Chapter 5 - Battle Plans
Submitted June 1, 2008 Updated October 7, 2008 Status Incomplete | In a world where animals speak and act like humans, a cat named Blaze is the heir to the leader of his home. However, a dark threat is lurking, and Blaze will have to master the ways of his father's mysterous sword if they are to survive.
Category:
Fantasy » Misc. Fantasy |
Chapter 5 - Battle Plans
Chapter 5 - Battle Plans
CHAPTER 4[/size][/b]
The sun was just starting to set, a beautiful sight. The land was just starting to take on an orange tone. Blaze stood next to the main gate, awaiting Snowpelt. It was getting late, and if she didn’t hurry up, it would be nightfall by the time they got out.
What if she didn’t want to come anymore?
Relief flooded over him as he saw the familiar silver-furred cat running towards him.
"Sorry I’m late." Snowpelt meowed when she reached Blaze. "Your mother wanted to talk to me. She said that she saw you going outside and wanted me to give you a message. She wanted the say that she was sorry for the way she was acting earlier on. She just doesn’t want any harm to come to you, but she realizes now that you are grown up and can look after yourself." Blaze felt lifted at her words.
"Did she say anything else?"
"Oh yes, I’d almost forgotten. She said be back before dark." Blaze felt great hearing that he didn’t have to sneak out anymore, that he had his mothers trust to go when he wanted to.
"Thanks Snowpelt. We better get going, or it’ll be to late." Blaze meowed. He called to the sentries to open the gate, and then they both walked out into the forest.
"Why don’t we go to the top of that hill over there? There’s not so many tall tree’s spread over it, and we could see the whole forest." Snowpelt meowed "We could even watch the sunset." She added softly.
"That’s a great idea." Blaze mewed.
Together they walked down the tall hill they were on. They could have stayed here, but the dense foliage obstructed their view. The hill they were headed to was smaller, but had little trees. As the trees grew fewer, they climbed up the grassy hill. Blaze saw that their shadows were lengthening over the orange-illuminated grass. Once they got to the highest point, they sat with their backs to a broad tree, and looked out into the horizon.
"Wow. It’s so beautiful. We can see everything from here." Snowpelt’s awe-struck voice murmured; her gaze fixed out on the horizon. "Look Blaze, we can even see the moorlands in the distance. It’s so empty; not even a single tree out there. I’m so glad we call this forest our home."
Blaze followed her gaze out into the bare lands to the north. "Me too."
"Blaze..." Snowpelt meowed, almost to quite to hear. "There’s something I’ve wanted to tell you, but I’m not sure how." Her eyes were still staring into the distance. "I just can’t bring myself to it. I-" All of a sudden the expression on her face changed. Blaze didn’t ask why, as he thought it might have something to do with what she was about to tell him.
"Blaze, look..." Snowpelt pointed with her paw the something on the border of the moorlands and the forest. "There’s something moving over there. What do you think it is? It’s moving this way." Blaze rapidly became alert. He looked towards to where she was pointing. It wasn’t just something small; it was huge. Sudden worry flooded over him like a wave, and the blood inside of him turned ice cold. The faint sound of a drumbeat rung in his ears. He knew what it was instantly.
The mighty horde in his father’s dream.
Hundreds of beasts in silver armour marched towards the forest before Blaze’s eyes. It was like a plaque of poison amongst the forest.
This can’t be right. The forest seems so peaceful. How could such an evil darkness penetrate it?
He quickly turned to Snowpelt, his voice trembling with fear.
"Snowpelt, that’s not something, it’s someone. Lots and lots of them." Blaze stood up in a start helping Snowpelt up as well. "Please Snowpelt, you have to trust me in saying that this is very bad. We have to warn the clan. Hurry." He grabbed her paw and ran as fast as he could towards the clan, Snowpelt struggling to keep up.
"What is it Blaze? Why are we running? It probably just a large group forest animals in a hurry."
"No it wasn’t Snowpelt. That was cruel, hordbeasts, marching in our direction. That can only mean trouble."
"But how do you know? They were to far away to see properly!"
Blaze almost stopped dead in his tracks, but kept running for the sake of the clan. How could she not see the danger? How could she not recognize the darkness amongst the forest? Perhaps she didn’t want to see it. Snowpelt and Blaze had lived their whole lives in peace, with no trouble having come to the forest in years.
She has become too relaxed, thinking that they where completely safe, and there is no such thing as evil. Maybe the whole clan is starting to think that way. This is terrible.
"Trust me." Blaze’s legs were starting to give way, but he couldn’t stop. He had to get home fast. The night’s darkness was taking over the sky by the time they saw the familiar red building looming over them.
"Guards!" Blaze yelled into the night. "Hurry, open the gate! Let us in at once!"
"All right, all right. Keep your fur on. Why are you in such a rush?" The voice of Nightfur answered back. All that could be seen of him was his glowing yellow eyes, as his black pelt blended in to well with the shadows.
"There’s no time to explain." Blaze panted. "Just hurry!"
Nightfur climbed down the ladder, a white and brown she-cat named hazel following right behind him. Blaze and Snowpelt caught their breath while the gates were opened.
"Keep a strong look out, especially to the north-eastern boundary of the forest, where it meets the moorlands." Blaze yelled over his shoulder, as he and Snowpelt rushed through the gates.
"Um...Ok Blaze" A dazed and confused Hazel answered back. Blaze barged through the hall doors, Snowpelt hard on his paws. Cats looked on in concern as they saw the two run to the opposite end of the hall.
"Snowpelt wait here. I need to go and tell father. Don’t say anything yet to anyone. Were still not a hundred percent sure what the threat is, and we don’t want to worry anyone." With that, he left Snowpelt standing at the door as he rushed through it, and up the spiral stairs to his father’s chamber. Russetfur was sitting on his chair, talking to Kestrel and Boulder.
"So you saw nothing suspicious?" He heard his father questioning.
"No sir, nothing. Everything was normal." Kestrel replied.
"Are you su- Blaze? What are you doing interrupting me?"
"Sorry father, it’s very important. I need to speak to you." Blaze responed.
"Very well. Thank you Kestrel, Boulder, you are excused." Kestrel and Boulder dipped their head, then left through the door. Russetfur turned got up out of his chair and strode towards him.
"What’s the matter Blaze? You know your not allowed..."
"There’s no time for explanations father! While me and Snowpelt were out walking, we saw a horde!"
"No. It can’t be. What can you tell me about it." Russetfur’s eyes widened with pure horror.
"We were to far away to see properly, but there were hundreds of them. They were on the north-eastern border of the forest and the moorlands. They are probably about an hour or two away from here by now. I remember a sound, kind of like a drum." Russetfur seemed to crumble at these words. He sunk down to his knees in defeat.
"Blaze, it’s them. The ones in my dream. I’m not sure what to do. My worst nightmare has become a reality. When I recovered from the dream, I seemed so sure. So sure I could defeat them. I vowed that that my blood would spill his, and his rain of terror will be no more. Now I feel as though every ounce of courage has been drained from me."
"What did you mean by my blood...don’t speak like that." Blaze shook his head and meowed defiantly, helping his father up. "You are the most courageous leader this clan has ever seen, and maybe, ever will. You just have to believe you can do it." Blaze looked directly into his father’s eyes.
Russetfur hadn’t seemed to pay attention to his words, but was just staring back at Blaze, as though searching for something in his eyes.
"Those eyes...I knew it...It was you..."
"Sorry?" A confused Blaze meowed
"Oh, nothing. Just thinking of how you were just like me when I was younger... Your words have filled me with hope for the future, Blaze. Ok, you’re right. We must stand and fight, for as long as we can. Thankyou Blaze. Your confidence, kindness, and determination will make a strong leader one day. Now lets show this horde what we’re made of!"
Russetfur stormed out of the chamber, Blaze following right behind, thoughts rushing through his head. Would they stand a chance? Would they win? Will he ever live to see tomorrow? He was snapped instantly into reality when he heard his fathers loud voice boom across the hallway.
"Every cat join here at once! Listen to what I have to say! Kestrel! Get the guards here now! Boulder, you gather everyone outside the building! Hurry, we have little time to loose!" Cats gathered from every door in the hallway, bedrooms, Kitchen, Sickbay, and Nursery. They all had confused looks upon their face, unsure what had caused the uproar.
Almost as soon as Kestrel and Boulder left, they came back with the guards and several other cats. They rushed through the main door, just as dazed as their companions Kestrel and Boulder. Everyone assembled close to Russetfur, anxiously awaiting his words. Whispers and murmurs rang throughout the room.
"Silence!" Russetfur yowled. "There is a terrible threat among us! Blaze and Snowpelt have spotted a horde of evil beasts heading this way. By now they will be really close, and we have to be ready. Willowpelt, take a score and a half of skilled archers. Get to the northern wall ramparts and assemble yourselves in two rows. I’ll give the call as to when to fire. When the first line has fired, bend down and reload. The second line will then shoot, bend and reload. Keep doing this until I say. Go now and get ready." The white she-cat Willowpelt hurriedly gathered cats from the group, Kestrel and Hazel being chosen as part of the archers. Once the group was sorted, they left through a corridor on the right, leading to the storage area. By the time they emerged fully equipped with bow and arrows, Russetfur was already giving the next orders.
"Right, now that’s the archers are sorted. Blaze, I need to ask you a question." Russetfur turned to face Blaze, who was standing only a few pawsteps away from him.
"Yes?" Blaze answered quickly, he was eager to take on the horde and show them what the clan was made of.
"About how many hordbeasts were there?"
"They were in the distance father, and some were obstructed by the foliage, but my guess would be four, maybe five hundred." He slowed down as realization suddenly hit him.
That’s about two to three of them for every one of us, plus I bet they don’t have old and young beasts amongst their horde.
"This means were outnumbered" Russetfur meowed quietly, almost to himself.
"Father, what about the old and young? We can’t lock them in here because, well, in case...What if they get inside? They’ll be trapped." It was hard to think of any bad beast getting within the walls of their clan.
"Yes, that is a matter to address." He meowed. He stopped and brought one paw to his chin, obviously thinking to himself. Every cat was anxious, and the few silent minutes that followed had everyone on edge. Finally, Russetfur spoke.
"I’ve got it. Blaze, I want you to lead the old and young to the quarry not that far away. Take fifty warriors with you, making a formation so that the young and old are protected in the middle, with the warriors guarding on the outside. Go by the western wall, as it is furtherer away from the moorlands in the northeast. I inspected the quarry a while back, and inside, close to the bottom, there was a small crack, which led to a large tunnel. I want you to take the cats into this cave, and block of the entrance. The tunnel leads to a clearing, which would easily hold a hundred cats. A small underground lake is located in the centre of the clearing, and is safe to drink. The only problem is that there are several other endless tunnels attached onto this clearing, and if any cat were to wander off into these tunnels, they would get lost, and most likely would never be seen again. This is why once the old and young are settled, I want 10 warriors to stay behind and guard the tunnels, making sure no one gets lost. The remaining 40 warriors have a special task. Once everything is done correctly, and the entrance is blocked off so no beast would guess it were there, you are take the eastern side of the clan wall, and sneak to the front of the building. Climb the trees, and when the horde is in range, attack them from a distance. Use rocks, arrows, even sharpened sticks; anything that will harm them. Stay hidden, and the horde will not know how many beasts are attacking them. At the same time, we will be attacking from the north wall with arrows, so they will become confused. You can’t take more than fifty warriors outside the building, as it is unsafe to leave our homes walls unguarded. We need warriors to stay behind in case they...happen to break in." Russetfur stopped talking, and saw cats nodding their heads in approval. Blaze was not sure how to feel about being chosen to lead the group.
"That’s a great idea father, but are you sure you want me to lead the group? I mean, I’m not sure I’m up to it."
Russetfur walked over to his son and put his paw on Blaze’s shoulder.
"Son, I know you are still young, but you are a born leader. I know you are up to it. I have faith in you Blaze, and no matter what happens, I’ll be proud to be your father."
Blaze became more assured at his father’s words.
"T-thank you father. I’ll do my best." Blaze meowed quietly. On a stronger note, he told his father of his worries.
"Father, If you don’t mind me saying so, I don’t think our main gate is very safe. I mean its strong, but it’s not solid, and they could shoot weapons through the bars. I think we should block it of with something."
"Hmmmm. Yes Blaze you are right, it’s not totally safe. All right, everyone who is not part of the group going to the quarry is to grab anything heavy, or something that will cover up the gaps in the gate. This will also prevent them if they get the idea to force the gates open with something heavy."
Russetfur turned to Blaze
"Now Blaze, you need to gather the warriors to accompany you, and go out the main gate before we block it. All young and old are to gather there as well. You must move swiftly, and get around to the back before the horde gets closer. Leave now, and get there as quick as you can. Arm everyone except the youngsters with a weapon, even the older cats can fight if they are in a tight spot."
Blaze nodded, and started gathering cats.
"Oh and Blaze." Blaze turned around and met his father’s gaze once more.
“Good Luck. I trust you to protect everyone. Thankyou." Blaze felt a new warmth burn inside of him, and he felt his courage starting to build.
"I will." He meowed in return, and then yowled out so everyone could hear.
"Anyone wanting to come with me to the quarry, meet me next to the main gate, including the elders and kits. All warriors must be able to arch, or if not, are willing to look after the cats left behind in the quarry. Also, we need a few cats to carry some extra arrows to make sure we don’t run out. They won’t need to arch, but they will be the ones restocking cats. If some can manage it, I think it would be best to bring daggers and swords just in case. Nursing mothers may come as well to protect their kits. Before anyone is to meet however, they must be fully equipped, and keep in mind we can only take about 50 warriors. Food must also be taken, we have no idea how long this war will last, and no cat can go without food for too long."
Blaze was surprised at how easily everyone followed his orders. No longer did they treat him like a kitten, but rather as a leader. Mothers started to gather their kits, while many cats started to make their way to the storage area. He caught a glance of his mother talking to Rusty, who was obviously complaining at the idea of walking to the quarry. Blaze thought that since he was to lead the group, he had better get his weapon and get to the gate before most.
Leaving the main group, he walked over to the same corridor the archers had gone through earlier, and walked up a small set of stairs before getting into the storage area. It was a large room, and fairly dusty, as it had been a while since any cat had any use for the weapons. On every wall were shelves, cabinets, and racks containing hundreds of weapons. Blaze pushed his way to the back of the rapidly filling room to where the bows were stored. He picked a bow off of the shelf and inspected it to make sure it was in working order.
After he was satisfied, he grabbed the nearest quiver of arrows and positioned the strap over his shoulder, so he could easily get to the arrows attached to his back. He then grabbed a small sword in its sheath, then exited the clustered room.
When he got back to the hallway, he realized that all the assembled cats had already left, obviously looking for heavy objects to block the gate. He rushed the rest of the way to the main gate, stuffing the sheath into his belt as he did so. Once there, he saw that a group of cats had already started to gather there. It looked as though all the mothers and their kits were already there, seeing as though they didn’t have to get any weapons. A few elders were in a small group together, and about 20 warriors were already here also. Amongst the group he spotted Smokey, struggling with his weight in arrows. Wandering what he was doing, he strode over towards him.
"Why are you carrying so many arrows?" Blaze questioned him once he reached him.
"Well as you already no, I’m about as accurate with a bow and arrow as a blind archer! So I decided to be helpful and carry a load of arrows." Smokey replied through gritted teeth.
"Oh come of it Smoke, I no your having a hard time with those. But you can carry them if you want to." Blaze turned around and added over his shoulder with a purr, "All the way to the quarry."
Blaze noticed immediately that many more cats had joined the group during his conversation. Thinking that he had better organize the group before the gates were bolted shut, he yowled –
"Everyone coming to the quarry, could you please listen for a moment!" Many heads turned to look at him.
"I need to know wether or not everyone is here. Dustfur, are all the elders with you?" Dustfur was one of the eldest in the clan, and his once dark grey fur was now tinged with silver. Turning back towards the group of elders, he made a quick count and answered in a frail voice,
"Yes Blaze, every elder is here."
"Excellent. What about you mother? Are all the mothers wishing to come, and all the young kits with us?"
Rosie, like Dustfur, did a quick headcount.
"All the kits are here Blaze, and all the mothers with kits younger than 3 seasons are here also. The kits that are older than 3 seasons are coming with us, but their mothers have decided that they are old enough to be with out them. They need to stay behind and help prepare."
"Alright, now I need to know how many warriors are here. If you are a warrior or a cat carrying extra supplies, could you please form a group in front of me so I can count you all." Blaze watched as the warriors grouped before him. It seemed as though the correct amount were here.
"Great! Everyone is here. We don’t need anymore warriors." Seeking out a swift warrior, Blaze spotted Boulder. "Boulder, you are fast. Run back to the main building and tell the cats inside that we no longer require any more warriors."
While the group awaited Boulders return, Blaze made a quick scan of everyone here. Felling a little shocked, he spotted the familiar silver coat of Snowpelt. He had forgotten completely about her, being tied up in his duties.
Knowing that she was a capable warrior, he approved of her being with the group, but he couldn’t help wish she hadn’t come. One part of him felt as though some kind of wall had been built between them lately. She wasn’t as open to him as she used to be, and when they talked, it seemed really awkward. The other half of him felt oblivious to all of this, and really cared about her.
Blaze didn’t know what to expect from her anymore. He still didn’t know what she was about to tell him before she saw the horde. His thoughts were broken by the yowl of Boulder. Snapping back to reality, he realised that the whole time he had been staring at Snowpelt. Seeing the questioning look on her face, he quickly turned to look at Boulder.
"Er… sorry Boulder, could you repeat that?"
"Sure. I’ve told the cats that we have everyone we need, and are ready to leave."
"Oh... um... thanks." Blaze felt his confidence slowly draining away from him.
What was I thinking? I can’t lead all these cats. We’re all doomed, and nothing we do will change that. No. I can’t think like that. We can do something. We can fight until our last breath has been drawn from our body. I know father thinks it would be better to fight until we no we can’t win, then retreat and live. I think differently. What would we have to live for knowing that we ran, rather that face the problem that threatened us? Right now, I’ve got to be strong for my for my own sake, for my clan’s sake, and I will do all I can to protect it.
Rising to his full height, he yowled loudly –
"We are about to face an unknown enemy. We don’t know how strong they are, or if in fact they can be beaten. But I want everyone to remember, that although they may have numbers, we have the fighting spirit to protect out clan. This outnumbers any amount of vermin they may have. We must be strong! I know we can do it!"
A yowl of approval met his final words. Feeling a great strength inside of him, Blaze led the group of faithful cats outside the building, into the unknown danger of Blossomtree woods.
The sun was just starting to set, a beautiful sight. The land was just starting to take on an orange tone. Blaze stood next to the main gate, awaiting Snowpelt. It was getting late, and if she didn’t hurry up, it would be nightfall by the time they got out.
What if she didn’t want to come anymore?
Relief flooded over him as he saw the familiar silver-furred cat running towards him.
"Sorry I’m late." Snowpelt meowed when she reached Blaze. "Your mother wanted to talk to me. She said that she saw you going outside and wanted me to give you a message. She wanted the say that she was sorry for the way she was acting earlier on. She just doesn’t want any harm to come to you, but she realizes now that you are grown up and can look after yourself." Blaze felt lifted at her words.
"Did she say anything else?"
"Oh yes, I’d almost forgotten. She said be back before dark." Blaze felt great hearing that he didn’t have to sneak out anymore, that he had his mothers trust to go when he wanted to.
"Thanks Snowpelt. We better get going, or it’ll be to late." Blaze meowed. He called to the sentries to open the gate, and then they both walked out into the forest.
"Why don’t we go to the top of that hill over there? There’s not so many tall tree’s spread over it, and we could see the whole forest." Snowpelt meowed "We could even watch the sunset." She added softly.
"That’s a great idea." Blaze mewed.
Together they walked down the tall hill they were on. They could have stayed here, but the dense foliage obstructed their view. The hill they were headed to was smaller, but had little trees. As the trees grew fewer, they climbed up the grassy hill. Blaze saw that their shadows were lengthening over the orange-illuminated grass. Once they got to the highest point, they sat with their backs to a broad tree, and looked out into the horizon.
"Wow. It’s so beautiful. We can see everything from here." Snowpelt’s awe-struck voice murmured; her gaze fixed out on the horizon. "Look Blaze, we can even see the moorlands in the distance. It’s so empty; not even a single tree out there. I’m so glad we call this forest our home."
Blaze followed her gaze out into the bare lands to the north. "Me too."
"Blaze..." Snowpelt meowed, almost to quite to hear. "There’s something I’ve wanted to tell you, but I’m not sure how." Her eyes were still staring into the distance. "I just can’t bring myself to it. I-" All of a sudden the expression on her face changed. Blaze didn’t ask why, as he thought it might have something to do with what she was about to tell him.
"Blaze, look..." Snowpelt pointed with her paw the something on the border of the moorlands and the forest. "There’s something moving over there. What do you think it is? It’s moving this way." Blaze rapidly became alert. He looked towards to where she was pointing. It wasn’t just something small; it was huge. Sudden worry flooded over him like a wave, and the blood inside of him turned ice cold. The faint sound of a drumbeat rung in his ears. He knew what it was instantly.
The mighty horde in his father’s dream.
Hundreds of beasts in silver armour marched towards the forest before Blaze’s eyes. It was like a plaque of poison amongst the forest.
This can’t be right. The forest seems so peaceful. How could such an evil darkness penetrate it?
He quickly turned to Snowpelt, his voice trembling with fear.
"Snowpelt, that’s not something, it’s someone. Lots and lots of them." Blaze stood up in a start helping Snowpelt up as well. "Please Snowpelt, you have to trust me in saying that this is very bad. We have to warn the clan. Hurry." He grabbed her paw and ran as fast as he could towards the clan, Snowpelt struggling to keep up.
"What is it Blaze? Why are we running? It probably just a large group forest animals in a hurry."
"No it wasn’t Snowpelt. That was cruel, hordbeasts, marching in our direction. That can only mean trouble."
"But how do you know? They were to far away to see properly!"
Blaze almost stopped dead in his tracks, but kept running for the sake of the clan. How could she not see the danger? How could she not recognize the darkness amongst the forest? Perhaps she didn’t want to see it. Snowpelt and Blaze had lived their whole lives in peace, with no trouble having come to the forest in years.
She has become too relaxed, thinking that they where completely safe, and there is no such thing as evil. Maybe the whole clan is starting to think that way. This is terrible.
"Trust me." Blaze’s legs were starting to give way, but he couldn’t stop. He had to get home fast. The night’s darkness was taking over the sky by the time they saw the familiar red building looming over them.
"Guards!" Blaze yelled into the night. "Hurry, open the gate! Let us in at once!"
"All right, all right. Keep your fur on. Why are you in such a rush?" The voice of Nightfur answered back. All that could be seen of him was his glowing yellow eyes, as his black pelt blended in to well with the shadows.
"There’s no time to explain." Blaze panted. "Just hurry!"
Nightfur climbed down the ladder, a white and brown she-cat named hazel following right behind him. Blaze and Snowpelt caught their breath while the gates were opened.
"Keep a strong look out, especially to the north-eastern boundary of the forest, where it meets the moorlands." Blaze yelled over his shoulder, as he and Snowpelt rushed through the gates.
"Um...Ok Blaze" A dazed and confused Hazel answered back. Blaze barged through the hall doors, Snowpelt hard on his paws. Cats looked on in concern as they saw the two run to the opposite end of the hall.
"Snowpelt wait here. I need to go and tell father. Don’t say anything yet to anyone. Were still not a hundred percent sure what the threat is, and we don’t want to worry anyone." With that, he left Snowpelt standing at the door as he rushed through it, and up the spiral stairs to his father’s chamber. Russetfur was sitting on his chair, talking to Kestrel and Boulder.
"So you saw nothing suspicious?" He heard his father questioning.
"No sir, nothing. Everything was normal." Kestrel replied.
"Are you su- Blaze? What are you doing interrupting me?"
"Sorry father, it’s very important. I need to speak to you." Blaze responed.
"Very well. Thank you Kestrel, Boulder, you are excused." Kestrel and Boulder dipped their head, then left through the door. Russetfur turned got up out of his chair and strode towards him.
"What’s the matter Blaze? You know your not allowed..."
"There’s no time for explanations father! While me and Snowpelt were out walking, we saw a horde!"
"No. It can’t be. What can you tell me about it." Russetfur’s eyes widened with pure horror.
"We were to far away to see properly, but there were hundreds of them. They were on the north-eastern border of the forest and the moorlands. They are probably about an hour or two away from here by now. I remember a sound, kind of like a drum." Russetfur seemed to crumble at these words. He sunk down to his knees in defeat.
"Blaze, it’s them. The ones in my dream. I’m not sure what to do. My worst nightmare has become a reality. When I recovered from the dream, I seemed so sure. So sure I could defeat them. I vowed that that my blood would spill his, and his rain of terror will be no more. Now I feel as though every ounce of courage has been drained from me."
"What did you mean by my blood...don’t speak like that." Blaze shook his head and meowed defiantly, helping his father up. "You are the most courageous leader this clan has ever seen, and maybe, ever will. You just have to believe you can do it." Blaze looked directly into his father’s eyes.
Russetfur hadn’t seemed to pay attention to his words, but was just staring back at Blaze, as though searching for something in his eyes.
"Those eyes...I knew it...It was you..."
"Sorry?" A confused Blaze meowed
"Oh, nothing. Just thinking of how you were just like me when I was younger... Your words have filled me with hope for the future, Blaze. Ok, you’re right. We must stand and fight, for as long as we can. Thankyou Blaze. Your confidence, kindness, and determination will make a strong leader one day. Now lets show this horde what we’re made of!"
Russetfur stormed out of the chamber, Blaze following right behind, thoughts rushing through his head. Would they stand a chance? Would they win? Will he ever live to see tomorrow? He was snapped instantly into reality when he heard his fathers loud voice boom across the hallway.
"Every cat join here at once! Listen to what I have to say! Kestrel! Get the guards here now! Boulder, you gather everyone outside the building! Hurry, we have little time to loose!" Cats gathered from every door in the hallway, bedrooms, Kitchen, Sickbay, and Nursery. They all had confused looks upon their face, unsure what had caused the uproar.
Almost as soon as Kestrel and Boulder left, they came back with the guards and several other cats. They rushed through the main door, just as dazed as their companions Kestrel and Boulder. Everyone assembled close to Russetfur, anxiously awaiting his words. Whispers and murmurs rang throughout the room.
"Silence!" Russetfur yowled. "There is a terrible threat among us! Blaze and Snowpelt have spotted a horde of evil beasts heading this way. By now they will be really close, and we have to be ready. Willowpelt, take a score and a half of skilled archers. Get to the northern wall ramparts and assemble yourselves in two rows. I’ll give the call as to when to fire. When the first line has fired, bend down and reload. The second line will then shoot, bend and reload. Keep doing this until I say. Go now and get ready." The white she-cat Willowpelt hurriedly gathered cats from the group, Kestrel and Hazel being chosen as part of the archers. Once the group was sorted, they left through a corridor on the right, leading to the storage area. By the time they emerged fully equipped with bow and arrows, Russetfur was already giving the next orders.
"Right, now that’s the archers are sorted. Blaze, I need to ask you a question." Russetfur turned to face Blaze, who was standing only a few pawsteps away from him.
"Yes?" Blaze answered quickly, he was eager to take on the horde and show them what the clan was made of.
"About how many hordbeasts were there?"
"They were in the distance father, and some were obstructed by the foliage, but my guess would be four, maybe five hundred." He slowed down as realization suddenly hit him.
That’s about two to three of them for every one of us, plus I bet they don’t have old and young beasts amongst their horde.
"This means were outnumbered" Russetfur meowed quietly, almost to himself.
"Father, what about the old and young? We can’t lock them in here because, well, in case...What if they get inside? They’ll be trapped." It was hard to think of any bad beast getting within the walls of their clan.
"Yes, that is a matter to address." He meowed. He stopped and brought one paw to his chin, obviously thinking to himself. Every cat was anxious, and the few silent minutes that followed had everyone on edge. Finally, Russetfur spoke.
"I’ve got it. Blaze, I want you to lead the old and young to the quarry not that far away. Take fifty warriors with you, making a formation so that the young and old are protected in the middle, with the warriors guarding on the outside. Go by the western wall, as it is furtherer away from the moorlands in the northeast. I inspected the quarry a while back, and inside, close to the bottom, there was a small crack, which led to a large tunnel. I want you to take the cats into this cave, and block of the entrance. The tunnel leads to a clearing, which would easily hold a hundred cats. A small underground lake is located in the centre of the clearing, and is safe to drink. The only problem is that there are several other endless tunnels attached onto this clearing, and if any cat were to wander off into these tunnels, they would get lost, and most likely would never be seen again. This is why once the old and young are settled, I want 10 warriors to stay behind and guard the tunnels, making sure no one gets lost. The remaining 40 warriors have a special task. Once everything is done correctly, and the entrance is blocked off so no beast would guess it were there, you are take the eastern side of the clan wall, and sneak to the front of the building. Climb the trees, and when the horde is in range, attack them from a distance. Use rocks, arrows, even sharpened sticks; anything that will harm them. Stay hidden, and the horde will not know how many beasts are attacking them. At the same time, we will be attacking from the north wall with arrows, so they will become confused. You can’t take more than fifty warriors outside the building, as it is unsafe to leave our homes walls unguarded. We need warriors to stay behind in case they...happen to break in." Russetfur stopped talking, and saw cats nodding their heads in approval. Blaze was not sure how to feel about being chosen to lead the group.
"That’s a great idea father, but are you sure you want me to lead the group? I mean, I’m not sure I’m up to it."
Russetfur walked over to his son and put his paw on Blaze’s shoulder.
"Son, I know you are still young, but you are a born leader. I know you are up to it. I have faith in you Blaze, and no matter what happens, I’ll be proud to be your father."
Blaze became more assured at his father’s words.
"T-thank you father. I’ll do my best." Blaze meowed quietly. On a stronger note, he told his father of his worries.
"Father, If you don’t mind me saying so, I don’t think our main gate is very safe. I mean its strong, but it’s not solid, and they could shoot weapons through the bars. I think we should block it of with something."
"Hmmmm. Yes Blaze you are right, it’s not totally safe. All right, everyone who is not part of the group going to the quarry is to grab anything heavy, or something that will cover up the gaps in the gate. This will also prevent them if they get the idea to force the gates open with something heavy."
Russetfur turned to Blaze
"Now Blaze, you need to gather the warriors to accompany you, and go out the main gate before we block it. All young and old are to gather there as well. You must move swiftly, and get around to the back before the horde gets closer. Leave now, and get there as quick as you can. Arm everyone except the youngsters with a weapon, even the older cats can fight if they are in a tight spot."
Blaze nodded, and started gathering cats.
"Oh and Blaze." Blaze turned around and met his father’s gaze once more.
“Good Luck. I trust you to protect everyone. Thankyou." Blaze felt a new warmth burn inside of him, and he felt his courage starting to build.
"I will." He meowed in return, and then yowled out so everyone could hear.
"Anyone wanting to come with me to the quarry, meet me next to the main gate, including the elders and kits. All warriors must be able to arch, or if not, are willing to look after the cats left behind in the quarry. Also, we need a few cats to carry some extra arrows to make sure we don’t run out. They won’t need to arch, but they will be the ones restocking cats. If some can manage it, I think it would be best to bring daggers and swords just in case. Nursing mothers may come as well to protect their kits. Before anyone is to meet however, they must be fully equipped, and keep in mind we can only take about 50 warriors. Food must also be taken, we have no idea how long this war will last, and no cat can go without food for too long."
Blaze was surprised at how easily everyone followed his orders. No longer did they treat him like a kitten, but rather as a leader. Mothers started to gather their kits, while many cats started to make their way to the storage area. He caught a glance of his mother talking to Rusty, who was obviously complaining at the idea of walking to the quarry. Blaze thought that since he was to lead the group, he had better get his weapon and get to the gate before most.
Leaving the main group, he walked over to the same corridor the archers had gone through earlier, and walked up a small set of stairs before getting into the storage area. It was a large room, and fairly dusty, as it had been a while since any cat had any use for the weapons. On every wall were shelves, cabinets, and racks containing hundreds of weapons. Blaze pushed his way to the back of the rapidly filling room to where the bows were stored. He picked a bow off of the shelf and inspected it to make sure it was in working order.
After he was satisfied, he grabbed the nearest quiver of arrows and positioned the strap over his shoulder, so he could easily get to the arrows attached to his back. He then grabbed a small sword in its sheath, then exited the clustered room.
When he got back to the hallway, he realized that all the assembled cats had already left, obviously looking for heavy objects to block the gate. He rushed the rest of the way to the main gate, stuffing the sheath into his belt as he did so. Once there, he saw that a group of cats had already started to gather there. It looked as though all the mothers and their kits were already there, seeing as though they didn’t have to get any weapons. A few elders were in a small group together, and about 20 warriors were already here also. Amongst the group he spotted Smokey, struggling with his weight in arrows. Wandering what he was doing, he strode over towards him.
"Why are you carrying so many arrows?" Blaze questioned him once he reached him.
"Well as you already no, I’m about as accurate with a bow and arrow as a blind archer! So I decided to be helpful and carry a load of arrows." Smokey replied through gritted teeth.
"Oh come of it Smoke, I no your having a hard time with those. But you can carry them if you want to." Blaze turned around and added over his shoulder with a purr, "All the way to the quarry."
Blaze noticed immediately that many more cats had joined the group during his conversation. Thinking that he had better organize the group before the gates were bolted shut, he yowled –
"Everyone coming to the quarry, could you please listen for a moment!" Many heads turned to look at him.
"I need to know wether or not everyone is here. Dustfur, are all the elders with you?" Dustfur was one of the eldest in the clan, and his once dark grey fur was now tinged with silver. Turning back towards the group of elders, he made a quick count and answered in a frail voice,
"Yes Blaze, every elder is here."
"Excellent. What about you mother? Are all the mothers wishing to come, and all the young kits with us?"
Rosie, like Dustfur, did a quick headcount.
"All the kits are here Blaze, and all the mothers with kits younger than 3 seasons are here also. The kits that are older than 3 seasons are coming with us, but their mothers have decided that they are old enough to be with out them. They need to stay behind and help prepare."
"Alright, now I need to know how many warriors are here. If you are a warrior or a cat carrying extra supplies, could you please form a group in front of me so I can count you all." Blaze watched as the warriors grouped before him. It seemed as though the correct amount were here.
"Great! Everyone is here. We don’t need anymore warriors." Seeking out a swift warrior, Blaze spotted Boulder. "Boulder, you are fast. Run back to the main building and tell the cats inside that we no longer require any more warriors."
While the group awaited Boulders return, Blaze made a quick scan of everyone here. Felling a little shocked, he spotted the familiar silver coat of Snowpelt. He had forgotten completely about her, being tied up in his duties.
Knowing that she was a capable warrior, he approved of her being with the group, but he couldn’t help wish she hadn’t come. One part of him felt as though some kind of wall had been built between them lately. She wasn’t as open to him as she used to be, and when they talked, it seemed really awkward. The other half of him felt oblivious to all of this, and really cared about her.
Blaze didn’t know what to expect from her anymore. He still didn’t know what she was about to tell him before she saw the horde. His thoughts were broken by the yowl of Boulder. Snapping back to reality, he realised that the whole time he had been staring at Snowpelt. Seeing the questioning look on her face, he quickly turned to look at Boulder.
"Er… sorry Boulder, could you repeat that?"
"Sure. I’ve told the cats that we have everyone we need, and are ready to leave."
"Oh... um... thanks." Blaze felt his confidence slowly draining away from him.
What was I thinking? I can’t lead all these cats. We’re all doomed, and nothing we do will change that. No. I can’t think like that. We can do something. We can fight until our last breath has been drawn from our body. I know father thinks it would be better to fight until we no we can’t win, then retreat and live. I think differently. What would we have to live for knowing that we ran, rather that face the problem that threatened us? Right now, I’ve got to be strong for my for my own sake, for my clan’s sake, and I will do all I can to protect it.
Rising to his full height, he yowled loudly –
"We are about to face an unknown enemy. We don’t know how strong they are, or if in fact they can be beaten. But I want everyone to remember, that although they may have numbers, we have the fighting spirit to protect out clan. This outnumbers any amount of vermin they may have. We must be strong! I know we can do it!"
A yowl of approval met his final words. Feeling a great strength inside of him, Blaze led the group of faithful cats outside the building, into the unknown danger of Blossomtree woods.
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darkwolf333 on October 21, 2008, 11:13:55 AM
darkwolf333 on
Wow this is really good .AtomicMoat on July 30, 2008, 9:33:51 AM
AtomicMoat on
wow I like how the story is moving along now