Mossdapple's Faith

Chapter 10

   The woods were bathed in gentle sunlight, forming pools of warmth in the bracken. The scent of dew laid heavy in the air, and the sound of distant birdsong and rustling leaves echoed between the trees.

Bluefur emerged from the bracken, looking playfully but fondly at Oakheart. He gazed at her, his amber eyes brimming with tenderness.

"Shall we go on a stroll, my dear Bluefur?"

His words made Bluefur's heart flutter. "I could stand that," she purred, padding up next to him.

"I want to know everything about you."

Bluefur walked alongside her mate through the woods. Oakheart struggled a bit through the bracken, but had improved massively since he had first joined ThunderClan.

"Like what?" Bluefur asked. They had decided to get some time out on their own.

"What's your earliest memory?"

"My earliest memory..." Bluefur echoed. "I suppose it would be my first time opening my eyes in the nursery. After I did, I woke Snowfur up and we explored the camp. I went to the fresh-kill pile and a squirrel fell right on my head!" Bluefur purred. "I remember seeing Snowfur's eyes for the first time. They were bright blue, and I hoped mine looked like that, too."

Oakheart gazed at her as she spoke. "You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. They're the color of the river when it reflects the sky."

His compliment made Bluefur's stomach flip. You're not a moony apprentice! she scolded herself.
"I was born in a storm, under an oak tree." Oakheart mewed, padding overhead on a log. "My brother's name was Stormkit before he broke his jaw."

"I never knew that!" Bluefur trilled in surprise. "I wonder what his warrior name would have been."

"I miss him." Oakheart looked down. "He was my best friend. Fighting him at Sunningrocks was just..." He trailed off, then cleared his throat. "It hurt a lot. We used to do everything together as kits. When he broke his jaw, I visited him in the medicine den as much as I could."

"I miss Snowfur, too." Bluefur looked to the sky. "I see her in the patches of melting snow, and in the white clouds hanging close to StarClan. Sometimes I smell her for a moment, or think Whitestorm is her."

Oakheart hopped down from his log and gazed at with sympathy. "I feel that way sometimes. But I'm lucky. Crookedstar is across the river. I'll still get to see him at gatherings."

"I'm sure you'll make amends. You'll always love each other."

"I know I made the right choice," he mewed, giving her ear a quick lick. "Nothing could keep me away from you and our family."

Bluefur's ears turned warm. Her chest felt heavy but light at the same time. "You'll never be alone. No matter what, I'll always be with you."

They walked together, pelts pressed together, in silence for a few fox-lengths. "What about your mother and father?" Oakheart prompted.

"My mother was an incredible warrior," Bluefur sighed. "She died shortly after I became an apprentice. The night before she died, she..." Bluefur paused and cleared her throat. "She said she'd always be with us, and that after the battle she would take Snowfur and I to collect moss for our nests." Her gaze grew cloudy and she stopped walking, Oakheart looked at her, his eyes round with compassion.

"I haven't talked about it much since she died," Bluefur explained. "I didn't think I'd get so upset," she choked.

"It's okay," he comforted, stroking her flank with his tail. "You can feel anything when you're with me."

Bluefur felt a surge of gratitude towards her mate. She rubbed her muzzle against his cheek and kept walking, leaping up on to a rock. "My father's a good warrior, but we've never been close. I never felt like I could make him proud of me. But I don't care. Not anymore."

"Well, I'm proud of you," he purred. "My mother treated my brother like that after he broke his jaw. She was always loving to me, but treated him like a monster."

"That's horrible!" Bluefur gasped.

"It was. But our father stuck up for him. He said that she wasn't the cat he thought she was. He was always proud of both of us."

"Good," Bluefur purred. "He sounds like a good cat."

"He is. He was deputy before he retired to the elder's den," Oakheart mewed proudly.

"So that's where you get it," Bluefur purred.

He nudged her gently and they kept walking.

"Oakheart..." Bluefur mewed seriously. "There's something I need to tell you about."

Oakheart turned his head to look at her. "Is everything okay?"

"Well..." She trailed off. How could she possibly explain the prophecy that had haunted her for her whole life?"

"When I was a kit, Goosefeather, our medicine cat at the time, told me that I was fire, and I'd blaze through the forest."

"What does that mean?" Oakheart looked puzzled. "Is it a prophecy?"

"Yes," Bluefur confirmed. "It's followed me my whole life. Since you've joined ThunderClan, Goosefeather's warned me about it again." She paused.

"I'm terrified that if I don't become the leader of ThunderClan, Thistleclaw will, and he will destroy us all," she whispered.

"Is that why you didn't want to join RiverClan? It was never really about learning to swim, was it?"

She nodded. Oakheart padded in front of her, his amber eyes burning with intensity.

"It will be okay, Bluefur. You made the right choice."

She closed her eyes and dipped her head. Her mate gently licked the top of her head.

"Now, now, everything will be alright. Let's get you back to camp."

Bluefur and Oakheart entered the camp, pelts brushing. It was full and tranquil, with warriors and apprentices sharing tongues in the clearing. Just as Bluefur started walking towards the fresh-kill pile, Sunstar's voice rang through the camp.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

"Our deputy, Tawnyspots, has decided to retire to the elder's den," he announced. Murmurs rippled through the clearing.

Oakheart leaned against Bluefur. Eager to hear who would be the next deputy, Bluefur focused her gaze on Sunstar, unable to read his gaze as he addressed the Clan.

He hasn't talked to me. Her blood ran cold as she realized Sunstar was staring at Thistleclaw.

"Thistleclaw will be the next deputy of ThunderClan."

Horror struck Bluefur like lightning. The earth seemed to give out from beneath her paws as she stared at her leader, swaying from side to side. Sickness rose in her throat.

"Bluefur!" Oakheart's loud whisper brought her focus back. "Bluefur, are you okay?"

No! She thought, trembling. Nothing will ever be okay again.