a moon.

A moon! Oakheart stood to his paws. I'm meant to meet Bluefur at Sunningrocks before the sun rises! He squinted his eyes, relieved to see that the camp was still shrouded in the night. There's time for me to get there!

Leaving the den, the reddish-brown warrior headed for the entrance of the camp. He nearly stumbled over his own paws as he burst through the reeds. He didn't scent a guard, and he was lucky that Hailstar felt no need to assign one. The forest was peaceful, leaving ThunderClan's attack on WindClan far behind them.

As Oakheart grew further and further away from the camp, he allowed himself to move faster. He no longer had to worry about waking up the cats of RiverClan with the sound of reeds crunching under his paws. Using a narrow passage between small puddles of mud, he was able to reach Sunningrocks rather quickly.

"Oakheart!" A voice rang out from the first stone. Oakheart crossed the river and shook off his pelt, staying low. However, he quickly realized he shouldn't be wary of the voice. He recognized it.

Oakheart ran to Bluefur, nuzzling the she-cat before pulling away. She sounded so distressed when she called for me. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," Bluefur panted, as if she had sprinted to get to the rocks. "I have something to tell you!"