The Song of Many Stars {burningember/Brinestep}

[kitteh]

The morning sun glistened as it used to, back when she would frolic and play with her fellow apprentices. It filtered through the trees and left spots of shade upon the clearing like patches of darkness in the perfect early day light. With her paws out in front of her she stretched paying lightly at the dirt. The cold, filthy dirt. Brinestep could feel herself aging as she stood up and arched her back. The colors of her pelt gleamed as she twitched her ears looking around the camp. All the cats walked around, talking idly with their mates, friends, family. She took her tongue in slow long streaks across her pelt, having the need to feel clean. She may be old-but not old enough to have to have someone care for her, clean her.

There were times when she believed that she should have taken a mate, times like this. Times when she stood alone in the clearing waiting for someone to talk to made her mind race. She wanted a mate. For a long time she thought that she wouldn't become an elder without taking a mate. But then she got interested in the fighting, the mental part of the fight that the part of her that wanted to be with someone was lost for a long time.

Brinestep shook her head and looked to the nursery. The kits played around their mother, gently mewling and batting each other with their small paws, and unsteady body. That's what would have made her life. Kits. Her family line was already finished. With both of her parents gone, and herself withering away, there wasn't anything she could do but sit back and watch the happiness in the kittens that she knew she could have had.

A hunting party came back from a fairly good looking hunt. The smell of the fresh kill lingered in the air as an ecstatic apprentice trotted through the clearing with a small mouse in it's jaws. It was clearly the first kill and the excitement was still coursing through it's body. They placed the meat in the pile and walked off to their respected areas.

Brinestep waited. Waited in a calm silence, watching the warriors and apprentices walk by. Waiting for one of them to stop and talk.

Once she realized that sitting out in the clearing by herself wasn't going to make her look any younger, she stood and impatiently twitched her tail as she began to turn and walk back to the elders den. There was the soft sound of a cats pads gently meeting the ground in a sweet embrace. Without turning around, she turned her ear to the cat, "Who's there?"

Word count: 457

[løиetëaя]

The lithe warrior bounded in from the forest, its damp musky smells clinging to her dark ginger coat, the sun reflecting on it at just the right angle so that it seemed to be burning. Its bright, yet dark color stood out in the clearing and her ears flicked, a self-conscious reaction. With quick steps she moved to the freshkill pile, dropping the prey she had caught onto it in one swift motion before backing away to make space for the other cats of the hunting patrol.

Her soft amber eyes watched as one of the elders made her way into the clearing. It was Brinestep, an elder that had been a once fierce warrior, though she made up for her age with a tongue as sharp as her claws.

Burningember kept her distance, not wanting to get in her elder's way if she decided to get herself some freshkill. She watched though, wondering what she was thinking. Her eyes seemed almost distant, as if she was thinking of something not in the present but in the past. The young warrior wondered what Brinestep could be thinking and she cocked her head to the side, trying to put herself in the elder's place. However before she could, the Brinestep seemed to snap out of it and walked back toward the elder's den.

Not wanting to intrude without good reason the lithe warrior darted forward, grabbing a still warm, and very plump mouse of the pile of freshkill. With quiet steps she followed the elder, hoping to learn something, though she wasn't sure of what she wanted to learn.

[kitteh]

Brinestep was old, there was no longer any doubt in anyone's mind. If their leader hadn't had made her become an elder, she would still be out there- in the forest- limping if she had to. All she was sitting in camp was a waste of space. She didn't want to live like this. This shouldn't be how the Warrior code works. As the pale red tabby walked back to the den, she heard the steps, and imediatly she stopped. Her ears were sharper than ever and even though the cat seemed to be trying to hide her steps from the Elder, it didn't work, and in the end, if it did anything, it just made her angry.

She whirlled around, ignoring the protesting stab of pain in the back leg and gazed at the warrior. Burningember stood four tail lengths behind her and had her pretty little head cocked to the side. The nimble warrior was young, not stupid, "You knew i could hear you right?" Her voice was caustic, but it held her joking tone under. "If you think i'm that old you seriously need to think again." She sat down, licking at her paw. If anything, she wasn't going back into that den.

[løиetëaя]

The young warrior continued to move toward the elder, her steps slow, her eyes watching Brinestep's every movement, waiting for a sign that she wasn't welcome. But she didn't see any of that. She could hear the joking undertone to the older she-cat's words. Gently, she set the mouse down so she could speak."No, I didn't think you wouldn't hear me, I just didn't want you to think I was some invading cat trying to pounce on you from behind. I know of your reputation as a fierce warrior and I know that even at your age you could still do some damage." Burningember's words were light and free, like soft bells chiming. Stopping a few mouse-lengths from her elder she sat gracefully, her plume-like tail wrapping neatly around her small paws.

"Actually, I wanted to bring you some freshkill while it was still warm. I thought it might remind you of the days you spent hunting for your clan. Its not as good as the real thing but I thought it might make you happier." She nudged the mouse closer to Brinestep, hoping the older cat would accept her gift without being offended. Remaining respectfully silent, she waited for the older cat's reaction.

[kitteh]

Brinestep watched the pretty cat closely. She never had a long pelt, for some reason, when she watched this cat move it made her feel dumpy. Every step off of this creature resembled both grace and movement so liquid, so free it was almost hard to watch when she remembered about her leg. The cat from shadowclan many moons ago damaged it, to where any medicine cat said they could fix it. But she refused. Each and every time. It was both a brave and noble act- but deep down, she didn't believe in the healing powers of the medicine cat, and she never would.

She purred lightly as she unshethed her claws, making small lines in the dirt where she dragged her razor sharp claws, "I say it's worse now." Brinestep twitched her ear, "I can't get around as much, so they don't get any shorter." She looked at the thick nail, before she quickly shethed them again and looked at the warrior who gently pushed the game closer to her.

"It's nice to see a warrior so keen to give to their elders." She bit down into the plump mouse, taking only a third of the meat before pushing it back to Burningember, "I'm not very hungry, and i don't want it to go to waste." she smiled, "It was very good."

[løиetëaя]

Burningembergave a small nod, she could almost imagine the feel of those long claws digging into her pelt. She thought it was sad that the elder's claws grew too long because she couldn't get around as much as warriors could. Her mind raced as she tried to find a solution to the problem. Having claws that were too long couldn't be all that comfortable and there had to be something she could do to help.

Her thoughts were brought back into focus by Brinestep's next words. She talked as the elder ate a bit of the mouse. "Its a shame more don't want to help. All our elders served this clan to the best of their ability, they should be treated with our respect and we should do everything we can to make them as comfortable as possible. It should be an honor to serve them, for some have given up much to protect this clan." She hoped that when she retired to the elder's den that some cat would enjoy being around her and wouldn't mind doing chores for the elders.

She was a bit surprised when some of the mouse was pushed back toward her. She wondered what caused the elder's lack of an appetite, whether it was because she couldn't go running through the forest everyday or if it was something else. Whatever the reason she gave Brinestep a respectful nod before finishing off the rest of the mouse.

[kitteh]

She could see the deep thought that the young warrior went into when she saw the length of the claws then purred out a small laugh. "No worries, i'm not going to get you." She cleaned her pelt gently as the warrior spoke, and every word spoken from that cat was true. Brinestep shook her head annoyed, "The thing with you guys now, is that you are to busy with whatever you want to do. No one cares for the elders. We do- we sit in the back of the clan, some of us unable to clean ouselves, unable to get up, to really fend for ourselves. You think we're useless. We may not be able to do anything, but we have feelings and needs." Her annoyance clearly showed through on every word that she said.

Burningember finished off the meat and Brinestep tried to keep the conversation going. She wasn't going to let this cat go anywhere. "Have you had your first apprentice yet?" The old she-cat tucked her legs under her and felt her stomach on the ground gently grazing the grass and the dirt. It was a nice feeling, different from the moss. the old moss.

[løиetëaя]

The she-cat nodded in agreement. Brinestep was right, most of the warriors were too busy to notice the elders and most of the apprentices didn't do a great job of looking after them. She wished that it could be different. But maybe just one cat could make a difference in all the elder's lives. It may not be a huge deal but if she could help them in anyway it could make them happier.

She licked her paw, dragging it over her ears as she heard Brinestep's question. She shook her head, her ears flicking gently. "No I haven't had one yet. I haven't been a warrior for very long and there are older warriors that still haven't had one, so I'll probably have to wait for awhile." Dragging her paw over her ear one last time she spoke again. "I'm not sure I want one though, I'm not a good leader so I doubt I would be a good teacher. There are others that can teach a new apprentice much better then I ever could."

[kitteh]

There wasn't usually a cat that could deal with an elder this long. Brinestep wasn't as complaning as some of the other Elders so there was a good reason she could be looked at and not walked away from. But her pelt itched to be out of the clan walls. To run. To catch something. You can only sit in the same place doing the same thing for so long. Even if you love what you are doing, there is a point in time where all and everything become redundant.

"Don't worry," She purred closing her eyes, "It took me many moons to get my first apprentice." She could still see the warrior, a cute little fireball. "I remember training my first apprentice. It was a great experiance, even if the Cat ran me up a tree." she laughed looking at Burningember, "figuratively of course, but there were days i just wanted to take him to shadowclan and let them deal with him," Brinestep smile as she was taken back to the days where he would step on her tail, to see how loud she would yell at him, or how he would be late to see what buttons he could push

[løиetëaя]

Her amber eyes gazed over Brinestep's shoulder as she thought of her own apprentice-hood. "I remember mine. I didn't know what to do and to be honest it took awhile before I trusted my mentor. At first I thought she was just trying to get me killed. She would send me up trees to hunt, building up my agility and balance." She remembered falling from a tree once after climbing too high to go after a squirrel. Her mentor had risked her own life to save her. "It wasn't until my mentor saved me that I realized she was really helping me and then I trusted her with my life and would give it up to protect her."

She glanced over at the nursery, wondering when those kits would be made apprentices. Though she was still very nervous about the idea, she wondered if maybe she would get the chance to mentor one of them.

[kitteh]

Brinestep closed her eyes and tried to picture what and how the lithe's cat story played out. Unlike burningember, brinestep wasn't there at the time of the accident, but it did spread around the clan. The only news of an apprentce almost dying in almost 48 moons. It had to be spread around, it wasn't something that really could be hidden. The old cat placed her lage head on her paws and purred, "My apprentice ship was many many moons ago, but the fighting with my mentor was much needed, and very tiring. It is true that my mentor is long gone, now up with starclan, but she taught me more than any cat could ever try to. Even my mother, starclan bless her sould, could compare."

She loved her mother, that wasn't the vibe she sent off, but she and her mother had opposing oppinions. They clashed terribly and faught most of the time they were near each other. It was mostly the fact that Brinestar didn't believe in the power of medicine cats but there wasn't anything that she could to about her faith. She wasn't going to change for anyone. Not even her mother.

"My first apprentice, i will never forget." she flicked her tail thoughfully, "the day he became a warrior pride overflowed me." She oppened her eyes, showing the twinkle in her eye from the memory of her past rushing back into the cat. "I taught that cat to fight, to hunt. That cat learned from me like i learned from my own mentor. She was a diamond. Dirty, and rough at first. But, after days and days of work, of trying to smooth out the cracks in the little she-cat it actually worked. She was polished, and very very good."

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[løиetëaя]

The dark ginger and black she-cat glanced toward the apprentice's den where her younger brother, Wanderingpaw, should be about now. But knowing him he was off exploring the forest and all its borders and sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. She shook her head, hoping that soon he would get a mentor and some proper training instead of just tagging along with the older apprentices.

She just hoped he wasn't in too much trouble at the moment. But she could just see him adventuring down a badger set and finding a female badger and her cubs. Her tail lashed to the side, wishing he would just appear at the camp entrance unscathed. Her ears flicked as she tried to regain focus on the elder before her. Turning back to look at Brinestep she forced herself to remain sitting instead of dashing off in search of her sweet but sometimes bratty and obnoxious little brother.

[kitteh]

The older cat watched the younger with her old amber eyes. Today they seemed even more full of age and wisdom. There was something about being with a younger cat that made her both young again, and her bones ache with the old moons in her bones. she cleaned herself and then looked back at the cat, "Who are you looking for?" for some reason Burningember seemed distant.

She couldn't be mad at the warrior if she didn't want to listen to the mindless stories of the Elder, most didn't heck, she didn't even want to listen to herself that often. "You don't have to keep talking. I don't want to bother you. Not at all."

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[bläck¢läw]

A young tom came running through the forest with his dark fur sinning in the sunlight. He was meant to be with the other apprentice's but he would sooner go exploring by himself. He never thought that if he did he would end up getting lost like he was now. He didn't know where he was, it was after all the first time he had ever been this far from camp. He looked around trying to find any signs of other cat's. He froze when he heard a familiar voice a fox tall away from him. He moved forward scrabbling up a fallen tree trying his hardest to find who ever was talking. He jumped off to the other side of the tree to find the entrance to the camp.

Happy to have found his way home he came prancing into the camp. Not really watching where he was going he almost ran head first into his half-sister. He knew in a heart beat that it was her, she was always easy to recognize. Her fur was very unique from any other cat in the clan. Even though they looked very similar, her fur was far more prettier then his was. She had much more brown highlights that shined in the sun then his fur had. His pelt had more black to it and didn't look so brown in the sunlight. She was also a lot more slender and graceful then he was. He looked over at the at the elder she was talking to and realized the elder was Brinestep. Even though she was an elder her red pelt was still very pretty. Her amber eyes looking at him where full of moons of knowledge. He had always enjoyed listing to her stories when he was a kit.

Wanderingpaw sat down next to Burningember. "Hi Burningember, hi Brinestep" the little tom meowed in a tiny voice. I wonder what they are up to he thought as he looked at the two she-cats. "What are you guy's talking about?"

[kitteh]

Brinestep gazed at burningember, trying to figure out what she was thinking. She was never good at figuring it out, but she could read body language, and the only thing that she could tell with the pretty she-cat is that she was thinking of something much more distant than what the conversation was aimed at. She continued to clean her pelt in the sunlight. It was high in the sky, the sun, big and round shining brilliantly on all of the cats in the camp. Brinestep rolled onto her side, gently sunning herself. It wasn't until she heard the loud pawsteps of another cat coming into the clearing that she opened her eyes oncemore.

It was wandering paw, a kit that she used to tell stories too many moons back when he was a little kit. He would curl up next to her and she would murmur stories of battles and thunderclan, how we conqured all and how great our clan was. It was a time when things were much more simple. Now, things seemed to be getting sturred up by shadowclan, and that was never good, "Wanderingpaw.." She nodded for him to sit down "look how big you've gotten, i haven't seen you in moons." She smiled, "We were talking about apprentices."

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