Conflagration [A Warrior Cats AU]

Chapter Eleven

"Okay, Stonefur. You lead a patrol with Whitefang, Petaldust and Leopardfur. Patrol the WindClan border."

Bluefur stood on the highrock, calling out the patrols. It had been a quarter moon since she was named the new deputy, and to be honest, she was loving it. She was enjoying assigning the patrols for the day and was excited for the full moon gathering tonight. 

Stonefur nodded and flicked with his tail for his patrol to follow him. Bluefur hardly noticed. She was so excited to see Thistleclaw's face when she was announced. Then she'd get revenge for all he did. She flexed her claws, a smirk on her face. 

Quickly she leapt down from the rock, shaking her fur and padding over to the warriors' den, the energy in her eyes to be washed away by concern. "Oakheart?" she murmured as she entered. Sympathy pierced her heart as she saw the warrior curled in a ball. She licked him between the ears, murmuring a quick 'love you' and leaving once more. She felt a little more downhearted than when she entered, but with determination in her expression, she narrowed her eyes and trotted out of camp.

Bluefur sat next to the river, closing her eyes. She sat there for a while, just listening to the river move. She rather enjoyed it, the calm noise and the sun warming her pelt. She leaned down once or twice to lap at the water or catch a fish or she would hop into the water to cool down, but other than that she didn't do much else. She half expected a ThunderClan patrol to jump out so she kept an ear pricked and alert, but there were no cats to be seen. She grew restless suddenly, her paws itching to run. So she did. There were no scent marks anywhere and no cats patrolling, and her paws were carrying her to ThunderClan camp. She paused at the entrance. There were cats like usual inside, but none of them noticed her. They all looked very unfamiliar. Am I that not used to ThunderClan cats? She thought disbelievingly. The Leader looked nothing like Sunstar. He was a dark brown tom with green eyes that scanned the camp. Then they rested on a she-cat walking out of the nursery with three kits who looked very familiar yet not.

"Who is the father of your kits?" The leader snarled. "Tell the truth!"

The familiar she-cat tried to reply, but before she could a brown she-cat with freckles on her face and back ran over, confusion in her eyes. "We know it's Birchface!" The freckled cat called out. "Why are you asking this?

The leader's eyes narrowed. "I want Mapleshade to tell the truth," he hissed quietly.

Bluefur's ears pricked. Mapleshade! That's who the familiar cat was. This must've been what had happened to her.

After a bit of talking, the freckled she-cat leapt onto Mapleshade with a yowl of rage. "What have you done?!" She yowled.

"Frecklewish, please!" Mapleshade whimpered. Frecklewish was pushed off by two cats, and Mapleshade listened, cringing, to Frecklewish's spitting words.

Mapleshade turned and left with her kits following, and Bluefur was suddenly at sunningrocks. Mapleshade and her kits were jumping to RiverClan's side while the river was flooded! Bluefur watched in horror as a kit slipped and fell. She leapt in after the kit and tried to grab her scruff, but went right through the kit. She paddled back up and took a big breath, making it to the RiverClan side and watching with terror as Mapleshade tried to save her drowning kits.

Then Bluefur found herself in RiverClan camp, with Mapleshade pleading for the RiverClan leader to let her in. A cream tom watched with a scowl and narrowed eyes. He explained himself and Mapleshade was forced to leave. Bluefur shut her eyes as over and over, every second, three dead cats flashed in her vision. A ThunderClan tom, Frecklewish and the RiverClan tom. Over and over, with the toms' throats torn out and Frecklewish being bitten by a snake.

Her eyes snapped open as the visions faded and she found herself face to face with Mapleshade, who looked so much older and more scarred. Mapleshade's eyes shone with insanity, driven mad by endless nights alone with her thoughts.

"Don't you agree none of that should have happened?" Mapleshade cackled. "Why did it happen to me, not you?! Imagine if it were your kits in that river!"

Bluefur had another vision that shot quickly and painfully into her head. Her kits drowning in the river, her getting kicked out of RiverClan, and her needing vengeance on the cats who betrayed her. Bluefur shook her head, realising her claws were sinking into the grass, ripping up pieces. She sheathed them again, glaring at Mapleshade. "Well-well it didn't!" She snarled. "Stop doing this to me!"

Mapleshade grinned. "You felt it. The need to kill cats who harmed your kits. You feel it at Thistleclaw, for killing Thrushpelt."

The horrible she-cat leaned in. "If you do manage to do it," she whispered. "I'll be the first to welcome you to the dark forest."

Bluefur's eyes widened in horror and her tail moved between her legs. Mapleshade was gone.

The Deputy of ThunderClan woke with a start next to the river. It was just a dream, she repeated in her mind. But she couldn't rid the cold feeling that Mapleshade was right.

She couldn't kill Thistleclaw. At least, not now.

--

Bluefur sat next to Hailstar as he announced the cats who would be going to the gathering, her ears pricked. She tried her hardest to forget the dream she had earlier that day and how it had ruffled her fur so much. Was she really anything like Mapleshade, a killer and a cat that resided in the dark forest?!

"Right," Hailstar grunted. "Let's go."

Bluefur snapped back to the present and nodded, following Hailstar and making sure the rest of the Clan was behind her. The cats chosen to go to the gathering quietly muttered among themselves. Bluefur glanced at Hailstar. "What are they talking about back there?"

Hailstar smiled. "Their own dramas, probably. I tend not to get too involved," he answered. Then he turned to the hollow with the fourtrees. He flicked his tail.

And the cats raced down into the gathering place.