Warriors: Rise of the Weather [1] : The Journey Begins (OLD/DISCONTINUED)

Chapter Three

Edited ✔️
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A large red leaf fluttered down from the snow covered trees, landing on a scattered pile of snow. The snow shifted and tumbled in tiny clumps, and a small pink nose found its way out of the freezing substance. "Mist?" A small voice mewed as a tiny, white and brown furred tom-kit scrambled out from a small crevice, his fur clumped and being dragged down by large flakes of snow that clung to his pelt. He shook out his cold fur, sending tiny crystallized snowflakes to the ground.

"Mist? Where are you?" Mouse's patched fur fluffed up to keep himself warm, a shiver raking through his bones as he advanced forward in a short pawstep. He looked around with wide yellow eyes, searching for his mother's familiar light bluish gray dappled fur.

A large fern behind the kit rustled, its leaves swaying as a cat emerged from its shadows. Mouse whipped around, and his eyes lit with recognition. "Mist!" He exclaimed, bounding across the snow to greet his mother. He tripped in the snow and tumbled, landing with his face in it. Mist nosed him to his paws, and gave him a lick across the forehead, a gentle purr rising in her throat.

"Oh, Mouse." The she-cat rumbled, her voice soft and soothing to Mouse's ears as he pulled himself close to her paws. "Are you alright, my kit?"

Mouse nodded, opening his jaws to answer in a verbal response. However, before he could answer, Mist had scooped him up by the scruff, and was padding delicately through the snow and towards an overhang, the ledge balancing overtop of their heads. Mouse squirmed for a few moments, his paws kicking at the air as he tried to scramble out of her grip.

Finally, he gave up, hanging limply in her jaws with a pout on his face. "I'm fine, Mist, I'm fine!" He squeaked, his tail tucking between his legs.

Mist shifted her grip on Mouse's scruff so she could speak, mumbling around his tufts of fur. "You may be fine, however you disobeyed me. You had specific instructions to not leave the den, but you decided to do so anyways." She meowed firmly. Mouse protested no more, shame making his fur grow warm. The lighting grew darker as they entered a dimly lit cavern, the temperatures growing higher however still sending a chill down Mouse's spine.

Mist placed Mouse carefully onto the stone hard ground, giving his fur a few brisk licks. Her tongue scraped down his spine, and he struggled to free himself with yells of complaint.

"Mom!" He yelped, ducking as he dodged a swipe of her tongue. "Stop it — stop!" He writhed away from his mother, a growl of frustration rumbling in his throat. Mist let out a rumbling purr of amusement, a small grin rested on her muzzle. She leaned away from Mouse, who relaxed with a sigh.

Mist flicked her tail over Mouse's ears, her head tipping to the side. "I had caught something for you." She meowed after a few moments of silence. Mouse pricked his ears, excitement tingling in his paws.

"Really? What is it?" He bounced to his paws, his nose twitching eagerly.

Mist's whiskers quivered in amusement as she fondly gazed at Mouse. "Give me one moment. I left it outside so I could fetch you." She rose to her feet and exited the cavern with a flick of her tail, only to come back a few heartbeats later with a somewhat scrawny mouse dangling from her jaws. Mouse's mouth watered hungrily, his yellow eyes fixated on the mouse. His favorite prey, coincidentally, was mouse! He stepped forward, his front paws bouncing with excitement.

Mist approached the kit and placed the mouse before him on the stone ground. She took a small bite out of it to soften the flesh for Mouse, before stepping back. Mouse sniffed its fur, taking a moment to relish its scent before taking a famished bite out of the rodent's bloody side. He let out a long breath, his muscles relaxing in relief as the delicious flavor rushed over his scent glands. "Thank you!" He breathed out to Mist, his wide yellow eyes blinking up at her. She inclined her head to him, and he dove his muzzle back into its side.

Once Mouse had finished his fill of the mouse, he stepped aside so Mist could have hers. A small spasm of guilt rippled through his fur as he realized that he had left hardly any meat on the prey's bones, and he bowed his head regretfully.

Mist nuzzled Mouse comfortingly, wearing a small smile. "Don't worry." She purred reassuringly, leaning back as she swiped her tongue across her jaw, the hunger she felt clear in her blue eyes. "You need more food than I do. I'll find something for myself later on tonight."

Mist lowered back down to finish the small remains of the mouse, not waiting for her son's response as she gnawed at the remaining meat on the creature's bones. Mouse, still feeling guilty, gazed outside where a small snowfall had begun. Time slipped by, and when he finally returned to his feet, night had risen on the horizon.

"Mouse, come get some rest."

Mist's voice startled Mouse, and he glanced back to see that his mother had already laid down, the spot they had claimed as their nest a shallow scoop in the stone ground. Mouse gave a faint nod, his eyes dilating to the darkness of the cavern. He squared his shoulders and padded over to Mist, curling up in the curve of her belly. His mother's tail wrapped protectively along his side, her breathing growing slow as evidently, she fell asleep. Mouse let the rise and fall of Mist's flank lull him into darkness.

Wind stirred his fur, and he roused in an unrecognizable clearing. A jolt of fear ripped through his chest, and he scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding. Mouse whipped around, his thoughts whirling as he tried to place where he was. Suddenly, he relaxed, his fur laying flat as he realized what was happening. I'm dreaming. The thought rang in his ears, and he breathed in deeply, collecting his rapid thoughts and allowing himself to calm down.

Now relaxed, Mouse let himself study the landscape. He was standing in a beautiful starlit clearing. Lush green grass tickled his paws, large trees with countless leaves and branches stretched out around him, their trunks soaring to the sky at endless lengths. Unlike the waking world, the season was set to what presumably was newleaf, a time when plants thrived and grew. Mouse let awe overtake him for a few seconds, his body still aside from the rise and fall of his flank.

"Mouse."

A voice disrupted the peaceful silence, the sound ripping through the air like a cascade of water. Mouse spun around, his fur on end once more as he frantically searched for the source of the noise.

His eyes landed on a black tabby, and he stiffened as the tom approached. Stars glittered in the strange cat's fur, flickering on and off as he grew noticeably closer to Mouse.

"Wh-Who are you?" Mouse demanded, his voice in which was intended on being threatening instead turning out high and afraid.

The tom blinked calmly at Mouse, his orange eyes meeting with Mouse's yellow ones. "There's no need to be startled, kit." The tom meowed in what was meant to be a reassuring tone. Mouse's hackles rose as he stepped away, a growl rising from his chest. The tom ignored Mouse's threatening position, and instead continued. "I'm Darkblaze." He offered, pausing in his pawsteps to seem docile.

Mouse stiffened, and trying to remain calm, he questioned the cat. "What type of name is that?" He asked, the tone of his voice changing from fear to curiosity.

Darkblaze's ears flicked, and his gaze grew distant. "It's a clan name." He murmured in response. He shook his head, instead returning his gaze to the kit. "However, my name is not the reason I have chosen to visit you. You are required to listen to your..." he hesitated, but pressed on. "Your mother, even if you do not trust her motives. If you do not...great danger will fall upon your family, and terror will wreak upon the world as you know." Darkblaze stared deeply into Mouse's eyes, and Mouse self consciously stepped back. Fear squirmed in his stomach as a blinding flash of white tore across his vision, and before he could react, he woke up.

Mouse rose his head into the air, his eyes flickering back and forth as he calmed himself. It was just a dream. He thought, giving his fur a quick shake. Why should I listen to it, anyways? It was only my imagination. At that, he lowered his muzzle to his paws, falling back to sleep at the comfort of his own thoughts.