[[Sorry for this taking so long; now that the science fair has passed, I should have just a little bit more time on my hands now. When I discovered that we were expected to present our projects, I literally broke out in a cold sweat. X'3
Happy be-lated Thanksgiving to everyone, even if you don't live in America. n.n
Also, did anyone else nearly hyperventillate when they saw the Christmas layout? Or was that just me? ;'D]]
~Bloodstar~
Gathering
It was as though we were the only two cats remaining at the Gathering, me and -- what was her name again? Nightfire mentioned it earlier . . . something to do with ashes, possibly a bird as well? The she-cat's name strikes me suddenly as I remember it -- Ashfeather! That was surprisingly suitable for the bold AirClan warrior; not only did her gray tabby fur resemble the sleek plumage of a bird, I comforted myself with the thought of her plummeting from the sky within a brilliant ball of flame, her body reduced to ashes in a matter of moments as I watched her burn. Metaphorically. Even more ironic yet -- it seemed that I was in that uncoveted position instead at the time being, or I would be soon enough.
I scanned my enemy's face for a trace of suspicion, any flicker of emotion that would signify her disbelief in my ploy. Ashfeather's eyes slid close ambiguously and a faint smile upturned the corners of her mouth. My paw-pads broke out in a cold sweat, which I utterly despised; I was excruciatingly vulnerable right then and there, and I loathed every moment of it as well as the fact that I could hardly do anything about it. I barely noticed when Ashfeather slowly lowered me to the ground, my paws finally finding purchase on a steady surface below me. A melodious yet wicked cackle escaped the lips of my tormentor, and she was practically incapacitated by the force of her own laughter, swelling drops of moisture streaking down her face while she appeared to be attempting to hold herself together so as to avoid collapsing in her own mirthful amusement. Entertained by my contempt.
Yet again I was infuriated by my own helplessness.
After what seemed like an eternity, Ashfeather's booming laughter gradually diminished to a series of fading chuckles, then nothing at all. "You can't." She told me, stopping for a heartbeat to swipe a gray-furred tail tip around the rims of her eyes, drying her tears of joy. "You can't do it. You tried, and you can't." I bristled silently at these words, and she raised her eyes to meet mine. A jagged grin split her face, standing out eerily in the stark white moonlight. Her eyes were merry slits of blue as she went on, "I have the advantage. All those cats standing behind you? They're your enemies now!" Her slitted eyes seemed to twinkle with giddy insanity, or was that simply my imagination? Ashfeather surely acted mad enough to me, yet the great mass of cats encompassing us stared at the intriguing pair in the center of the moonlight-filled hollow with nothing less than their utmost attention while she raved on. "I feel bad for them. To know you have such a weak leader? How shameful."
I ignored the fury nearly searing a hole straight through my chest and reacted instinctively, just getting a handle on them as they flew from my mouth quicker than the strike of a snake. "Pity me? I send my regrets to AirClan, for being forced to deal with such a raving lunatic! The only advantage in your possession is one that exists in your mind alone." I snorted and gave my head a slow shake of distaste, then shakily let a grating laugh rumble from my chest. Maybe, just maybe nobody would notice how depserate my impulsive counter-attacks were. I almost jumped when the leader of AirClan suddenly appeared peering out of some bushes fringing the wide-spaced depression. Her somewhat familiar voice was the first thing I noticed. "What has happened here?! Ashfeather! Did you attack Bloodstar? Or did he attack you? I want answers from both of you now!" Her actions were reminiscent of an angered queen scolding her kits, and I bit back a witty, indignant response. The mother-like behavior continued when she prompted, more quietly this time, "Ashfeather are you hurt?" There was obvious concern in her voice; before her warrior could reply she turned her head and spoke to a cat somewhere beyond my vision.
I was glaring brusquely at my so-called peer when a welcome voice piped up, more than a hint of irritation in her tone, "Pebblestar, I know you're older than me, but you sure don't act like it sometimes." The speaker was none other than the dark she-cat, Nightfire. I glanced toward my Clanmate to find that she was wearing a scowl identical to my own; she was aiming it openly at Pebblestar. "Just leave them alone. Ashfeather is clever enough to settle this on her own." Clever would not have been my choice of words for describing my new-found foe, but I remained cautiously speechless. My fellow leader selected a calmer string of words from her arsenal, the initial shock wearing down. "I may be older, but I'm not stupid either." Oh, really? AirClan cats were quite air-headed at times. . . Take now for instance. "Bloodstar has no quarrel with my Clan and I do not want to see one. I do not know what provoked this fight, and now that it is over I do not need to know, just make sure our patrols don't spot FireClan on our border." drawled Pebblestar.
My immediate thoughts consisted of outraged bursts of silent arguments such as how she managed to assume that FireClan would waste out time on the stretch of wasteland that was her territory, what rights she did not have to distribute orders with authority that she lacked, and so on. I seethed without a sound, though; I knew that my fate was perilous enough, and I would be risking more than I should by testing it any more that night. Pebblestar then proceeded to whirl in a half-circle and begin to pad away -- good riddance! -- but paused to toss her final mistake over her shoulder, "Tell Ashfeather to come home when she's ready."
That's it. I just couldn't take it anymore. What little amount of malicious abstinence I had left snapped -- I was a dead cat anyway, correct? Might as well run with it. "What kind of so-called leader merely allows their warrior to return home whenever their twisted, ignorant heart desires? What rights have you to command my actions, or anyone's for that matter? You don't!" I hissed between clenched jaws; it was all I could do to refrain from biting my own tongue off. My eyes blazed once more, my claws relieved themselves from their sheathes again. My blood sang to see Pebblestar's spilled. But I was only warming up. "You are no more fit to be a Clan leader than the youngest kit in PowerClans! At least then, a kit would display at least a shred of knowledge and far more responsibility than you will in nine lifetimes!" I spat the rage-induced words at her receding back and took a step forward, my entire body tensed and betraying my desire to throttle every last breath from Pebblestar's waste of an anatomy; I did nothing at all in order to conceal it. It was an astonishing stroke of luck that my powers had been revoked, or the neutral-pelted cat would have been nothing more than a pile of cinders.
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