Warriors - Burnt Skies

Chapter 29

"What's the last thing you remember?" Dawnbreeze asked patiently, sitting next to Blizzardfrost with her tail curled neatly over her paws.

It was the next day, and Blizzardfrost seemed no close to remembering what had happened than yesterday.

"I remember... A trout," Blizzardfrost eventually meowed, shifting in his nest slightly.

"Was there anything significant about this trout?" Dawnbreeze asked.

"Of course there wasn't! It was a fish!" Blizzardfrost snapped, then sighed. "I remember picking it up to go back to camp. That's it."

Dawnbreeze tilted her head. "So... Snow asked you to go fishing with him?"

Blizzardfrost shrugged. "Look, I don't know. Okay?"

"That's alright. You'll remember eventually," Dawnbreeze meowed brightly. "Anyway, you should probably get some rest."

Blizzardfrost narrowed his eyes. "Don't treat me like a kit."

Dawnbreeze rolled her eyes. "I'm treating you like a cat who got brutally attacked by something and nearly died. So get some rest."

Blizzardfrost scowled before curling up, and Dawnbreeze shook her head before turning to Nightstorm.

"Honestly, toms," she muttered, trotting out of the den.

Nightstorm followed, holding in a laugh. "That's Blizzardfrost for you."

Dawnbreeze smiled, leaning down to pick up a squirrel from the fresh kill pile. "Do you want to share-"

She was cut off as Tigerflame burst into camp, the two apprentices following in her wake.

"Nightstorm!" She shouted, looking around the camp before the tortoiseshell she cat's gaze landed on her.

Tigerflame bounded over with a panicked look in her eyes, fur dishevelled.

"Rogues...Border ... Threat," she huffed, trying to catch her breath.

"Wait, what?" Nightstorm asked. "Slow down, I can't understand you."

"There is a group of rogues setting up a territory next to ours. The problem is.. well, I..." For once, the she cat seemed to be struggling for words. "I know them. They were a part of my old group."

Nightstorm sighed. "And let me guess, they can't be trusted?"

Tigerflame nodded.

Hazelpaw bounced excitedly from where she had snuck over, next to Tigerflame. "Ooo, does that mean we get to battle!?"

Nightstorm narrowed her eyes. "The prospect of battle is not an exciting one, Hazelpaw, especially not with a group of rogues. They have no code, no morals, and they don't hesitate to kill."

"Okay, okay, calm down. What have rogues ever done to you, anyway?" Hazelpaw asked in an annoyingly arrogant tone.

"They killed my parents."

There was an awkward silence.

"Anyway, my point is, I doubt these rogues are any different, considering that they come from Tigerflame's old group." Nightstorm shook out her pelt. "I'll go and wait on the border to find out their intentions."

Tigerflame frowned. "Are you sure about that? I just said that they aren't trustworthy."

Nightstorm sighed. "I know, but if they're staying in their own territory, then they probably aren't looking to start a fight just yet. It's best to find out their intentions now then later."

Dawnbreeze nodded. "Nightstorm's probably right. But you can't go on your own; take someone with you."

Tigerflame sighed. "Emberheart and Shadowstrike are out hunting, Blizzardfrost is in the medicine den, the apprentices are too young... I'll go."

"You sure? I thought you said they were from your old group," Nightstorm checked.

Tigerflame huffed. "I know. But hopefully they'll have broken off from it, like me, and we can find some common ground. Besides, if it comes to a fight, I know all of their weak points."

The grin the large she cat gave afterwards caused Nightstorm to shiver.

"Absolutely not. If you get into a fight, you run," Dawnbreeze meowed firmly, looking them both hard in the eye. "If you two get injured, there's only two warriors and two apprentices left to hunt."

Tigerflame scowled. "Fine."

Nightstorm followed the tortoiseshell out of camp, meowing a quick 'goodbye' to Dawnbreeze over her shoulder. If she was being honest, she didn't know what she would do if she got into a fight. Dawnbreeze raised a good point in favour of fleeing, but it would also make them look weak and the rogues would be more likely to attack sooner rather than later. However, if they fought, a show of strength would put the rogues in their place.

"Hellof, youf two!" She was brought out of her musings by a cheery, if somewhat muffled, greeting from Emberheart, who held a bird in his mouth.

Shadowstrike was next to him, holding a mouse.

"I thought you were meant to be training the apprentices, Tigerflame," Shadowstrike asked, dropping her mouse to the ground.

"We got... Sidetracked." Tigerflame glanced at Nightstorm, waiting for her to explain the situation.

"There's some rogues setting up on the border and we're going to find out their intentions. If you want all the details, talk to either the apprentices or Dawnbreeze," Nightstorm explained.

"Wellf, mayfe they'rfe frienly rogues," Emberheart meowed optimistically, still clutching the bird in his mouth.

"Do you want me to come with you? I can wait behind a bush or something, just in case you need some backup?" Shadowstrike offered, unsheathing her claws.

Nightstorm nodded. "Yes, thank you."

Shadowstrike nudged her mouse over to Emberheart. "You can take that back to camp."

Emberheart nodded, bending down to try and grab the mouse as well. "Goofl luck!"

Nightstorm and Tigerflame continued on their way through the trees, Shadowstrike following behind them. Tigerflame gave a bit more detail to Shadowstrike on the way.

"So... You know them? And they're not going to be nice neighbours?" Shadowstrike summarised.

Tigerflame nodded.

"Splendid."

They came to a halt at the border. Shadowstrike nodded to them both.

"Good luck." The dark she cat meowed, before melting into the shadows.

"I guess now we just wai-" Nightstorm was cut off as pawsteps sounded from the other side of the border.

"Well, we didn't have to wait long," Tigerflame muttered under her breath.

Nightstorm stood to her full height, raising her tail. "Whoever you are, come out, and state your business."

A ginger tom padded out from behind the trees, green eyes glowing. He stopped short when he realised who it was.

Tigerflame's and Nightstorm's mouths simultaneously fell open.

"You was that tom who kept us trapped in Twolegplace!" Nightstorm growled, unsheathing her claws.

"Snarl!?" Tigerflame exclaimed. "What in the name of the stars are you doing here?"

"Woah, hold on. You-" he pointed a claw at Nightstorm. "-caused me to get kicked out of the group. And, Tiger, you gave me hell as a kit. So give me one reason why I shouldn't shred your pelts where you stand."

"Because I say so."