What If? (A Leafpool&Crowfeather Story)

The Messengers

"What do you think you're doing on our territory, mouse-brains?" Hissed Patchfur, threat etching deep into his voice. Rosestar crouched low, her pelt bristling, ready for attack. "I can't believe they'd actually train that burr-brained tom." Muttered a pale grey she-cat to another cat. He had brown fur with amber eyes- claws that were long and sharp. "We are here to see Leafpool and Crowfeather!" The brown tabby spoke up, his temper so obviously rising. His amber eyes hardened threateningly. "Please let us through." He demanded. When the sat, unmoved, he shoved them out of the way and stalked straight into their camp. Rosestar gave her companion a confused look. The tom and she-cat looked around. "Crowfeather!" Called the grey cat anxiously. "Leafpool!" The brown tabby tom called. They came hustling from their dens. "Ashfoot! Oh, Brambleclaw! I'm so glad to see you!" Leafpool greeted the two joyously. Crowfeather dipped his head. "Hello, Brambleclaw, Ashfoot." He spoke with deep respect to his former Clan deputy, Ashfoot. "We have come with a message." Ashfoot's brow furrowed nervously. Brambleclaw continued in a worried, impetuous fashion. "There is a new group of cats in our forest. They call themselves: Tribe of the Sharp Talons of an Owl. Long don't you think? Well, they are taking over. ShadowClan has finall joined the good side, at last... But we are being kicked out of our own rightful home! You must help us. They come to our gatherings, have their own territory that they made us give them... They force us to give, act kind and normal... But when they want something... It's scary. You must help us." Leafpool looked terrified, and Crowfeather's eyes were huge with shock. "What? Who are these cats?" Quizzed Rosestar.

**********NEXT MORNING**********

"The cats that are going are:

Myself

Crowfeather

Leafpool

Blackstride

Nightstream

Moonshadow

Patchfur

Iceriver

Because I will be gone by tomorrow on this mission, I must choose a deputy! For this I will be assessing a few of you. Birchheart, Rheedwhisker and Dawnstreak. Please meet me by the stream. Shellheart, Dovesong, Lightcloud. Come." Rosestar assigned the six cats to teams of two, first. Shellheart with Dawnstreak, Lightcloud with Rheedwhisker, and Dovesong with Birchheart. The activity was to be the first cat to reach the other side of the stream without getting wet. They also had to carry a stick across and pass it to the other cat who'd be at the other side already. If the stick was dropped, paws would be wettened.

This challenge was quickly won by Birchheart and Dovesong, though they were tailed closely by Lightcloud and Rheedwhisker. Dawnstreak had accidentally dropped the stick out of carelessness, and she had reiterated many curses in a low, angry tone for minutes afterwards.

The second challenge was split into teams:

TEAM ONE= Dawnstreak, Lightcloud, Birchheart

TEAM TWO= Shellheart, Rheedwhisker, Dovesong

The team had to float a feather down the stream to the next cat, a foot away and then the next. The last cat had to race to a tree, climb it and place it on a certain branch and stick it into the sap there. The other two had to defend the cat.

Shellheart was the last one at the stream so he would climb up the tree with the feather. So would Lightcloud, his littermate. Dovesong and Birchheart swished the feather down the stream swiftly, but Dovesong's feather stuck to her dampened tail at first. A bad start already, but Dawnstreak looked confused about the feather's direction, Dovesong worked out, so maybe they still had a good chance? As it reached Shellheart, he sprinted out of the stream, feather between the jaws and tried to dodge Birchheart and Dawnstreak. It was not easy. However, his team helped him along. Dovesong battered Dawnstreaks legs, tripping her up. Rheedwhisker shoved Birchheart down again and again. They put up a fight though. Birchheart would sometimes trick the black tom and roll just as he started to shove- and hit the ground where Birchheart would've been. Dawnstreak did not do so well. She simply tried to weave in and out. Sometimes she would run in and trip her opponent, though. Lightcloud and Shellheart raced up the tree to one of the highest, stickiest (with sap) branches on the tree. Lightcloud was at least three feet higher, but Shellheart was faster than his sister, stronger, too. Lightcloud was still fiercely competetive, and she did not give in as easily as her brother sometimes did- so she pushed her muscles forward, even though the pain that ached through her back legs was hurting her terribly. The tree was very high, and neither of the siblings wanted to fall and get injured, nor die by a snapped neck. Lightcloud reached the sap-covered branch first by half of a fox-length. Shellheart congratulated her, for he was not at all a sore loser. They made their way down very carefully, and much, much, much slower than the race up.

The very last challenge was a small battle. Three cats would try to sneak into the camp. The others would have to defend their home.  The thing was, the cats that were attacking the camp needed to retrieve a piece of prey from the prey pile and bring it back outside. If they did this, they'd win. If the defendants were able to get a piece of prey from them- they'd set everything up- they would win! But, if you were battling and somebody surrendered, they'd have to retire from the challenge and just watch. By now it was late afternoon, and the blood-red sun was descending, only it's tip peeking over the purple and grey mountaintops. The six cats would have to work in the dark.

TEAM ONE: Dovesong, Shellheart, and Birchheart   (attacking)                                                                               

 TEAM TWO: Lightcloud, Dawnstreak, and Rheedwhisker (defending)

Dovesong silently crept into the camp through a small gap in a bush, checking the scent around her. The wind worked with her team's plan perfectly. Shellheart would guard the prey ( a robin) from the required five tail-lengths away, and Birchheart would enter from a spot behind the medicine den. The other cats were all outside watching. (So as not to give anything away.) Lightcloud was guarding their piece of prey- a fat vole. Rheedwhisker was at the main entrance, and Dawnstreak was patrolling the camp's perimeter. Dawnstreak sniffed. Was that... An intruder? Oh yes. She rooted Dovesong out quickly. Dovesong, seeing that she was probably 'dead' led the other she-cat on a wild chase- a distraction in the hopes that Birchheart might have a chance of getting the vole. Meanwhile, Rheedwhisker kept a lookout. Finally, he went for the prey. He confronted
Shellheart with a yowl and bowled over him. He grasped the feathery robin, but Shellheart instinctively snarled and batted it away. The young cat pinned Rheedwhisker down, growling in his face. He kicked at Shellheart, but to no avail. "I surrender!" He growled after a minute of kicking and batting. "Nice try, mouse-heart." Teased Shellheart, a touch of pride and athaurity in his voice. A snarl rumbled from Rheedwhisker's chest, and he was unable to control the anger in it.Meanwhile, Dovesong and Dawnstreak were locked in battle. "Help me, Lightcloud!" Shrieked Dawnstreak between her growls. Lightcloud ran over to tug them apart. Dovesong was fighting two against one. "This isn't fair!" She wailed. She smacked Dawnstreak good and hard over the nose. "Alright, I surrender!" She snapped after recovering from the blow. Lightcloud was all alone now. So she had to run for it and get through Dovesong's strength, too? Lightcloud shoved the other she-cat as hard as she could. Dovesong gasped at the impact, stumbling. Lightcloud reacted quick as lightening, pinning her oppenent down like a hindering fly. "I surrender." Dovesong mewed calmly. Lightcloud had pinned her under a bramble thicket, and she was standing over her, one paw on her  throat, one paw high in the air, ready for a good stomach blow. She was smart enough not to take it. Lightcloud and Birchheart ran at the same time. But the she-cat had forgotten about Shellheart. When he saw, her he roared with anger. The two tumbled toward the stream. Shellheart held his littermate in the cold, moving water, growling through her matted fur, pressing a strong paw to her chest, holding her down. She struggled hard, putting up a losing fight however. Lightcloud gave up after Birchheart ran through the camp entrance with the prey.

Rosestar looked quite impressed with the 'show'. "A very interesting performance!" She purred. "I will decide and let you know of my choice befor the moon rises, as a customary Clan tradition." She  and the others reentered their home, more excited and energetic than usual nights, of course.

"Cats of FireClan! Please gather under the Reflecting Ledge! I have decided who the new, first Clan deputy in this Clan will be." She waited anxiously for the cats to appear. (All of them, that is...)

"StarClan hear of and approve my choice, the new FireClan deputy will be Birchheart!"