Swiftstar's Prophecy - Unofficial version

Chapter Sixty-five

Two figures sprinted across the meadow, heading straight for the tree line of the Northern Forest. One was a skinny, red-brown tom, the color of dark amber. His eyes shone a dull green but it didn't reflect his tempered spirit. Though he was smaller and thinner, he is sarcastic and very opinionated, making up his physical appearance for his strong personality. In front of him was a calico she-cat with distinct, pale ginger patches on her pelt. Because of the scars on her pelt, it gave the illusion that she was a hardcore warrior; yet, she wasn't. She was the future diplomat between rogues and the clans for the upcoming war that the calico foresaw. But right now, she had different matters to deal with. Though these half-siblings don't share any similarities in their looks, they're both equally appearance-defying, and to the naked eye, their looks are deceiving.

Swiftblossom's ears flattened against her head as she ran, the harsh winds blowing against her face. The grass bowed down and she barreled her way through, making a pathway for Flaxpaw. "How deep do we have to go in?" Flaxpaw asked over the tough winds. She lifted her muzzle and called, "Not too far in! I know the way!"

"Let's hope you do!" Flaxpaw remarked and he pushed forward, his pelt brushing up against Swiftblossom's. Ahead, the Northern trees swayed in welcome and the bushes rustled with life. With the early rays of sun filtering through the trees, the Northern Forest no longer gave an ominous aura. Instead, it was mysterious and strange, ready to be explored. Also, the forest had a warm tone of orange light that touched the plant life elegantly. Swiftblossom's paws now skipped over the border and almost instantly, she felt she was in another world.

The forest wasn't windy like in TideClan territory. Everything smelled new and unexplored. The grass looked untouched by any cats, unknown wildflowers grew; only the scent of oak trees and blossoming flowers lingered. Flaxpaw stopped beside her and gaze around him, his ears perked and his tail lifted high. "It feels so different from TideClan territory. The grass is so brittle and the trees are unfamiliar; we should be more careful," Flaxpaw meowed quietly, suspiciously eying his surroundings. Swiftblossom lowered her muzzle and deeply breathed in. She didn't feel at harm or need to be suspicious, much to her surprise. Was it because she's been here before? Or was it because she knew some of the cats in the forest? She pushed away from the feeling of welcoming and kept her guard up. 

The two padded into the forest, Swiftblossom remembering the path she and Nectar took. "Right now, we're not too far away from their small camp. Of course, we're late so I'm not sure what they're doing now. Flaxpaw, at sunhigh, we all will come to camp." she quietly explained to him. Her apprentice lashed his tail and let out a small mrrow of amazement, "It was a good thing that you took me to cover up our disappearances. But what will you do once we all come back to TideClan?"

I'm not sure how that'll go down, but I hope there will be no bloodshed. She thought and replied to Flaxpaw, "I'm sure Lionstar would like to listen to what my friends have to say. In case you haven't noticed, the weather has been picking up. My friends know that a storm will be coming in approximately seven days-- a deadly snowstorm."

"But it's so late in the season! How could it come now?" Flaxpaw gasped. Swiftblossom's ears flickered and she too grew worried. But she pushed it away, "Do you see why Lionstar will consider bringing them in? We also need more warriors, and two kits and a queen will do."

Flaxpaw triumphantly growled, "I feel like I'm on a secret mission! Ready to aide the clan!" The tom playfully clawed at a tall stalk of grass and Swiftblossom lightly chuckled. Sometimes I forget that he's just an apprentice. He matured too quickly, unlike Russetpaw, Lilypaw, and Briarpaw. I just hope that he will turn out alright in the future. Not too serious, not angry like Mudstrike-- She paused mid-thought, her heart skipping a beat. Her tail bushed up and the calico sharply inhaled. I completely forgot about Mudstrike! She knew him too well, now. She remembered back when she was an apprentice and rebelled, how much trash that Mudstrike talked about her. Swiftblossom exhaled to calm her nerves. He'll become more hostile towards me after today. I'm only bothered because of how the clan will take us both. 

The two cats passed by the clearing of wild wheat and a bird sang. Some bushes nearby rustled and Flaxpaw jumped. Swiftblossom flickered her tail to him not to worry. The faint rays of sunlight touched their pelts briefly as they now began to walk towards the large slope. Their paws lightly set down on the dry dead leaves as they drew closer and closer to the other cats. Swiftblossom's eyes focused on the alder trees that swayed slightly and the she-cat's pelt brushed against one. 

"Stop right here," she ordered Flaxpaw. Her apprentice stopped behind her and peered down the steep slope of the forest. Where Swiftblossom halted was only a couple of pawsteps away from the actual ledge, but if any of them were to step too close, their weight would give away to the ledge and they will slide down. Flaxpaw looked at Swiftblossom, "How do we get down? Are we even supposed to go down?" The apprentice asked.

Swiftblossom turned to her apprentice, "We have to go down. How do you think we should go down?"

Flaxpaw took a moment to analyze the slope and possible ways to go down. He blinked before his ears flickered to the many alder trees that stood from their right. On the left of the slope, there were no trees growing, just bushes and bracken. On the right, however, many trees grew in the slope and provided many roots that broke through the surface and emerged. "Swiftblossom, we can walk on the roots to bring us down," Flaxpaw meowed. Swiftblossom purred and praised her apprentice. He may be sarcastic and snarky sometimes, but he is smart. "We should hurry down. Stay behind me in case you fall." She told the red-brown tom before she made her way to the trees. 

Cautiously but quickly, the calico she-cat made her way down the slope, her paws resting on the roots. Flaxpaw closely followed, his whiskers brushing against her tail. Swiftblossom's mind was spinning rapidly. I keep telling myself that I'm ready. But I might not be. I won't turn back now, but I'm scared of how my clanmates will think about me. 

Her mind went back to the times where her clanmates doubted her, back when she was an apprentice. Her heart ached and the calico forced her eyes shut. Will they see me as a traitor again? As much as she wanted to pretend she didn't care, she couldn't push it away. She didn't want to be treated like that, again.

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Thank you guys so much for staying by this story since the beginning. We've come so far and I never thought that my story would ever get popular. Thank you.

-Morga