Archive of Our Own

This was not his usual place of dreams. Firestar was overlooking a great valley, more wild and free then anything he'd ever seen. There were no twolegs present, and the air was rich with the scent of prey and predator. 

"I've never seen a Lera so shining." Firestar looked up and saw pale white branches. Strange considering they weren't there a minute ago. Stranger still that they were speaking to him. Such is the way of dreams. 

"And I've never seen branches that could talk." Firestar replied with a m arrow of laughter. "Is Lera the tree's name for cats?" 

"I don't know about the trees." The branches moved and a great russet face with pine dark eyes and nose came attached to the branches. Firestar froze in fear and focused his gaze on the white mark in the center of the creature's forehead. 

"But that's the word that we Herla , use. Though if you do not know Lera , you probably do not know Herla . I am a deer, and Lera is the word we use for all non-deer."

Despite the fear, Firestar's tail twitched and he tipped his head. "Think highly of yourselves, don't you?"

"Much the same can be said of you, cats." The deer tilted his head back and his deep voice held amusement. Firestar's fur lay flat. It was hard to imagine such a soothing voice belaying him harm or anger.

"You're not wrong." Firestar said. He turned around and stepped back before sitting with his tail wrapped neatly around his paws. He lifted his head in what he hoped was a solemn and wise manner. Time to make up for the nonsense of talking trees. "I am Firestar, leader of Thunderclan. And you are?"

"Rannoch, Lord of the Herd, and emissary of Herne." The deer replied, bowing his head briefly in respect, to which Firestar did the same. 

"Herne?"

"God of the forest, of healing, of the night sky."

"Oh? He's like our Silverpelt then. They stretch across the sky, keeping the lights of our ancestors safe."

"Much the same." 

Firestar nods at the view of the world, stretching as far as the dawn could reach. "Is this your territory?"

"It is the land of all Lera who wish to be here." Rannoch said warmly, before pausing and breathing out of his nose. "It is also my home, yes."

"This is the strangest dream I've ever had." Firestar admitted. "Usually it is from the future, or the past." Firestar shuddered. Pleasant memories were hard to come by in the night. "But I've never seen you before." Firestar narrowed his eyes, a familiar weariness tightening his throat. "Unless-"

"I promise I am no harbinger of doom, nor a hidden monster of the past." Rannoch said gently. "I am just here to say hello. I know a thing or two about meddlesome prophecies."

"Ah, personal experience?"

Rannoch tilted his head down, his breathe tickled the fur on Firestar's head. "From the moment I was born and longer still before."

Firestar shook his head. "At least I learned about mine when I was an adult." He paused. "Well. I wouldn't say I was fully grown yet. But close enough." 

"Your col- your clan never told you?"

"I came to the clan late, and they didn't know. Nobody knew but the leader."

"Did she prepare you for it?"

Bluestar. His mentor, his leader, his friend. In her own way she had. But it was not out of her own volition. Firestar shuffled his paws. "No, not really. Were you prepared?"

"Most things I had to learn on my own." Rannoch looked up, the light casting patterns on his face. "And with the help of Herne. But it was worth it in the end. We won peace from the treachery of our own kind."

Firestar was silent for awhile. Rannoch gazed at him from far above, the white oak leaf on his brow gleaming in a spot of sunlight. Firestar was suddenly overcome with the urge to touch it. His own little mark from Starclan was not nearly as visible.

 Firestar balanced on his hind legs and tried to reach with his paws towards Rannoch's muzzle. The deer obliged and bowed his head low, letting Firestar place his paws on his nose and sniff his long face. He placed his paw upon the white oak leaf mark. Like the rest of Rannoch's face, it was warm and soft. 

Just for a moment Firestar caught the scent of starlight around the deer. But it was not the clean, crisp scent he was used to from his own ancestors. This was reminiscent of the place of no stars; heavy with peat, blood, and rotting leaves. It was the scent of the forest at its most alive. Firestar opened his mouth to try and taste the scent, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. 

"You look melancholy, my friend." Rannoch murmured and his large eyes blinked. "What bothers you? Hasn't your prophecy been fulfilled?" 

"Mine has," Firestar sighed and sat back down. "But it never really ends. There have been countless after me, many with my own kin."

Firestar hesitated. Rannoch waited.

"I'm tired." Firestar closed his eyes. "I just want there to be peace."

"There have been many times I prayed for the same." Rannoch licked Firestar's head. "It took a long time, but that peace came. Have faith and live well when you can." He huffed. "Destiny has a way of rearing its head, whether you like it or not."

There was the sound of shuffling and a great warmth pressed against Firestar's side. He opened his eyes to find Rannoch lying in the grass next to him. Firestar purred and laid down next to the deer. Together they kept watch over the land of the Herla .

 Firestar woke to the sound of the forest branches waving in the wind, and smiled.

—

Long after his final prophecy had been fulfilled, a kitten rested in Starclan.

Rusty curled into the spongy earth, blades of grass hiding him from view. He had caught a baby mouse to eat, though it was proving difficult with his tiny paws. A familiar scent caught his nose and he stood up, abandoning his mouse entirely. 

"No branches this time, old friend." A child said from behind him. Rusty jumped backwards and grinned as he saw a little deer with a white oak leaf upon his brow. Rannoch was a bundle of sticks and spots, knees and big ears.

"S'okay. Though I very much want to climb them."

Little Rannoch snorted with laughter, and his ears flicked. "One day soon, Firestar."

"Rusty for now."

Rannoch took him in. If Rannoch was stick and stones, Rusty was a tiny ball of ginger fur and not much else. He smiled. "Nice to meet you, Rusty." He then rushed forward and shoved the kitten with his nose. "Tag! You're it!" 

Rusty sprang after him and collided with Rannoch's forelimb; which he promptly wrapped himself around and then jumped off. "No, you are!" 

A kitten and a fawn, both prophets and leaders, ran and laughed throughout all the heavens. The stars said not a word. For it was them and the forces of the world they watch that stole the two childhoods. And , the denizens of Starbuck's herd and Starclan thought alike, what a beautiful sight . 

Fiery comets in the night sky, twirling and dancing with each other through the darkness. Lighting the way for Herla and Lera together.