EOTW: Scorch's Ambition: Chapter Seven

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War
Novella 2: Scorch's Ambition
Chapter Seven

     Her opportunity didn't come for several days. Scorch kept the branch hidden beneath the cardboard box she used for battle practice, with some of the twoleg fluff from her nest scraped over it as an extra precaution. She waited for the chance to get Penny alone, but she knew she had to be cautious. If she led Penny away from the Council Home, and she suddenly ended up dead, cats would be suspicious.

     She had to make sure Penny was already away from the Council Home first, then, but that rarely happened now that she and her family led there. When she did leave, she was accompanied by other cats, and it would be too risky to be seen leading Penny away from them. No, she had to wait for a time when Penny was either alone, or in such a big crowd that no cat would notice that she had been led away.

     But finally, her chance came. Scorch was returning from a hunt, a robin in her jaws, when she saw a cat waiting for her at her nest. Her back fur prickled when she saw that it was Sunbeam. “Hey,” she mewed casually, dropping the robin by her nest. She fought to keep her gaze from flitting to the cardboard box where her poison was hidden. “What's up?”

     Sunbeam's expression was grave. Scorch felt a flicker of worry. Has she found out what I'm planning? But it was sadness, not anger, that glowed in her amber gaze.

     “Sushi died last night,” she told Scorch in a solemn tone. Scorch froze, all of her worry about being discovered forgotten. “She passed away in her sleep – the healers say that it was peaceful.”

     Sushi is dead. Grief washed over the she-cat. Though her relationship with her parents could be complicated, Sushi had always been there for her, and she had respected and cared for the elder. She lowered her head, murmuring, "I wish I'd been there."

     "No cat knew how weak she'd gotten," Sunbeam, her gaze soft with sympathy. "She was comfortable, though, and she had a long life."

     Scorch sighed. "At least she's at rest now," she mewed quietly. "And she's with her family." Sushi's parents Bellchime and Catflap had both died seasons before Scorch had been born. Wrapper had died several moons ago from an illness, and Scraps had grown weak and died from a sickness he had been trying to cure four moons ago. Other than her kits, Sushi would be reunited with her whole family among the Cats of the Stars, strong and young and at peace.

     "They're holding a vigil for her tonight at moonhigh," Sunbeam told her. "In the wide clearing in front of the Council Home."

     Scorch gave a sad flick of her ear in response. Whenever a cat in the Society died, a vigil was held in front of the Council Home. The Society was not as close as a Clan, and the entire Society never attended a vigil. The Council always attended as a show of respect, but beyond that it was usually only the friends and family of the deceased.

     But Sushi was adored by the entire Society. She was the cat who had saved them from the cruelty of BloodClan. With her kits, she had written the Code of the Street, created the Council, and had led the new Society with mercy and fairness for three and a half greenleafs. Sushi was the savior of Twolegplace. Scorch couldn't imagine a single cat in the Society who would miss her vigil, and the chance to wish their leader farewell one last time.

     Scorch stiffened. Every cat will be there, she realized. It'll be dark, crowded, and the Council will be there. Her claws slid out, hunger clawing at her gut. This is my chance to lead Penny away without any cat noticing!

     “Scorch?” Sunbeam was gazing at the gray she-cat, concern in her amber eyes. “Are you okay?” With a start, Scorch realized she had been staring off into space.

     The self-reliant fought to keep the eagerness from her tone. “I'm fine,” she mewed, allowing her grief to trickle back into her tone. “I just need some time alone.” She reached out her muzzle to brush against Sunbeam's, mewing, “I'll be at the vigil tonight.”

     Sunbeam gave a sad nod. “Alright. I'll see you then.” The tabby rose to her white paws, giving a last weary wave of her tail before turning and padding away. Scorch watched her go, grief battling with eagerness and triumph. She turned away with a fierce lash of her tail, hackles bristling with satisfaction. Be ready, Penny, she thought. You're meeting our ancestors tonight, and you can watch from the stars as I take your place on the Council.

SCENEBREAK

     Scorch spent the rest of the day hunting. As night began to fall, she brought her catch back to her nest. She ate the robin, and one of the mice. Some of the prey she had given to the elders, but she had saved a magpie. The dark-colored bird was sprawled out in front of her as she sat in her nest, dragging the yew branch away from the cardboard box and towards herself.

     Carefully, she plucked some of the red berries off of the branch. With her claws, she crushed some of the berries, and began dripping the juice over the magpie's feathers, careful to leave a large enough patch free of berry juice so she could carry the bird. She did this with three berries, and stuffed a few heavily-crushed berries down the magpie's throat for safe measure. She wasn't sure how many berries it would take to kill a cat, but she didn't want to take any chances.

     With her job done, she cleaned her paws on a wet rag, which she'd gotten earlier so she wouldn't have to wash the berry juice from her fur with her tongue. She waited in her nest until the moon began to rise, moonhigh drawing nearer. It's time. The large she-cat grasped the berry-free part of the magpie carefully between her teeth, and began trotting towards the Council Home. She left the magpie behind a garbage can on the street just across from the Council Home, then made her way across the street.

     The clearing in front of the Council Home was more crowded than Scorch had ever seen it before. Countless cats were were packed into the clearing, their fur shining silver as they stood pelt-to-pelt in the moonlight. Scorch pushed slowly through the crowd, coming to the center of the clearing. Cats backed away as they recognized her, allowing her to get closer to her kin. Snuggle and Shy were there, as was Sunny, Scruff, and Soot. They shifted so there was room for Scorch as she approached. Sunny gazed at her daughter, fierce grief in her ice-blue eyes, while Scruff and Soot pressed against each other, expressions somber.

     Sushi's body was laid out on the cobblestones, her eyes closed, as though she were merely sleeping. The tooth-spiked collar hung loose on her frame, and she looked smaller and thinner than ever, her pelt stretched over her bones. But her gray pelt had turned white in the moonlight, her pelt almost seeming to flow with the light of the stars. She looked peaceful, in a way she never had in life.

     Heart heavy with grief, Scorch approached Sushi, touching her nose to the elder's cheek. As her muzzle brushed against Sushi's ear, she murmured in a voice too low for her family to hear, "I'm sorry for what I have to do tonight. I wouldn't do this during your vigil if there was any better way. But you know better than any cat the horrible things a cat sometimes has to do to protect her family."

     She sighed, her breath stirring the tips of Sushi's fur. "I'm only doing what you had to do, killing to keep others safe. And I hope one day, you can look down on me proudly as the leader of the Society. I'll keep your legacy and your Society safe, I promise."

     She gazed down at the body of the Society's founder a few moments longer. Could Sushi even hear her? Or had her spirit already departed, gone to run free among the Cats of the Stars? Guide my paws tonight, she prayed, rasping her tongue gently over Sushi's cheek. With your blessing and help, Penny will die tonight, and I will take my rightful place on the Council. While no living cat would understand why Scorch was doing this, she knew her ancestors could see the truth. They would understand why Penny had to die, and once Penny had joined them, she would understand too.

     Once she had said her final goodbyes to Sushi, Scorch turned away and padded back through the crowd. She could see Sniff sitting close to his mate, near the body, and Sunbeam was towards the edge, sitting between Bright and Tawny. Hubcap was sitting with some of the other border guards, Tooth and Cobweb were siting together near the body, and Swipe and Twilight were murmuring comfortingly to the trainees. But even as she spotted various Council members around the clearing, she couldn't see Penny.

     Finally, she spotted her, sitting near the edge of the crowd, her expression full of sorrow. Anger and fierce eagerness rippled through her pelt. Finally.

     Scorch pushed through the crowd, coming to stand before Penny. “Hey,” she mewed.

     Penny blinked in surprise. “Hey,” she mewed quietly. She gave a weary flick of her tail. “I'm sorry about Sushi.”

     “Thank you,” she rumbled. She hesitated, then mewed, “Will you take a walk with me? I don't think I can stand being around so many cats right now, after... you know. But I don't want to be alone.” She sighed. “And my family won't want to leave right now, and neither will Sunbeam or Hubcap, not for Sushi's vigil.” Scorch scuffed the ground with her paw, trying to look uncertain as she added, “I caught a magpie earlier – we could share it. I just want to get away from here.”

     The red-brown she-cat hesitated, then gave a small nod. “Alright.” She allowed Scorch to lead her away. Scorch kept an ear out, looking to see whether anyone had noticed them leaving, but everyone seemed distracted by the vigil. She felt a thrill of triumph as they passed beyond the Council Home, quickly darting across the street. Now I've got her alone.

     Scorch retrieved her magpie from behind the garbage can, silently thanking the Cats of the Stars that it was still there. “Come on, let's take this somewhere where we can eat in peace,” she mewed, grasping the safe patch of the magpie between her teeth. Penny flicked her ear in agreement. Together, the she-cats began walking down the side of the street.

     As they walked along, Penny murmured, “I still can't believe Sushi is gone. She was everything to the Society.” Her gaze softened with pity as she glanced at Scorch. “And I know she was your kin.” Scorch just grunted around the feathers in her jaws. “But at least she's with her family now.”

     Penny's gaze was still one Scorch, sharp with intelligence. “I'm sorry that you didn't get the Council position,” she said quietly. Scorch glanced at her, surprised at her shrewdness. “I know how much you wanted it,” Penny continued. “I hope there aren't any hard feelings. All I want is to serve my Society the best way that I can – but I know you would have been great in the position.”

     Scorch blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected an apology from Penny, or for the new Council member to be so sensitive to how much she had wanted the position. For a moment, she felt a prickle of guilt. Then she pushed it back firmly. It doesn't matter how well-intentioned she thinks she is, she thought with a fierce pulse of anger. She stole my position, and she's hurting the Society and the Code. I have to stop her.

     They retreated into a narrow alley, a bit away from the Council Home. “We can eat here,” Scorch mewed, dropping the magpie as they settled onto the pavement. Penny sat across from her. As Scorch took a small bite from the safe patch of the magpie, Penny began digging in. She curled her lip a little after the first bite; for a moment, Scorch worried the taste would put her off enough that she wouldn't keep eating. But Penny didn't seem willing to criticize Scorch's catch. She kept eating, even as Scorch's gaze on her grew more intense.

     Suddenly, Penny jerked back, eyes wide. She swiped her tongue over her jaws, as though trying to wash a bad taste out of her mouth. “Wha...?” Penny tried to take a step forward, only for her legs to buckle out from under her. She fell forward onto her chest, gasping for breath. Her jaws began to foam, her eyes bulging with terror as she clawed at the pavement, gasping and wheezing.

     Scorch felt a rush of shock. She hadn't expected the berries to work so quickly, or for Penny to be in so much pain. The she-cat let out a strangled screech of agony as she struggled and thrashed, wild terror in her amber eyes. Scorch hung back, hesitating. Every instinct screamed at her to help Penny. But she held back, forcing herself to sit and watch as Penny struggled for life.

     Penny's terrified gaze flew around the alley, until it finally fell on Scorch. “H...help me...” she gasped, her jaws frothing.

     The self-reliant felt herself start to tremble. She had not imagined that watching Penny's death would be so terrible. Guilt and fear were filling her up inside, nearly overwhelming her. But as her gaze locked with Penny's, a strange sort of calm began to settle over her. The guilt began to fade, anger and satisfaction taking her place as she remembered why she was doing this. She said nothing, keeping her narrowed golden glare on Penny, even as the terrified she-cat gazed desperately at her.

     You stole everything that I ever worked for, she thought, anger spreading like ice through her veins. You don't deserve any of it. And I'm going to watch you die, so I can take my rightful place. Her claws slid out, black hatred in her heart as she watched Penny's struggles.

     Scorch curled her lip in a cold sneer as Penny's struggles grew weaker. Say hello to Sushi for me.