the stars aligned | 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Chapter 9

Soft light filtered in through the mouth of the den, warming the pelts of the cats inside. Echo blinked open her eyes and sat up to stretch, yawning and noting the slight chill in the air.

She hadn't dreamt last night. No claws and blood and yowling cats by the edge of the gorge stalked in her mind. Maybe her vision wouldn't come true? Perhaps her mind was mistaken; but there was a sinking feeling in her stomach that told her it wasn't.

Echo padded cautiously out of the den, excitement tingling in her paws despite her gloomy mood moments before. She was at the Clans! She sat down and surveyed the camp, using her paws to groom herself quickly. The clearing was mostly empty, apart from a small group of warriors heading out of camp and Dappleshine, who was sitting near Tenchstar's den and watching them leave. Echo guessed it wouldn't be until the sun fully rose that all the RiverClan cats woke up.

The spot where the Clan's prey had been yesterday was empty, and Echo's belly rumbled in hunger. Would anyone mind if she went out hunting? She wasn't sure if that was rude or not, to hunt without any RiverClan cats to escort her.

She heard a rustling noise to her left and flicked her head sideways to the den a few tail-lengths away from the one the loners were staying in. Rainclaw slid out, his dark grey-blue pelt fluffed up at the morning chill. He was followed by a few other warriors who sat down to groom themselves before gathering around Dappleshine at the other side of camp.

"Morning!" Rainclaw called out to her. He stretched and padded over to sit beside her at the mouth of the loner's den.

"Good morning," Echo meowed back, curling her tail over her paws. She hoped a patrol would come back with some fresh-kill soon.

Rainclaw noticed her eying the where the fresh-kill pile was and purred. "Do you want to come hunting?" he asked. "We could join a patrol."

"Yes, please," Echo answered, leaping to her paws. She was exited to go hunting with the Clan cats. It was one step closer to joining RiverClan, after all, and gave her an opportunity to get to know them and explore the territory.

"I can give you a tour of RiverClan too," the grey-blue tom added, as if reading her thoughts. "Let's go ask Dappleshine — as the deputy, she organises the day's border and hunting patrols each morning."

Echo sprang after him, exitement giving her more energy. They joined the cats standing around Dappleshine, ears pricked and mouths closed as they listened to the calico molly give out orders.

"Reedheart, you can lead the sunhigh patrol with Carpblossom and Briarpool," the deputy was calling. "Walk along the ThunderClan border and check Sunningrocks — it's suspicious that they haven't tried to take it back yet."

The group of cats nodded to her and padded away. Echo watched them go with wide eyes. Were the Clans fighting over...rocks? She shook her head and focused her attention back on Dappleshine.

"Hazelstep, you can lead a hunting patrol," Dappleshine ordered, flicking her tail at a tortoiseshell molly, who nodded in response. "Take Fennelpaw. Take whichever cats you wish." The deputy lifted her amber eyes to gaze over the group, as if assessing which cats should be assigned to what task.

Hazelstep ran over to another den and stuck her head inside, then emerged a heartbeat later with a dark ginger tabby tom at her heels. Rainclaw flicked his tail for Echo to follow and padded over to greet them.

"May we join your patrol?" he asked, one ear flicking in Echo's direction. Hazelstep's sage eyes glanced at her uncertainly but she nodded anyway.

"Of course," she meowed. "I was thinking near the beech copse — Ripplesong's patrol is already fishing."

Rainclaw nodded in response, and the four cats headed out of camp. Echo was glad there was stepping stones this time — the water had gone down. She jumped across them with ease, mimicking Rainclaw's short leaps.

The RiverClan cats took off as soon as they were on dry land, bounding ahead through the marshy area onto the moorland. Echo's paws skimmed the ground as she races after them, gazing at the territory with wide eyes. There was so much more open space for hunting than at the abandoned Twoleg den, and the river curved through the ground like a silver snake. She could see cats fishing a little way off, diving down under the water.

Hazelstep skidded to a stop suddenly, and the others halted behind her. A little way head of them was the beech copse, in a sandy clearing. The sun was up now, and there was a couple of cats in the clearing, sparring.

"Mentors training apprentices," Rainclaw explained in her ear. "That's Whitewhisker and Shimmerpaw."

Echo nodded. "Clan life is so interesting."

"It's that, all right," the dark tom agreed. "Come hunt on the other side of the copse with me." He padded silently away, with Echo following.

Rainclaw dropped into a crouch when they reached their chosen hunting spot. Hazelstep and Fennelpaw were a little way away, stalking something. She turned her attention back to the land around her.

Moving away from Rainclaw, she spotted a chaffinch pecking at the ground. Echo began to creep forwards, keeping her belly fur and tail off the ground, the way she'd been taught. She gripped the ground and pulled herself forward, eyes fixed on the bird. It hadn't noticed her. One step, two step...now!

She sprang forward and realised she'd miscalculated, landing a paw step in front of the bird. With a cry, it launched into the air, trying to get away. Echo bunched her muscles and leapt at it, catching it in her forepaws as she batted it out of the sky and jumped down to finish it with a killing bite.

Satisfied, she picked up the chaffinch and brought it back to the beech copse, where Rainclaw was waiting with a rabbit.

"Great catch!" he praised. "We don't usually eat bird, but your group will enjoy it."

"You don't eat birds?" Echo wondered aloud, surprised.

Rainclaw shrugged. "Only in leaf-bare. We mainly stick to fish."

Curiosity bubbled inside her. What kind of cats were selective about the prey they caught? Claire had never mentioned them only eating fish.

Hazelstep appeared with Fennelpaw by her side, both carrying fresh-kill. Echo picked up her bird and followed them as they headed back to camp, the sun now risen to it's highest point. As Echo and Rainclaw entered their way into the RiverClan camp, a patrol pushed past them. Echo noticed Stormleap at the back of the group. He hissed at her as she passed him, and dove into the river.

"Sorry about him," Rainclaw apologised for his brother. "He's just worried about the Clan's safety."

Echo wasn't so sure, but she nodded and stayed silent. And image of claws raking her throat gripped her mind — a blue-grey tom, a pool of blood at the edge of a gorge. Was it Stormleap? She highly doubted it was Rainclaw.

Echo brought her prey over to the loners, who were gathered outside their assigned den. They didn't comment on her disappearance, instead tucking into the bird she offered them. She dashed back to the prey pile and chose a mouse for herself. Glad to be finally eating, she lay down beside Aquarius and tore out a mouthful of flesh.

A flash of green eyes caught her attention. Tenchstar was watching them from the mouth of his den, his eyes narrowed slightly. He made eye contact with Echo and looked away, fur fluffed up in embarrassment.

Echo looked around the camp and noticed a few more narrow-eyed glances from the RiverClan cats. She also noticed the small group of playing kits were being safely kept close to the nursery.

Does RiverClan not want us here?