Warriors:Into The Wild AU (2024 Rewrite)

Chapter Six

Aaaaaaaand now, we pick up where we left off. So sorry for the wait, pls enjoy!

The silence that followed was deafening. Lionheart had stood from his position by Whitestorm and now stared at Briar cautiously, who was in turn staring at the sight before her. Rusty wasn't much better, as he had finally torn his gaze from Longtail to look.

With a final growl at the dark tabby, Sky shoved herself away from him and shook out her flawless white fur that was only slightly dusty, while Briar stared at her mother dumbly.

"Wh-, why-, how-, what are you doing here?!"

"I thought you would have trouble getting into the Clan and figured I could help if need be," Sky glared at the dark tom and at Longtail, who was staring at her along with every other cat in the camp. "Clearly, I was correct."

"How did you manage to get in here without alerting my warriors?" Bluestar growled, Sky switched her gaze from the toms to the leader.

"I know how to disguise my scent and make myself indistinguishable from the terrain around me," Sky meowed calmly as she stood at Briar's side. "Your warriors were easy enough to follow, especially using the route they took."

Whitestorm then meowed defensively, "We would have noticed you following us if that were true."

"Some cats never look up," Sky mewed, causing a look of confusion to fall over Whitestorm's face as he contemplated her words. Briar just shook her head, shock, mortification and amusement battling for prominence until a small pink nose prodded the bite marks on her scruff.

"Settle down now," the tortoiseshell murmured, examining the marks. "The bite is shallow, but I'll still need to treat it."

While the she-cat continued to look over the bite marks, Briar noticed Bluestar looking at Sky with an unreadable expression. Was she impressed by Sky's craftiness, or suspicions of her intentions to look after her daughter? Finally, Bluestar spoke again.

"Is that really your only reason for intruding here?"

Sky lifted her head to look Bluestar in the eye and stated, "No, though that is my main reason. I too wish to join Thunderclan, if you'll have me."

No cat spoke, most too shocked by the implication that Sky had just followed their warriors into the camp, had slipped inside without anyone noticing, and then attacked one of their warriors. Sharing a look with her senior warriors, Bluestar nodded.

"Very well, Sky, was it?" At the white she-cat's nod, Bluestar continued, "You will be welcomed as well, the skill of avoiding my trained warriors is an unusual one."

She then looked back at Rusty, who lifted his head proudly and looked at the cats that surrounded the unusual trio. This time no cat argued or jeered. He had shown himself a worthy opponent in battle. Briar came over to sit beside Rusty once she'd removed the chunks of dark fur from her claws, copying his proud stance, and Sky settled next to them.

Bluestar approached Rusty and placed the shredded collar on the ground in front of him. She touched his ear gently with her nose.

"You look like a brand of fire in this sunlight," she murmured, for the sun had fallen to where Rusty was standing, a pool of light blazed bright on his orange pelt, making his fur glow. Her eyes flashed briefly, as if her words had more meaning for her than Rusty knew.

"You have fought well, both of you." Then she turned to the Clan and announced, "From this day forward, until he had earned his warrior name, this apprentice will be called Firepaw, in honor of his flame-colored coat." She stepped back and, with the other cats, waited silently for his next move. Without hesitating, Rusty turned and kicked dust and grass over his collar as though burying his dirt.