Life Moves On

   Recently their loner friend, Rowan, had decided to join the Colony cats as ‘Rowanblaze’. It left the Scorched cats feeling a little uneasy knowing that a companion of theirs had left them for good. Much like how Blossompool had left his mother and clan to stay with the Colony as well. But Fernpool felt alone with Thornkit and Emberkit’s apprentice ceremony coming up soon. Seeing as how she was their surrogate mother due to Goldendew’s passing. 

   She was alone with Alderstar in the forest one evening just to spend time as friends. But as the night went on, she expressed how lonely she was without Honeywasp, a warrior from the Colony who she had a short affair with that lead to Blossompool being born. Alderstar and a few select others knew of this, while others had suspicions. The night went on as they spoke together and Alderstar confessed his love for her, but she was hesitant at first thing of Honeywasp who demanded she join him in the colony but inevitably left her due to her loyalty to the Scorched cats. 

   But she ended up putting those feelings aside feeling that Alderstar was a better fit for her. They spent a lot of time together afterwards not making a huge deal about their relationship. It wasn’t long after when she found she was expecting kits and grew nervous. Seeing as how Alderstar would announce this at the gathering, she requested the assistance of the Schorch deputy, Jackdaw, to keep an eye on her son, Blossompool if he was there. She was curious to know if he’d be upset that his mother was expecting kits soon. The tom agreed and a few of the cats left for the gathering. 

   When they arrived, Jackdaw met up with his close friend, Featherfrost from the colony. Jackdaw also got to see Rowanblaze for the first time as a warrior of the Colony and it was a tad uncomfortable for him. But it’s a weirdness that would fade with time. The clans waited for the classic cats to arrive, they never did. So the gathering began with Alderstar on the right side of the tree, adjacent to Mistypelt and Grassfeather, who were the leaders the Colony. Bellow the tree’s branches where the leaders sat, were Jackdaw and Mintdapple, the heir in training for the Colony who was acting as the deputy. 

   During the announcements, Alderstar shares the news of Fernpool and Jackdaw eyes the crowd. Blossompool has a look of discomfort on his face. Jackdaw squints at him knowing the tom won’t notice. But something else catches his attention, he notices movement within the back row of the crowd. A Golden tom slithers his way around the back and leaves the gathering early. Sensing trouble, Jackdaw starts to follow him with Featherfrost right behind him knowing he might get into trouble. A slight commotion flutters through the crowd as 3 cats leave. Mintdapple looks up at his leaders, and Mistypelt signals him to follow them with a nod, and the tom let’s himself out. 

   Jackdaw tracks the tom with Featherfrost at his side trying to understand what’s going on. As they enter the Scorched boarders, Featherfrost questions why Honeywasp would be headed for the heart of the Scorched territory. It’s not long after when Jackdaw spots the large tom at the entrance of the nursery. He charges the tom fearing the worse for Fernpool. The cats have a loud scuffle that wakes the rest of the clan Featherfrost begs the cats to stop fighting to no avail. Mintdapple runs into camp and hesitates not knowing how to stop the situation. A few seconds later, Alderstar storms into camp to rescue his deputy. Honeywasp throws off Jackdaw, the gray cats tumbles off falling unconscious as blood races down his neck. Mintdapple rushes out of the camp without a word.

   Alderstar, fearing his deputy is dead fight, even harder against the the large tom. But after a short scuffle, Honeywasp pins down the leader, and bites his neck. Killing him instantly. There’s a few seconds of pause, the clan looks on in horror as their leader is dead and the deputy is unconscious. Honeywasp looks around, visibly stressed and rushes out of camp towards the Colony, but not before glaring at Fernpool for a final time. 

   Bugwhisper yells at the clan to get their heads out of the clouds as he rushes towards Jackdaw. Featherfrost is by his side when Bugwhisper reaches them. She Questions why he doesn’t go help Alderstar first but he reminds her that he’s dead for the time being and there’s nothing he can do to help him, and that it up to the surveyors and Alderstar himself if he comes back. He glances at Featherfrost suspiciously, wondering why she’s even here, but the visible distress on her face for the unconscious Jackdaw leaves him to hold his tongue for now and instructs her to place pressure on the tom’s wounds as he quickly goes over to Alderstar and moves his body into the medicine cat’s den. 

   Not long after, Mintdapple returns with Grassfeather and Blossompool. Grassfeather looks on in horror at the aftermath of the scuffle. Blossompool walks over to Bugwhisper hesitantly to offer his services. Bugwhisper glares at the tom, but is secretly relieved that he’s here to help. He instructs Blossompool to go to his den and help Alderstar in anyway he can while they hesitantly wait for his return. Grassfeather instructs Mintdapple to track down Honeywasp and return him to the Colony camp to await for Grassfeather’s return. Mintdapple nods and leaves the territory.  

— — —

   Alderstar wakes up in a haze, but he’s not home. He feels somewhere familiar but he can’t put his paw on it. He’s dressed in a white cloak with a crown of twigs on his head. He wore this only once before, when he received his lives. He looks around and he realizes he’s on a hilltop with a cave entrance. A soft familiar voice catches his attention, “Hey Alder, took you long enough. I thought you were going to hold onto that life forever.” Alder turns to see his sister, Roseclaw. “What happened? Where-“ “Are you?” Roseclaw interrupted. “Look Alder, remember when Breezetail took you up here to receive your 3 lives?” “Yeah, and he had to kill me in order for me to receive them?” Alderstar added bluntly. 

   “Well how else are we supposed to judge your worth and give you your lives with you alive and shit? Only dead cats can see surveyors. Besides, Breezetail isn’t happy about having to do it. And you agreed to it anyways. It doesn’t matter now. Anyhow, you entered the cave a few feet bellow, that’s where this entrance cave leads too, it’s the tunnel between worlds.” Roseclaw gestured towards the cave entrance. Alderstar started to remember him dying in the cave, and emerging through the entrance as 3 cats who he once knew, gave him 3 lives. “And I gave you the first one, and I get to judge whether or not you can return home. And after that, I’ll still be surveying you and the Scorched cats. But you won’t see me again until you use your final life.” Roseclaw reminded him. 

   Alderstar sighed, “I know Roseclaw. But what happened? I remember fighting Honeywasp and… HOLY STARDUST, IS FERNPOOL OK?” He yelled as his back twitched as tension flooded his body. “Relax hairball, she’s ok, and so are the kits. Congrats on that by the way. I’m glad you finally managed to find someone after so long.” the rose molly teased. Alderstar blushed in embarrassment. The two cats headed for the ledge to overlook the vast forest with the clans bellow. “When do you think I’ll go back? Will it hurt?” Aldrstar asked after a few moments of silence spent with his sister just enjoying the view. “Well, there’s no reason to assume I’ll say no to you going back, so there’s that. As far how long, it’s up to you to decide when you’re ready. If you want to clock out now, you’re free to make that decision. But it’s all up to you. ‘Will it hurt?’ Umm, depending on how bad the wounds are. Considering your body is all patched up, you should be fine I guess? You’ll absolutely be sore and out of commission for a while, but luckily for you, you have a competent healer.” 

   “So I won’t see you again? At least until my time has come?” Alderstar asked. Roseclaw nodded “It was nice seeing you again Alderstar. Remember to care for your clan above all else, because it will be them who will help you in the end. Their fate rests in your claws.” The molly stepped back allowing Alderstar to have time to himself for a moment. “Weird, I never thought I’d hear some sort of prophecy come from you considering how much you hated them back then.” Alderstar laughed to himself. He heard a ghostly chuckle come from his sister as she had left. Alderstar stood up and took one final look at the view. 

— — —

   The camp’s activity has died down a bit. Jackdaw was moved to the medicine cat’s den in a different area to keep some distance with Alderstar’s body. Bugwhisper stayed with Jackdaw as he was coming in and out of consciousness. Fernpool entered the medicine cat’s den with Ivysong, who was with her after Honeywasp left to make sure she was ok. The two mollies were treated greeted to Alderstar’s body and Blossompool struggling to find things to patch his wounds. “Any luck?” Fernpool asks with her voice still recovering.  

   Blossompool looked up at his mother, “Well, I’d have more if Bugwhisper kept his herbs organized in some way. I seriously can’t find anything in his stash, and he has stuff I’ve never even seen before.” the small tom huffed in frustration. “THE COBWEBS ARE ON THE MIDDLE SHELF ON THE RIGTH SIDE” Bugwhisper called out from the other room. Blossompool signed, and looked at Sagepool again. “So, you’re expecting kits huh? Congrats I guess.” Ivysong opened her mouth to snap at him, but Fernpool encouraged her to let it go. The white Molly huffed and whispered something in Sagepool’s ear and walked out of the den. Leaving Fernpool and Blossompool alone. 

The two cats spoke to each other about the past and how they’ve moved on with their lives since Blossompool was called to stay with the Colony after receiving a prophecy was misinterpreted. Leading to Bugwhisper abandoning his own mother, Mothwhisper to go from the Colony to stay with the Scorched cats permanently as their healer. Fernpool admitted that her heart belongs to Alderstar and the Scorched cats. It was a moment that both of them needed. 

   After a while, Alderstar woke up. By that point, Jackdaw was awake and stressed beyond all reason about Alderstar. Featherfrost and Bugwhisper where still with the gray tom. Fernpool embraced the amber cat with relief, and sat with him as he struggled to adjust back to the land of the living. He asked her what happened, and the molly explained that Honeywasp only confronted her about why she was having more kits with someone else. He was just demanding answers and such. He didn’t harm her, but Jackdaw came in and tackled him assuming he was. The two were embracing each other for a few moments when Grassfeather entered the den. 

   He sincerely apologized for Honeywasp’s actions and assured Alderstar that something would be done about him as soon as he returned. Banishment is what he was considering before Alderstar and Fernpool glanced at each other, essentially reading each other’s eyes. Alderstar insisted that banishment wasn’t the correct corse of action due to him not doing anything physical until Jackdaw attack him. Also him running around free in the forest was far more troubling of a thought without the code keeping him in check if he ever decides to attempt something. But Alderstar only demanded that Honeywasp be forbidden from ever coming near the Scorched boarder or him or Fernpool ever again.  

   Grassfeather reluctantly agreed and nodded his head towards the leader as he took his leave from the territory, and returned to the colony. Featherfrost followed soon after with Blossompool as Bugwhisper instructed him that his work here was finished. It was quiet after that point. Alderstar was moved to his den after Bugwhisper figured he would heal on his own, often having Thornkit run him herbs to help with the pain once or twice a day. Thrushclaw and Ivysong took up the responsibility of running the clan until ether Alderstar or Jackdaw were ready to come back to duty. Alderstar recovered sooner but took it easy where he could and eventually built his strength up again. Jackdaw soon returned back to duty and thanked the two warriors for their help while he recovered. 

   A moon or so had passed, Jackdaw took on Emberpaw as an apprentice, while her brother Thornpaw became Bugwhisper’s apprentice. Due to him showing interest in being a medicine cat. Alderstar and Fernpool officially became mates during this time. Eventually Fernpool’s kits were born and they were named Cedarkit and Gorsekit respectively. Honeywasp hasn’t been seen in moons by the Schorched cats, some wonder if he’s even confined to the Colony anymore. It’s all just rumors for now. The Schorched cats are thriving once more under Alderstar.