Heart Of The Storm (A Warriors AU)

Chapter 6

Brambleblaze padded along the narrow alley, his ears twitching at every strange sound in the Twolegplace. The tall, hard walls on either side of them felt suffocating. The stale smell of the place clung to his fur, and his paws ached from walking on the stone paths. He cast a glance at Stormheart beside him, her fur bristling slightly, though she kept her eyes ahead. She hadn't said much since they’d entered Twolegplace, but Brambleblaze could feel the tension radiating from her. He understood—everyone was on edge.

Ahead of them, Redstar's tail flicked impatiently as he pressed them forward, his green eyes scanning the unfamiliar territory. "We need to move faster," Redstar growled under his breath, his frustration barely concealed. "We're wasting too much time. If we keep this pace, we'll never make it to the Lost Grove before something worse happens back home."

"We should be more cautious," Stormheart spoke up, her voice steady but firm. Brambleblaze felt a flicker of relief that she voiced what he had been thinking. "We don't know this place, and if we rush, we're going to get lost—or worse, ambushed."

Redstar whipped his head around, glaring at her. "If we stop every few paces to 'be cautious,' we'll never make any progress. We're not kittypets—this isn't a place for us to linger in."

Heronclaw, who had been keeping to himself, nodded silently in agreement with Redstar, his cold yellow eyes betraying nothing. Darkrain padded beside him, her black-and-white pelt blending into the shadows, clearly uninterested in anything beyond moving forward. The two of them had barely spoken to anyone since the journey started, and Brambleblaze couldn't tell if they were angry or just indifferent.

"I think Stormheart has a point," Ivystripe chimed in, stepping up from the back of the group. "We’re in a place none of us know. What if we run into something dangerous? What’s the point of getting to the Lost Grove if half of us don’t survive the journey?"

Redstar's fur bristled, and he rounded on Ivystripe. "Do you think this is a game? Our Clans are suffering—every moment we waste puts them in more danger. How can you act like everything's fine when you know what's at stake?"

"I’m not saying it’s fine," Ivystripe countered, her green eyes bright with frustration. "But rushing headlong into danger without thinking is going to get us killed. You can’t just push us forward without considering the risks!"

The air crackled with tension as the two stared each other down. Brambleblaze could feel the others shifting uneasily around him. Fallingleaf and Ripplestream exchanged a glance but kept their distance, clearly not interested in getting involved. Echosight and Songfern stayed close, their expressions tight with unease, though neither spoke up. Heronclaw looked as though he’d rather be anywhere else, and Darkrain’s eyes were narrowed, clearly irritated by the whole situation.

Before the argument could escalate, Brambleblaze’s ears perked up as he caught the sound of soft pawsteps from around the corner. He signaled with his tail for silence, and the group fell quiet. Moments later, a trio of well-fed, sleek-looking cats appeared from behind a pile of Twoleg rubbish. Their collars jingled slightly as they approached, their eyes gleaming with amusement.

“Well, well, well,” said the largest of the three, a gray tabby tom with white paws. “Clan cats lost in the maze of Twolegplace. Is this the part where we say 'get off our territory'?'” He let's out a mrrow of laughter.

Brambleblaze’s fur prickled. These must be kittypets. He knew of them, but it was his first time encountering them face-to-face. The tom was followed by a sleek tortoiseshell she-cat and a plump ginger tom, both of whom wore the same mocking expressions.

“We’re not lost,” Redstar growled, his tail flicking with irritation. “We’re passing through.”

“Passing through?” The gray tom chuckled. “You’re a long way from your precious forest. Where exactly are you trying to go?”