Conflagration [A Warrior Cats AU]

Chapter Fourteen

"Why am I here?!" Bluefur exclaimed, staring wide-eyed out of the den. She was a prisoner in ThunderClan's camp, and she had no idea how.

"Wow, my muscles ache," a voice huffed from outside. Whitestorm! Hopefully, he'd... no, he hated her now. He'd never let her go out. She looked at the guard. Redtail sat at the entrance of the den. He turned around and stared at Bluefur. "Shut up," he hissed through gritted teeth, eyes wide in panic. "We're having a meeting."

Bluefur strained to look outside at the meeting. She saw Sunstar, staring down at ThunderClan with anger in his eyes, and Thistleclaw looking up at him with a smirk. Her ears pricked and she was desperate to know what was going on. 

"What were you doing?!" Sunstar snarled. "Leading an attack on RiverClan and taking one of their warriors hostage?! What were you thinking, you bee-brain!"

Thistleclaw smoothed down some fur on his back. "I was thinking it was time for RiverClan to get what they deserved," he drawled. "After all, at least two of their warriors are traitors."

Bluefur scowled as Thistleclaw motioned with his head to the den she lay in. But she didn't dare move. Redtail leaned in, listening to every word intently. 

"Does this happen a lot?" Bluefur asked, half to herself.

Redtail nodded. "Sunstar and Thistleclaw have quite a few... disagreements. But they work together pretty great if they both agree on something!" He purred, adding quietly, "Which is extremely rare."

Bluefur didn't realise how much the deputy and leader didn't get on. Maybe she could've become the leader of ThunderClan if she just stayed. Shame crawled beneath her pelt. Now cats hated her.

A she-cat poked her head into the den. "I got you a mouse," Rosetail hissed. "Sunstar's orders, not my idea."

Bluefur caught the mouse as Rosetail flung it over, nodding to her gratefully. But she was already gone. She quietly listened to the argument as she ate, holding on to every word. Would she be let out?

Then she heard Sunstar hack and cough, and Featherwhisker run over to help him, stroking his back with his tail and asking Spottedleaf to get tansy. Why didn't they just use catmint?

"Well, Sunstar, my idea was that we could bargain with those fish-faces," Thistleclaw purred, examining his claws. 

Sunstar lapped up the tansy, then shakily got to his paws. "How so?" he rasped, looking disinterested.

Thistleclaw grinned. "There's no catmint on our territory, right? But there is on theirs. They probably have some in their den! So we could say we'll give back Bluefur if they give us catmint. It's perfect," he exclaimed.

Bluefur sniffed in annoyance. She was going to be bargained with, like prey? This didn't seem at all reasonable. But she held her tongue, just glaring at the ThunderClan deputy.

Thistleclaw could definitely feel the heat of her stare but chose to ignore it. "So?" He questioned with sparkling eyes. "What do you think?"

Sunstar was nodding slowly, to Bluefur's disappointment. "It could work. We have cats dying and this might be our last option," he sighed.

Thistleclaw's eyes were sparkling with excitement. "Perfect. I'll send a patrol-"

Sunstar shook his head. "No. I'll send a patrol with cats who didn't fight with RiverClan. Runningwind, Spottedleaf and Lionheart, come with me. No one else leaves. Rosetail, swap with Redtail. We'll be back soon."

Sunstar padded out of camp, stumbling once or twice but still making it up. Dread hollowed out Bluefur's stomach as Rosetail padded over and swapped places with Redtail.

"Hi-" Bluefur began.

"You're a prisoner," Rosetail snapped. "You don't talk."

Bluefur rested her chin on her paws, sighing. Her eyes widened as Rosetail's head turned. The she-cat's eyes were soft. 

"I missed you so much." Rosetail's voice was barely a whisper. "Why did you leave me?"

"I had to, StarClan told me to, and-"

"StarClan told you to?" Rosetail's voice was slightly mocking, and her tail was lashing. "What about me? Doesn't StarClan care about me?"

Bluefur sighed. "Yes, but-"

"You were my best friend, Bluefur!" Rosetail hissed.

"Yeah, tough, but I lost my mother and my sister and my best friend who left with me to RiverClan! He was killed by my former Clanmates!" Bluefur snapped, her eyes glistening with fury. "So you don't have it bad."

Rosetail recoiled, realising what she had said. She hung her head, not saying a word. Her claws tore at the grass. Bluefur watched the motion for StarClan knows how long. She didn't have anything better to do. 

"Sorry," Bluefur mumbled.

"Why are you sorry?" Rosetail asked, genuine surprise and curiosity in her tone. "I'm the one who should be sorry."

Moments passed.

"So?" Bluefur queried.

"What?"

"Are you sorry, then?" The RiverClan deputy joked.

Rosetail's whiskers twitched. "Yeah. Sorry for being a bee-brain," she meowed, hanging her head. Bluefur smiled. "It's okay."

Rosetail and Bluefur sat in silence, not saying a word to each other. Bluefur realised she felt homesick, even though she was in the place she was born. She sighed. "I wonder how it's going back in RiverClan," she murmured, half to herself.

"Are they nice there?" Rosetail asked with a smile.

"Extremely," Bluefur purred. "Oakheart's the best. I feel so bad for him because of Crookedjaw, but he's surviving fine. Mossdapple is so smart and gentle and such a talented medicine cat. Mistyfoot is my little diplomat, she keeps rash Stonefur in check, but Stonefur is so strong and brave and nothing scares him. If I'm ever worried, I can go to Hailstar and he's really supportive. He's so kind, they all are, and..."

Bluefur shut her mouth apologetically. "I'm sorry. I was rambling. But the truth is when I joined I never thought I'd be respected. And here I am now, Deputy of RiverClan," she purred weakly.

"I think the patrol is back," Rosetail murmured, sitting up straight. "Soon you'll be going back home! Back to RiverClan, with your kits and your mate and kind Hailstar and..."

Bluefur flinched. Was that bitterness in her voice?

Rosetail shrugged. "It sounds nice there. But do you really eat fish?"

Bluefur chuckled. "It's good. You should try it!"

"Ewww!" Rosetail purred. Bluefur smiled. She would be home, and she was on good terms with Rosetail. Being back in ThunderClan made her realise how much she loved her home back in RiverClan.

And soon I'll be back with my kin, she reflected with a purr. Away from Thistleclaw.