𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘴: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 (BOOK 1) (ROS)

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 7

At the barn, Red'fang invited the rogue in so she could rest, Blaze'light and Copper didn't mind. The she-cat was indeed aggressive, but she was slowly calming herself, realizing that the group was nothing more but exiled cats.

Ethel was skeptical. She wasn't just suspicious of this newcomer, but she felt that he had found something that he wasn't supposed to know until later. When Blaze'light came back, he panicked that he had lost Red'fang to the clans until he was hushed by Ethel."Calm down!" The she-cat hissed, gesturing her paws on the second floor.

Blaze'light was surprised, Red'fang had come back with another cat. And it looked like he was tending Black'jade's wounds using the techniques that Ethel taught him. "When did he come back?" Blaze'light looks at Ethel. Copper was sleeping on top of the hay pile.

"Earlier." Ethel said. "She looked like a mess." Her eyes then wander at Red'fang, and then at Blaze'light, her eyes appeared to be concerned. Blaze'light noticed this and asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes." Ethel nodded. "I am fine. It's just a lot going on in my mind."

Blaze'light nodded. He set the prey on the ground and stretched his body. "If you ever need me, shake and scream at me."

Ethel blinked slowly, and her tail slowly swished back and forth. She purred at Blaze'light. "Good night, sweets."

Blaze'light then went up to the second floor and slept on the shelves. Ethel still watched Red'fang gently rubbing the poultice over the rogue's wounds. She has been teaching him well about the herbs, but it would be unnatural to ever see him become a medicine cat. He was always seen as a warrior in Ethel's eyes. He just downplays himself often.

Ethel decided to make a note on leaving the barn without notice. She needed to know what took Red'fang so long enough to come back, and it wasn't because of the rogue. She hears that Copper was beginning to wake up, his eyes almost closed shut from the boogers and other things. Ethel made sure to approach him softly so nothing could startle him.

"Copper, my love," She began. "You should go on and rest near Blaze'light and Red'fang."

Copper murmured, but in the end, he gives his partner a lick on the forehead. His voice, sounding like a masculine, elderly two-leg. "Yes, yes. I'll go and rest." His tone soft sounding, like a song. As he climbed onto the wooden latter on the other side of the barn. Ethel quietly makes her way out from the barn. Her eyes focused on Copper. And when he makes up to the second floor, she then runs out of the barn into the darkening night. She mutters something under her maw.

Bloom'moss appeared from Ethel's whispers of command. She stood to watch the old tom, as her job is to keep the farm safe at all times.

Black'jade lies on her side. She was purring in a coping manner. But the pains on her body burned, like the burning ashes from a freshly lit fire. The scars did relax when Red'fang used the poultice on her, his paws patching up the bloody scars with a wet moss. The tom was interested in this she-cat. He wanted to conversate with her, but he didn't know how he could start a one with someone who could slaughter him in seconds.

"Does it hurt?" The tom spoke, his paws on her body. "Not anymore." The rogue answered. She was very dull with her words. Her voice and delivery had in common with Red'fang's also.

"Good." Red'fang nodded slowly. "And again, I can't let you bleed out like that. I can't be that fox-hearted to leave you with infections." The tom then softly pressed on her thigh, and her hind leg. "Are your legs moving well?"

Black'jade moved her front legs, and her back legs, they were sore, but not detrimental. "Sore." Says the she-cat.

"You just need some rest." Red'fang ordered. "Can you do that for me?"

Black'jade stares at him. She nodded.

Red'fang sighed, staring back at her. There was a feeling that he didn't want to leave her. He could relate that being alone with your thoughts wasn't fun. Especially in hard situations. "Hey." The tom spoke. "You can talk if you want. You're quieter than a rabbit's footsteps."

Black'jade looks away. She was still afraid. There had to be a reason. Red'fang was worried if he was giving too much pressure on her.

The rogue began speaking. "I don't mind your presence." She speaks. The tom became astonished by the fact that she was allowing his existence. He sits down but not too close to her. "I thought I had told you my name earlier, but I'm Red'fang. It is important to introduce myself, otherwise you'll call me by some... pathetic nickname. "He looks away. Black'jade tilts her head, she was inspecting the tom from top to bottom. And noticed a marking on his front right arm that looked to be a sun. She didn't say anything yet. "A nickname?" The she-cat looks at him. "That is odd."

"Very odd, I know some horrendous nicknames given to me, like Fangy. What kind of name is that?" Red'fang scoffed. The rogue was slightly amused by his small rant. "If you want, you can call me Jade." She offered. Red'fang was surprised that she was giving him her nickname that could've been personal to her. "You don't mind?" He asks, just to make sure. Jade rolled her eyes, before lowering her head and lying on the ground with her bottom jaw. "Black'jade is a weird name. It would've made sense if my eyes were green, but that's the least of my worries." She muttered, now gazing on Red'fang. His height slightly intimidated her a little.

The tom was feeling used to Jade's presence. He moves to sit down right beside her, his tail keeping her warm from the cold front that occurred outside. "I feel honored." He spoke sarcastically. "If that's what you want me to call you, I won't fight over it, Jade." He tested the name out for himself. He sees the comfort in her being here, he wouldn't mind having her as a new member of the barn.

Jade was feeling the same, but she couldn't forgive herself for the way she acted when they first met. "I do have to apologize for what had happened yesterday." She stated. Red'fang shook his head. "I can understand, you were probably running from something out of fear, hm?" He asked curiously, the she-cat nodded, lowering her head out of shame. She could hear someone yelling at her for running away, when she could've possibly had the chance of her own peace.

"I am finding trouble of what my fate will be from time to time." She explains. "I was called for a prophecy that was given to me." Jade was feeling uncertain of what she can truly believe, this sparked Red'fang's curiosity. "What was the prophecy given to you?"

"One will choose a path of vengeance or become the bringer of the moon's light." She stated. It felt ominous to know that StarClan had chosen her, out of all places. "It feels like I've been given a test." her voice became tense out of annoyance and stress. "I've come to the shrine to realize my purpose."

Red'fang understood what she had to endure, but that made him wonder about the shrine as well. "Leave the past of vengeance." He stated. "You should heal those wounds before it could bleed onto anyone else. You'll find purpose somewhere in life that brings you peace." His tone ended off in a soft note, despite his straightforwardness.

This was unnatural for Red'fang to leave some advice for others.

He can feel the struggle of going back to bad habits, he wandered if CavernClan was really the place to find happiness.

Jade looked like she needed someone. He wasn't going to leave her alone, not after he had healed her physical wounds. This gave a slight reminder of the time with his own brother.

"Maybe." Jade says, sighing as she lowers her head onto the ground, tiredly.

That was probably the best advice I've ever had... She thought.

It was late at night, so the two needed some sleep. The she-cat closes her eyes. She was grateful for letting Red'fang treat her wounds, even when the two didn't have any good interactions at first.

Red'fang was glad that Jade could at least get some shuteye. It had been a long time since he had had some proper sleep anyway.

But before he could close his eyes, he feels a stinging sensation on his right front arm, his eyes grew wide to know that a sun marking had appeared on his arm, similar to the shrine that he had saw earlier.