Darkstar's Wrath - A Faith's Journey Super Edition

Chapter 23

Darkblood watched as the sun rose, shedding its golden light upon the camp. The sunlight glinted off of Darkblood's red stained claws. He smiled to himself as he looked down at them. A purr rose in his throat. It felt nice to claw up his father again.

He turned his head at the sound of pawsteps. Crimsonclaw was walking toward him with a mouse dangling from his jaws. Crimsonclaw dropped the mouse at Darkblood's paws. 

"Your vigil's over. You can speak now." Crimsonclaw said.

Darkblood nodded grateful to his old mentor. "Is that mouse for me?" He asked, glancing down at the small creature.

"I figured that you would be hungry." Crimsonclaw replied.

"Thanks." Darkblood meowed, digging into the prey at his paws.

Darkblood gulped down the last of his mouse and drew his tongue over his jaws. 

"Darkblood." A gruff voice called from across the clearing. Darkblood turned his head to see Stormhawk padding up to his, his mouth set in a line.

"Yeah." Darkblood glared at the deputy. They were roughly the same height now so Stormhawk couldn't look down upon him like he usually did.

"You're coming on a patrol with me. Hunting." Stormhawk growled.

"I just had my vigil." Darkblood hissed, tiredness seeping into his bones.

"Exactly. You're a warrior now, so you can do more things than a kit would. Come on."

Darkblood growled and followed Stormhawk, even though the comforting dens called to him as he passed them.

The two warriors arrived at the border with FernClan. Darkblood felt his claws slid out and a growl rumbled in his throat. Stormhawk brought me here on purpose... 

"Get to hunting." Stormhawk growled.

Darkblood watched the deputy turn and begin sniffing the air. The black tom sighed and scented the air for prey. He quickly located a mouse and killed it with a bite to the neck.

"I bet you would love to do that to a cat..." Stormhawk muttered.

"What was that?" Darkblood snapped, turning around to face Stormhawk.

Stormhawk was meeting his gaze steadily, and his head was tilted upward a little. "Adderstar may not believe me but I'll get you to crack. I'll make him see what you really are."

"You don't know a thing about me." Darkblood snarled, his claws began to twitch in anger.

Stormhawk took a couple paces forward to stand in front of the black tom. "You killed your father and you could kill again."

Darkblood's claws sunk into the ground. "I wouldn't mind doing that do you.... At least then you'd be gone...." He muttered under his breath.

A breeze blew through the trees of FernClan's forest and wreathed around the two, bristling warriors. The chill of leaf-fall came with it.

"Let's get back to hunting..." Darkblood hissed, stalking away from the blue-gray tom.

Darkblood padded into camp with a mouse and a squirrel dangling from his jaws. Squirrel fur tickled Darkblood's nose and a sneeze threatened to seize him. Stormhawk brushed past him with a sparrow clamped in his jaws. The two cats headed over to the prey pile and deposited their catches.

"Run along, now." Stormhawk growled.

Without saying a word back, Darkblood padded into the Warrior's burrow and found a spare nest. Within seconds of lying there, sleep overtook him and Darkblood drifted off.

When he opened his eyes, an achingly familiar place surrounded him. Stars glittered in every surface and the sun was warming the blueish-grass. The twitter of bird sound was heard from the trees along the horizon.

Darkblood felt his heart thumb hard against his rib cage as he caught scent of wildflowers on the wind. He turned to see Firefox watching a pair of rabbits nuzzle each other as they hopped along the ground. He padded over to her, the breeze ruffled her perfect fur and her green shone with happiness as she gazed down at the pair of rabbits. He sat down next to her, their pelts were brushing and Firefox slowly turned her head to look at him.

"The love for a partner is beautiful, isn't it?" She whispered, glancing at the rabbit pair.

Darkblood smiled at her, twining their tails together.

"Come on. Let's follow them." Firefox's eyes shone with excitement as she stood up, pulling Darkblood to his paws with a tug of their tails.

Darkblood didn't say a word as Firefox pulled him along. He was just happy to be with her.

They followed the rabbits all the way to their small burrow. One rabbit sniffed at the entrance and thumped its back leg on the ground. Then three, tiny, pink noses poked out of the hole, followed by heads, and then three baby bunnies hopped out to meet their parents.

"Darkblood..." Firefox started, quietly. "There is a reason I brought you here..." She turned toward him.

"What is it?" Darkblood asked, searching her gaze with his own.

"See those two baby bunnies?" She asked, pointing at them with her tail.

Darkblood nodded.

"Their parents had them even here..."

"And...?" Darkblood pressed.

"I though that..... maybe..... we could try....." Firefox murmured. "Try to have..... kits....."

Darkblood froze and stared at her wide-eyed. "I... Uh...."

Firefox averted her gaze to the starry ground.

"Are you sure? It might not work..." Darkblood whispered. We could try.... Our kits would be happy here.... They would have a loving mother and a loving father.... I could be happy with her and our kits... I could visit them every night... Darkblood thought, hope flowing through his veins. "I want to try... If it works, we'll be the two happiest cats and foxes in all the territories from here to SilverStar Falls...."

Firefox gave him a smile, hope shining in her green eyes. "Are you sure? You'd be gone all day."

"Then I'll look forward to sleep every night..." Darkblood smiled back, nuzzling her cheek .

Firefox pressed her muzzle into his shoulder fur. "Alright..."