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Russetbreeze ran through the underbush, thanks to recent storms, even though leaf-fall had just begun, many bushes,trees and thickets had already lost most of their leaves.
With her mottled brown and ginger pelt she blended in perfectly.
She preferred hunting alone, relying on herself and not having to worry about a careless and loud apprentice.
It was a habit that had stayed with her from her loner days.
She joined Thunderclan a few months ago in greenleaf, she still wasn't sure if staying there permanently was a good idea.
The Clan cats were mostly pleasant to be around but they were also… weird.
Their almost obsession with ‘Starclan’ was concerning at best, Russetbreeze had taken refuge in conversations with Cloudtail who entertained the idea of higher beings, while being down to earth about what he thought himself.
But she had to be grateful for the clan cats regardless, as they had saved her from a brutal death.
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Autumn ran as fast as her muscles allowed her, she panted as she dashed through the underbrush, her fur wet and sticky with sweat and blood, the pads of her paws were slippery from blood, but she couldn't afford to slow down for a single second.
The heavy, musty, and very smelly breaths of the bloodhound after her, made her pupils turn to terrified slivers and her entire body pulse with terror.
Autumn was quite sure that the beast had mistaken her for a fox at first but even after it had seemed to realize its mistake, it still continued to chase her as if she were a vixen.
She did not know how long the chase lasted thus far it could have been seconds or days, but she was growing tired. Her legs had always been long for a cat, but they were still no match for the hound. She knew that, and it did too.
But she has always persevered and she wasn't going to break now. Never.
Her life flashed before her eyes, her days as a kit in the snowy alley just after she was born, her siblings, her mom. Then the time at the ‘vet’. Kind humans, a sympathetic old poodle and a colorful bird who squealed all the time. The sympathy and comfort she took from a young rabbit with black fur and soft long ears after her sister and mother died.
The panic and curiosity when she was in the box a weird silky thing wrapped around her neck, her Lizzy kind, gentle Lizzy with short curly hair, her girl. The kindest and most patient of humans.
Her brother and father had been cruel, crueler even more after Lizzy's mother, the mistress passed away. Autumn had let the girl cry into her fur until she fell asleep. A few months later when she had protected her girl from her brother, she was grabbed by her scruff by the father and thrown into the car.
Sometime later she found herself alone in the rain by the side of a road, flashlights from passing cars illuminating her for a second until they passed.
She lay there the whole night. It was the closest to giving up she ever was. Closest to accept the embrace of death.
It didn't happen though. The night passed, the sun rose and life went on. She walked aimlessly, falsely hoping that she could find the way to the city.
She walked on in a daze and would have likely walked into an early grave if not for a cheery and playful voice. “Hey there, you the russet one.” She looked up to meet a pair of buttercup yellow eyes which belonged to a grey tabby.
His name was Sterling. He was a loner about her age, maybe a few moons older, he was quite friendly and self-assured but not without reason. He was an excellent fighter. He taught her how to hunt, how to fight, how to survive and most importantly how to live again.
She had changed, changed her name to Russet, her formerly well brushed medium length trimmed fur was now long and at times mangy. Russet had learned to be faster, stronger and smarter. She was proud and cunning but according to Sterling also kind and at times judgeful.
She didn't care too much though she managed to be happy again. Until it all fell down again. During another rainy light, she had stood paralyzed, in the entry to an alley as she watched a brown furred tom tear out Sterling's throat.
He had looked up at her in a snarl but didn't chase her, he was there just for her friend, probably one of those cats who kept a grudge as a lifeline to hold onto, their one reason for survival, that wasn't worth the small thrill success would bring.
She turned and ran.
She had survived for years now,hunting for herself, fighting for herself. Sometimes finding a little company for herself so that she wouldn't go mad.
She'd travelled far, seen things she had never seen before, met many humans, cats, friendly dogs and terrifying creatures like badgers or bears. Ran, fought and survived.
Until now she ran as fast as she could. Ran and Ran. She wasn't ready to die yet. She wasn't satisfied with her life, not yet, she still had so much to do!
It started to rain, and suddenly she slipped. Her flank crashing into the side of a rock, her breath leaving her in a gasp, her eyes dilated and as she turned her head to look at the bringer of her death,shadowed creatures emerged from behind her and dashed towards the hound.
It had taken her a moment to realize that they were cats, five or six she thought at first. After a moment the full blown panic receded and she could focus on what she saw.
Five cats, a large golden furred tom, accompanied by a silver and white tabby she cat attacked the hound directly, a ginger she cat was trying to swipe at its back legs and a younger she cat stayed a bit behind calling warnings and acting as distraction.
A gray, long furred she-cat stood in front of her acting as her protector.
Later on as she recovered in the medicine den under Jayfeathers eye, she learned their names, and thanked them later as well.
And a few months later she stood before the Clan leader as he renamed her Russetbreeze and a warrior of Thunderclan.
She had much more life to live