#CcFirestar | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cappuccino-bear · 9 months ago

Text

Gravelwing's Blood, a Warriors Ccinocats one-shot

This is my first oneshot in my Warriors rewrite AU I call Ccinocats, of which I plan to do more.

In this fic, the event of Cloudtrail's arrival in Thunderclan, at the time Cloudy, is told by the perspective of Gravelwing, reflecting on the events that have happened to her and her family.

Main cast (all characters that have a speaking role or are mentioned often)

Warrior Gravelwing who was Gravelface, a big spotted gray tabby with a white bib, mostly white feathery tail and tired teal eyes, she/her (canon Brindleface)

Warrior Stoatrun who was Stoatleg, a short but stocky brown tabby with horizontal stripes that cover his eyes like a “mask”, a cream colored underbelly, long ears and jovial lime green eyes, he/him (canon Runningwind)

Primehunter Lilyflurry who was Lilytuft, a lanky white cat with grey patches in a “pants” pattern, whispy fur, longer fur on his face like a mask and narrow yellow eyes, he/him (canon Whitestorm)

Junior Warrior Fireheart who was Firepaw, a short fiery orange cat with a blaze of white on his scruffy snout, one white paw, round ears whose tips flop outwards and intense green eyes, he/him (canon Fireheart)

Cloudy, a small, pure white, fluffy and curly kitten with a tiny pink nose, stubby legs, round ears whose tips flop outwards and baby blue eyes, he/him (canon Cloudtail)

Nurse/Senior Warrior Doeyell who was Doespeckle, an old, spotted golden tabby with a white throat, long neck fur, a scarred paw and serious amber eyes, she/her (canon Speckletail)

Deputy Tigerslash who was Tigerclaw, a muscular black marbled tabby with a scarred snout, very long claws and proud orange eyes, he/him (canon Tigerclaw)

Leader Bluestar who was Freezing Hailmoon who was Hailfur, a gray cat with darker “pants” and forehead with a long scar over her shoulders, slim legs, curved ears and narrow dark blue eyes, she/her (canon Bluestar)

Junior Warrior Sandstorm who was Sandsnout, a light brown tabby with faded horizontal stripes that cover her eyes in a “mask”, a beauty mark on her muzzle, powerful legs and serious lime green eyes, she/her (canon Sandstorm)

Warrior Twigsplinter who was Claytail, a light brown tabby with dark horizontal stripes, an unusually long tail, one split ear, a dark brown crest and playful teal blue eyes, he/they (canon Longtail)

Shunned Deputy Maplehawk who was Mapletail, a stocky tortoiseshell with a long red tail, a red ring around his scarred eye, a bite mark on his flank and tired amber eyes, he/him (canon Redtail)

That chilly morning Thunderclan's camp was quieter than usual. Patrols had already been organized and sent out accordingly, the two cooks had been preparing a hearty soup for the main meal of the day, and the retirees cozied up against the warm wall adjacent to the ovenrock. Marigoldkit, Snowkit and Thornkit, the three students, had just finished pushing the snow away from the middle of the clearing and were now cuddling each other in their nests.

The bleak sunshine made the frost on top of the leaves melt in the whole forest, and from the ivy curling around the roof of the nursery small drops fell into a puddle on the ground.

That puddle is where Gravelwing had been staring at since she'd woken up, the constant ripples in the slowly expanding body of water. In her own mind those tears belonged to her as well, even if she'd already spent too many in the previous days to spare any more in that very moment.

—

Gravelwing's name had been on everyone's tongue for a moon and a half, since she'd officially declared her pregnancy and temporary retirement. Stoatrun stood next to her that day, in front of the whole Clan, while the Warriors cheered at the news of new kittens, a warm hope to thaw the cold of winter.

The celebration was accompanied by sharing tongues and platters of roasted mouse, if staler than usual- it was the coldest moon, they couldn't be picky.

Bluestar had even volunteered to help set up her nest in the nursery once again, but Doeyell, helpful and diligent as ever, got to it first before the ceremony was even over, so that very night the new expecting cat could sleep in a bed of downy feathers and soft poplar fluff from the spring before.

The following days, she'd gotten visits on top of visits from sunrise to moonfall, first a brief one from her apprentice Fireheart giving her congratulations, then Frostflash, her loyal friend who’d brought her a plate of eggs cooked in their own shells, then Sparrowcurl, the future kits' grandfather. Every time, they'd hold back their tongue about the boar in the nest, never asking why she thought to have children again, after what happened to her other mate.

Stoatrun’s presence during the visits might have helped them keep the questions away, but she knew of the whispers outside, as if the culprits were ever out of earshot, on her loyalty to the Clan compared to their traitorous, and recently dead ex-mate.

She knew, deep down, she both missed him, yet wanted to spit at him for his betrayal, yet again wished he was next to her and Stoatrun like he should be, after he could answer why, why did he do this...

Once, Sparrowcurl noticed her tensing up while she started to spiral and left hurriedly, while her mate licked her neck fur to bring the same comfort she's done to her own kittens many times, and when she snapped out of it, the moment turned into one of reciprocated grooming.

Mousebite came in a while later, holding a bag full of trinkets to play Hopperscratch together, and by then she was already much calmer. She even ended up winning, to her clanmate's chagrin.

Her eldest children, Twigsplinter and Sandstorm, were always the last to visit. They waited until the dusk patrols had been sent before doing so, every day, and they only exchanged a few words during that time, if not to ask if their parents needed anything in that moment. It hurt, but Gravelwing understood, even if bitterly, because of how their family had fractured, it would take a long time before it'd feel right to not have one of their parents here.

Maybe it'd never come, but she held out hope that the new kittens could help with it, as her nose was buried in Stoatrun's fur while she drifted off to sleep.

Bogsnarl, a half-moon after she’d moved nests, had called her for her first serious health check up. It was as annoying as she remembered the first time it happened, with prodding and turning and poking all around, but Lynxpelt's presence, seeing how the young cat wanted to learn and memorize every herb and every question, made it more bearable, even a little fun to see her be quizzed by her new mentor on the procedure.

Until the very moment the medic asked the apprentice, kindly (and Bogsnarl was seldom kind), to fetch Stoatrun. A knot had twisted in her throat the second they were left alone.

And she found out it was a ghost pregnancy.

She knew it could happen to anyone, that no spirit was wishing ill upon her for it, that no comment should be made on her in regards of unloyalty or heresy, but in an instant cool, composed, calculating Gravelwing just yowled her pain for all to hear, uncaring of the rest of the world.

Her chance at a new family, a possible new normal, a feasible good thing was gone, yet it had never been there in the first place without her knowledge.

She'd still need round-the-day care, she still had milk at the end of it, but no kneading kittens to drink it, and an empty nest while Stoatrun needed to go on patrols despite the sorrow that weighed him down too, and the overwhelming feeling of grief for what it could have been.

And now, for the past moon, she'd been sleeping in the nursery, her teats still full of milk but her belly deflated, like her mood.

Anytime she'd step out to participate in amy activity the whisperings began again, and although it had been a moonsliver since Bogsnarl had officially declared her fit for work again, she knew the moment she'd go out someone would tear the nest in the nursery to pieces for its components, and the sense of dread anytime she even thought of going back to her nest next to the other Warriors made her legs tremble.

It got harder to groom herself everyday, looking at her own body made her shiver from head to tail, so Stoatrun would be the one to do so every time he'd come back from patrols. The time they spent together was silent, afraid that every question they'd pose would be met with nothing more than a tense breath and awkward silence.

Less cats visited her, now, no more joyful games or silly chats, and while some of it was probably Bogsnarl shooing them away, she couldn't decide if the other reason outweighed it.

Because she could hear the grumbling of stomachs, the shivers and chattering teeth just outside the bramble wall even while it was covered in thick snow. And the quiet remark of "someone here is doing nothing to help" stung just as much as if it was said directly to her face.

Her role was important. She should be out there hunting and tanning skin and lining the walls with bark, but nothing helped her feet move.

—

Her trail of thought was interrupted by the sound of shuffling from outside. Some gasps filled the silent camp suddenly, someone growling at another loudly before a third cat shushed them again. Gravelwing was confused, but then a booming, harsh, and wrathful shriek from Bluestar silenced most of the voices.

She wondered, as she looked up from the puddle to glance at the leader and a gaggle of cats who made their way towards the Highrock, what could be so serious that everyone was either whispering or yelling about it. When they moved out of view, she questioned if the worried whispers came from an imminent attack, despite no physical commotion or strange scents filling the air, but then the sound of pawsteps came closer and closer to the nursery entrance.

She could catch some bits of a conversation between Doeyell and Lilyflurry, their words hushed, but clear as day she heard the word "kitten" being spoken.

Her ears strained, wishing to listen more, to know how she might have to feel, until a small orange head peeked in: Fireheart holding a ball of down feathers in his mouth. She didn't question it, still hiding in the darkness, as the many cats now walking in the entrance were cloaking the inside of the nursery from the cold light.

Then the Primehunter Lilyflurry stepped inside, coming closer, the wispy white fur of his cheeks catching small rays of sunlight from behind.

"Gravelwing, would you be willing to wean this kitten here?" Lilyflurry asked, and Gravelwing's teal eyes grew wide until she recognized how the bundle of down dangling from her former apprentice's jaw had eyes and a mouth and a tiny little nose between all the fur.

Said Warrior, with a worried expression, pushed himself further inside, his head hung low to better show the tiny kitten, as if he'd realized a second too late that the grieving queen could not tell what it was.

And even if that wasn't enough, the little thing gathered a long breath and mewled as loud as it could, waking up the cat in front of it from the state of trance she'd been living in, lasting entire moon phases.

Fireheart and Lilyflurry didn't need to wait for a spoken answer as the kitten was grabbed hastily, then placed inside the nest and shielded between Gravelwing's body and her plumy tail.

Up close she could see their features better, underneath the fluff: their squinty eyes were still kitten-blue, the color of summer skies, their ears still closed to the sounds of the world, and their fur was even more dense and white and curly than previously imagined, barely letting two kneading paws peek out of it. Shifting around to keep them even closer she began to wordlessly lick their fur backwards to bring back more warmth in the body.

A sigh of relief from both of the cats standing in front of her made Gravelwing look up again, and in that moment it'd been as if the gravity of the situation hit her- Fireheart had just brought her a kitten in need of help.

Looking back down at them she noticed how their ears, even if still closed, had the same notch in the center that Fireheart owned, which let the tips of them flop sideways. For a moment she wondered, as if to deny reality, that it might have been Lilyflurry’s kin somehow, with the blinding white of their fur, but those ears, and the tuft sticking up from the top of their snout, and the curls which Fireheart also had in his cheeks cleared who was truly related to them.

Before she could ask, however, all three cats turned around at the bemused call of "hold up!" By Doeyell, who entered by shoving the Primehunter and Junior Warrior to the side, making them almost stumble in the unused nursery nests.

"Gravelwing dear," she began, her voice serious but sweetened by worry, "in your current state are you even sure you'd want to keep a kitten that won't be of your family? Since Bluestar decided that the task of True Parent falls upon.... this other grown kitten." The last sentence was accentuated by a growl as she turned towards Fireheart, who in turn stood still and proud even if his ears pinned themselves back.

"And let him starve? I told you, his mother wishes for him to be raised in a Clan, and Bluestar agreed. You're the one that taught me the whole Clan takes care of the kits!" He growled back at the senior warrior. "Or do you think Bogsnarl should go invent a new herb mixture to let me produce milk instead?"

"Still, it does not change the fact that this here is not her kitten, nor was he born to a Clan, and Gravelwing here might not be comfortable with caring for them!" Doeyell replied, and the Senior Warrior and only Nurse realized she'd just hit a badger's nest with a beehive by saying that to Fireheart just as he hissed back.

"How DARE you of all cats! I proved that I'm loyal to death for Thunderclan because you thought my previous life was too soft! This kitten here DOESN'T HAVE A PREVIOUS LIFE! He was born two moonslivers ago, so what does he have to compare, the taste of milk?!"

Feeling that a fight might start between the two hotheaded Warriors, Lilyflurry put a paw firmly between them. "This is the nursery," He hissed under his breath, but both Doeyell and Fireheart's tails were lashing madly, two pairs of green eyes locking and exchanging venom, despite the reminder they'd just been given.

Gravelwing believed that as soon as the white warrior would blink both cats would be tearing at each other's whiskers, and that was the last thing she needed to see that very day, yet words caught in her throat- what if something she'd say to one would set the other cat off? She cared about both dearly, a respected Senior and her apprentice, and she didn't wish for animosity between them, but now it was coming to that, fast, in front of her and a kitten.

A cough from just beyond the entrance interrupted them, and suddenly all cats inside stood straighter as a result of it, quieting down and interrupting the fight for a moment. Even the kitten quit squirming for a second as Bluestar and Tigerslash strode inside the den, the Leader walking right up to Gravelwing.

The queen moved to stand up, but a whisker-twitch from Bluestar beckoned her to stay comfortable, despite the tension she held in her gaze and shoulders. Tigerslash stopped just behind her, glaring intermittently at both Fireheart and the furball of a kitten at her belly.

"Have you agreed to wean the kitten, Gravelwing?" She meowed, somberly.

"Of course she did!" "Of course she didn't!" Fireheart and Tigerslash answered in unison, then the Deputy growled at the young Warrior, who answered at the aggression with a huff. The Leader however shot back a stern look, silencing both, and despite her cold equanimity her deep blue eyes glared daggers at both of them.

"I asked the question to Gravelwing," she pointed out, "and the only answer that is to decide the kit's fate is hers. If she denies her milk to him we'll find another solution, if she accepts him then she'll wean him, but nobody else's opinion on my decision to let the kitten in Thunderclan will be questioned or defended by anybody but me. Understood?"

Gravelwing's heart leapt in her throat at the realization that this decision was not being forced onto her. The kitten would not go hungry, she knew that, there were ways to induce milk in a cat and, if nothing else worked, bloodsoup wasn't hard to make even if it wasn't ideal.

It was her decision to care for him, and Doeyell was a little right: it would probably hurt a lot, the idea that this wasn't even her son in the Clan's tradition because Fireheart was the True Parent, this could not replace the kittens she could have had if things were better...

But looking down at him, his wriggling limbs, and Fireheart's ear notches on the tiny white head, she thought of how her Apprentice would strut around camp with his first hunt's reward, his ears wiggling up and down with the bounce in his step.

She remembered his kindness when the Retiree Leopardgrowl wouldn't remember his name and believed he was Seedstep, of all cats, of how he was not rude or blamed the sick cat despite no-one ever teaching him what timerot was.

She remembered how, when she showed him how to tackle opponents to the ground, he had immediately apologized once he'd gotten it right when trying with her, how he was apologetic thinking she'd hit her head too hard on the sand.

She thought of how he listened to her cry pathetically about the Disgraced Maplehawk, saying how much she missed him despite him, at the time, having been just across camp, yet invisible in the prison den.

How her entire family cried when Firepaw had to say that her ex-mate, from being a prisoner, died a hero because he fought Shadowclan's thieves with Ravenscruff, long enough for Fireheart to run to safety.

How they gathered around and had their own vigil because there was no body and half the Clan still thought he was too guilty of treason, and how he also cried with them for a cat he would have only known as a criminal.

She remembered how, the day he was named Fireheart, and she cheered his name so loudly with all her lungs, he specifically ran up to thank her for teaching him so well, and she said the Clan would need more cats like him.

And at her belly, there was a cat he would have to raise alone, and she thought again of how the Clan needed more cats like him now more than ever.

"Yes, Bluestar. I want to help wean the kitten." She mewedlooking back at the Leader with a resolve to life she had not felt in moons.

A sigh of relief came from both Lilyflurry and Fireheart, but Bluestar only answered in a curt nod, then turned around to leave.

"Bluestar!" Doeyell called, but the Leader didn't even look back at her, "will the kitten even have a formal introduction? Or a Clan name in two moons?"

Bluestar turned around then, but stared at the kitten, not at who she was supposed to answer. "He has a name already and was welcomed to the world before, there's no need for it."

—

Stoatrun had almost tripped on his own paws when rushing into the nursery, and his mate had to kindly remind him that there was a kitten sleeping before he woke up the owls, too, with his shocked yelling. He was briefed on what happened after his hunt, and simply wanted to see the kit.

Gravelwing was ready to stand her ground on her decision, but knew he, of all cats, would be the most opposed to any argument of leaving a kit to starve.

Inside the nursery was Fireheart, too, crouching in one of the unused nesting spots. Gravelwing did not invite him to stay, but she had no reason to send him away. He just stared at the kitten, who was for all intents and purposes his son now, with worry wrinkling his brow, as if at any moment he might sprout wings and flitter away and he'd be the one to have to catch him.

Stoatrun positioned himself so the Junior could still see while licking his mate's fur, and would intermittently bend down to nuzzle the kitten as well, who was now half asleep and unmoving, except for the rise and fall of his sides.

"Bluestar said he's got a name, yes?" The queen finally broke the silence, looking at her former Apprentice, who nodded in response.

"His mother named him Cloudy, since he's.... well, like that." Fireheart answered, not tearing his gaze from his son and nephew, looking at the soft curls of his white fur.

"Hold on, y’know his name? What ’bout his mother?" Stoatrun inquired, and Fireheart stiffened all of a sudden before looking down, dejected.

"My sister," he muttered, "She was pregnant, gave birth, showed up with Cloudy here and told me to raise him."

"She's a kittypet, correct?" Gravelwing asked, again, and if the Warrior could look more mortified he might have as he scrambled back on his feet.

"I-I just... I still feel so othered, Gravelwing,” He admitted. “You all have families, and mates, and parents and children and kin in here, and the moment I lost Ravenscruff, and Maplehawk, and now Cricketpurr’s friendship... I was alone... I met Princess only once before the last new moon, by accident, but then you moved in here, and felt so sick and sad, that I just couldn't bear it to come and ask for help for my small problems....

“So I'd go in her den, look after her five- five of them- five kittens so she could stretch her legs, because her folk was never home.... and then today she tells me she wants to make sure she could see at least her firstborn grow up not far from her, and that this way a piece of my family would be here with me, and maybe I would not feel so miserable, and I didn't stop her because she's right!"

He looked up with dark streaks of tears under his eyes. "I never forced her, you have to believe me, I never stole him, and I never wanted to put the Clan in danger... I'm just so lonely, Gravelwing...."

A strong set of paws pulled the standing Warrior closer to the other three cats, and his head was nestled just below Gravelwing's. Stoatrun, even if less warmly, laid his head on Fireheart's back, and both were purring to him for comfort.

"That’s all a lot to go through," Stoatrun muttered, "and y’even made time for me, after Lynxpelt got hurt, but you sound like you haven't had a break since you became a full Warrior, so maybe you should, let it go a bit maybe? Like, I know you found a distraction- a good one mind you- well, maybe not the best technically, since it was traitorous to speak to your kittypet kin-"

A small groan followed. "What my mate is trying to say," Gravelwing cut in, "is that we get how that would be stressful and how it lead you to feel this way. And we're sorry this is happening, and that you felt like you could not come here."

She leaned in to lick the top of his head, her voice dropping lower with her purrs. "I know I was going through a lot, and I probably still am, but Fireheart you are nothing short of family here, if not by blood then by heart. My nest will always have space if you ever need it, both for you and little Cloudy here, so don't be a stranger just because you're out of apprenticeship."

Fireheart still looked unsure, yet shuffled closer to the both of them, sighing and laying his tail over their fur. The older Warriors did the same, and now, all curled around each other and the kitten, they collectively had some time to rest their bodies and spirits from the emotions.

Not long after, two other cats trotted inside the quiet nursery, after Cloudy had begun to sleep soundly, belly full and paws in the air. Sandstorm was the first to dare getting close and look at the kitten by her mother's belly, but made no comment.

Twigsplinter was another story, the young Warrior having gotten over his head one too many times in front of his family and having gotten away with voicing his ideas easily before.

"Are we... sure we want this eyesore in here?" He mustered every inch of self control, of which he had little left, to ask the question without adding unnecessary adjectives, but it was to save them for the next sentence, when nobody had yet answered him.

"I mean, he's so white he might blind the prey away from here! And with the kittypet blood we might as well-"

The Gravelwing of the morning before might have been too tired, she might have let her son continue even if unhappily so, she might have even let those comments be said about her, but right now, in a flash, she was half a step away from his face, growling quite loudly and leaving Stoatrun to faceplant in the nest.

"Son, I'll do my best to tell you this in a way you won't forget without making your ears evenly scratched," she hissed, looking now taller, bigger, as he shrunk down and curled his long tail between his legs.

"If you were about to imply we "might as well" do something other than feed him, I would be the first and last in line to tell Bluestar to find a way to drill the Code of Kittens in your head, since I made you working ears last time I remembered. And now that you mention it, in the same way you have Windclan blood through your father and loner blood through me, this kitten has kittypet blood like his True Parent, and Fireheart was the one to rip your ear tip after you tried beating his defenseless brother."

"Mother," Twigsplinter tried interjecting, but Gravelwing just growled louder.

"I was not finished! Call any kitten eyesore or worthless again and I might just throw you out of here myself! How dare you, I thought I had raised a valorous Warrior but it seems something crawled in your head to have you say such idiotic things!"

Sandstorm, a now awake Cloudy, and their respective fathers could only look as Twigsplinter was almost swallowed up by his mother's fury, and if anyone outside of the nursery heard they might think the bramble walls were about to burst from the noise.

A second passed, and the stiffness in Gravelwing's body faltered, until her fur had laid back down normally and her posture was straighter than a tree.

Her son, on the other hand, seemed to try to make themselves even smaller than before.

Sandstorm stuck her tongue out at her brother in an act of defiance. “Also Twigsplinter, Frostflash's all white as well, and Snowkit too, not to mention my Mentor and Primehunter Lilyflurry is just as white as that little furball, so ask him how he blinds prey with his fur, maybe it helps him catch it!”

She shut herself when her mother turned around, but still had a smug expression.

"Apologize." she simply hissed, pointing with her head to the nest behind her.

Twigsplinter peeked their head around, trying to hide the tremor in their body, to see Fireheart with his eyes blown open at the display of righteous anger. His father had a similar expression, but changed it to feign disappointment in him. Sandstorm was still smugly grinning. A nudge to his foot shook him out- Gravelwing looked calmly furious, like storm clouds thundering but only threatening to rain down.

The young Warrior then stood up, wobbled to his orange clanmate and his son, and bowed his head down, muttering a "sorry" under his breath.

“Louder." His mother demanded.

"Sorry." He answered, louder as he was asked, but then felt himself being shoved down into the nest, with his face right between Fireheart's paws.

"Good," Gravelwing stated, taking back her place in the cuddle pile, letting her mate climb with his front on her back once again, and dragged down the rest of her lanky son so they was splayed in front of her before she began grooming their fur harshly, as if they were still a kitten. Sandstorm and Stoatrun both giggled, and Twigsplinter began complaining of an injustice and how "it's no longer necessary."

"What's not necessary?" Fireheart asked, and Sandstorm pushed herself close to him before answering.

"When Maplehawk..." a small pause from her followed, but she shook her head and began again, "when we were kittens we'd fight all the time. And when it happened, he'd make us sit down, apologize, then would pull all of us back in the nursery to sleep it off. He said it's because our hearts beating together made them, and us, less angry and more united."

"It was because otherwise we'd throw pinecones at each other for hours," Twigsplinter muttered, but his sister shushed him.

"Was effective," Stoatrun purred, reaching to lick his daughter's ear, "or we wouldn't have such smart kittens, you'd have both bonked y’brains out with those cones."

Fireheart snorted at the idea. "So you're telling me Sandstorm has a better aim?"

Alternating complaints and laughter followed the declaration, with Twigsplinter playfully jabbing at both their sister and clanmate, saying he actually got faster at dodging them.

The chatting, over the next hour, died down, as the sun reached its highest point and all six cats, in that nest, fell asleep over each other, a mix of purrs and snores in the warmest part of the day.

Gravelwing dreamed of family. Not of her a year and a half younger, with little cream kittens still called Long and Lean scampering about, of Stoatrun without his neck scar, of the previous Deputy touching noses with both her and their mate.

She dreamt of Stoatrun, a suckling white kitten, Sandstorm and Twigsplinter, and Fireheart, nothing short of her son, if not by blood then by heart.

#Ccinocats #warrior cats rewrite #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats fic #CcFirestar #CcCloudtrail #CcGravelwing #CcStoatrun #CcSandstorm #CcTwigsplinter #ccinospeaks #tw pregnancy #tw phantom pregnancy #tw loss #tw death #tw grief #ccinowriting

8 notes · View notes