|
Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Aug 10, 2016 21:02:08 GMT -5
Prologue
"Featherstar! Featherstar!" A blue-gray tom padded quickly into the large den and came to a stop at the foot of the soft ledge where the leader slept. "Featherstar, wake up! I had a dream, with a prophecy!"
The sound of a stirring cat came from the top of the ledge, and soon, a brown head poked over the side and looked down at the little, blue medicine cat with curious amber eyes. "Well, come up here and say it then. If it's important, then I must know about it right away," the brown tom meowed and retreated to make room for the tom to jump up, though there was plenty of space on the soft ledge. "Now, what is it, Bluepool?" the leader asked and sat down, shaggy brown tail curling around his paws.
The tom, reeking of herbs, took a deep breath to calm himself then spoke with a dead serious tone, blue eyes transfixed on the messy-furred tom before him. "'When the cold cracks the holly's stem, then peace shall return to the clan.' Flameshroud told me only moments ago in a dream. I know my old mentor knows what he's talking about. I only wish he could be more clear about it all..." Bluepool looked down, the serious aura about him gone completely and replaced with worry and nervousness.
"I know he does," Featherstar meowed and placed his tail gingerly over the medicine cat's shoulders, scooting to sit beside him. "Though, we don't know of anyone who could fit the prophecy right away. We will just have to keep an eye out, I suppose," the brown leader said with a sigh. Why did prophecies always have to be in riddles?
Bluepool opened his jaws to reply, but the sound of a she-cat wailing in pain froze his body. The sound carried through the rotting halls of the old twoleg den they called home and echoed into the leader's quarters. "Bluepool! The kits are...coming!"
"You can do this," Featherstar told his friend and gave him a reassuring nod when the blue tom looked over with uncertainty pulsing in the air from him. "You know what to do, and you can do it."
Bluepool took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm going to get the poppy seeds now," he said and sprang from the soft ledge then raced out the den entrance to assist Silvermist, the only queen they had after the terrible leaf-bare.
Featherstar sighed, but did not move. "I wish you'd have more confidence in yourself, and not rely on those seeds so much..." As cries of pain rippled through the air, the prophecy rang in the SunClan leader's head over and over again. 'When the cold cracks the holly's stem, then peace shall return to the clan....'
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 1
I tackled my brother playfully, my black forepaws gently batting at his white muzzle. We rolled on the wooden ground, our pelts picking up small scraps of moss which grew on the rotting wood, but it provided us with a soft place to tumble about. As my brother rolled me over so he now loomed over me, I grabbed onto his neck with my paws and started batting at his fluffy, white belly until he retreated for a moment. Only a few moons had passed, and I was already the better fighter.
It was just another day in camp for us kits.The sun was high in the light blue sky and shone down golden rays on the forest around us -the older cats always described outside like this - but our camp's shelter shielded us from such advances by the sun when inside. Around us, warriors and apprentices, elder and queen, and medicine cat and leader all mingled; we only had few cats anymore.
"Alright you two, that's enough rough play for now. Remember you have to be gentle with your brother. Icekit's not as big or good at doing things as you are, Hollykit." My mother's voice stopped me from pouncing on Icekit at the last heartbeat.
I huffed and looked over towards her as she lay just outside the nursery, the thick ivy wall covering the wooden wall and forming a roof which stretched over to the soft thing and covered that, as well. She lay with her silvery white pelt half under the vines that stretched to the ground, but only just couldn't make it and dangled there instead. Her blue eyes looked over at us, concern swimming in those blue pools - more concern for my brother rather than me. "Come here," she ordered us. "You're filthy after rolling on the ground. I can see the moss pieces on your pelts from here."
I nudged Icekit with a paw and shook my head. He had pounced on me again, not wanting to stop our play session, but he got the message when I didn't play back. Letting me up, he looked towards our mother then back at me, and I nodded. Right after, he went bounding towards her and started getting groomed with gentle rasps of the tongue as soon as he was sat in place in front of her.
I followed, but much less enthusiastically. When I sat down too, I faced her unlike Icekit. She gave me a quick lick on the head and then gave Icekit several before giving me one more and then going back to him. "We can play just fine the way we were, you know? Icekit can handle it," I told her rather matter-of-factly. Silvermist always babied Icekit, and I, the older sister, older only by moments, had to look out for him.
The long-furred she-cat shook her head and gave me a stern but still fairly soft look. "I don't want you playing too rough with him. He's not like you. He can't do the things you and regular cats can do. He'll probably never even be a warrior. You're both already five moons old and he's still so behind you in everything." Her mew was laced with sorrow, and I thought I detected a hint of regret of as well.
"He can be a warrior!" I snapped, puffing out my chest. "You think too little of him. Just because he's a little smaller than I am and deaf doesn't mean he can't be a great warrior!"
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 2
I trotted from the freshkill pile with a mouse in my jaws. The rodent was a small one, but it still took up all the space in my mouth just to carry it as I made my way back to my brother who was sitting patiently outside the ivy curtain of the nursery. I saw his blue eyes light up with delight as I approached, and upon dropping the mouse, he thanked me with a feline grin then tore into the prey.
He ate with hunger and joy, the flavors surely bathing his tongue in an array of wonderful sensations. Each bite he took was large, and he took large chunks of the mouse with his teeth, but he still left enough for me. He always did.
I had always let him eat first since we started eating freshkill a little while ago, not quite a moon. He needed to eat all he could to grow bigger and stronger. While he ate, I made it my job to sit and watch the camp around us, being his ears. If anything happened ever, I would know and be able to alert him immediately. Once he was finished, he pushed the remnants of the mouse over with a snowy white paw. Half of it still remained, and I gratefully accepted. Crouching, I began to eat.
I hadn't even gotten three bites in when Badgerpaw strolled over, his head high and proud as usual - almost as high as his ego. "Hey, runts," he said with a mocking tone in his voice. "You got prey for me? Thanks." Before any protest could be made from me, the black and white tom snatched my share of the mouse up with a claw and held it up while it dangled from his grasp.
"Hey! I was eating that," I hissed at the older tom, my fur fluffing up in anger. I hated Badgerpaw so much. He always had to pick on us just because he was from Silvermist's first litter. "Give it back, now!"
"You want it? Come and get it then." The black tom sat down then raised his paw as high as he could with the mouse still hooked on his white claw, teasing me with its presence. But before I could do anything, Icekit actually jumped up and grabbed the mouse with two forepaws, landing with it now in his possession.
I stared in shock that Icekit had actually done that. Even I never did much about Badgerpaw but take his insults. Pride for my brother, the one I actually cared for, stirred within my chest, but it was short lived.
Our older sibling lashed his tail once in annoyance and pressed a larger white paw on Icekit's back, pinning him to the ground and maybe even squashing him. The white kit squirmed but couldn't get free from lack of strength and size.
Taking matters into my own paws now, I got ready to leap on Badgerpaw's face and claw his white muzzle, but another voice broke into the situation. "Badgerpaw, let him go. Why do you have to be so mean to your younger siblings? It's pathetic really." The dark gray tom I knew as Rainpaw, my friend, padded over. His long tail twitched at the sight of Icekit struggling under Badgerpaw's paw. "Let him go before I tell Featherstar. I don't think your uncle would take kindly to hearing you're picking on his other kin."
The black and white apprentice laid his ears back against his skull while I sat and watch his fellow apprentice defuse the situation. Badgerpaw hissed a gruff "Fine" and removed his paw from Icekit's back, mouse blood now staining his pure fur. "Whatever. I've got better things to do than be around you mousebrains anyway." With a swift turn and swish of his tail, our tormentor strolled away like he owned the world.
"You're the mousebrain," Rainpaw muttered after him then turned to us. "Are you both alright?" he asked and glanced at us, his blue eyes showing genuine concern.
"Yeah, I think so," I answered, but looked Icekit up and down. "Are you hurt?" I asked him to which he shook his head, but he clearly wasn't happy.
"He heard you?" Rainpaw asked with sudden astonishment.
I shook my head. "No, but he knows a lot of words, so if you just speak slowly enough he can tell what you're saying if he's watching you." I then proceeded to lick my smaller brother's chest of the mouse blood. There was no protest since he was used to me taking care of him. I was just surprised he had tried to stand up for me this time.
"That's pretty cool." The dark gray tom laid down on his stomach where he had stood by us, watching me clean my brother. "You really do a good job of taking care of him," he meowed, a bit shyly actually. "You're a really good sister."
"I have to take care of him," I responded in between licks. "Silvermist worries too much, Crowwing doesn't even really like him since he's deaf and not like Badgerpaw. I'm the only one who believes he can do anything, and who also doesn't fuss over him so much he could be made of cobwebs."
"I like him. I like you both," Rainpaw said quickly then looked away with an embarrassed look in his blue eyes. "I mean, you're both so good to each other and so close. You're strong together; I can see it. When you're apprentices in another moon, I can't wait to train with you guys...especially you, Hollykit." His gaze drifted away again, this time the shyness radiating off of his pelt.
I stared in confusion for a moment. Why was he being so shy about that? In the time that I had known him, he always acted a little shy around me, but why so much now? "Yeah, it'll be fun," I said, trying to hide my confusion, though it didn't work out so well.
"I'm gonna go now. I've got lots of training to do," the tom said quickly and jumped up, soon padding away on quick, silvery gray paws, his long tail drooping along behind him with the tip just barely brushing the mossy floor.
"What's wrong with him?" I thought out loud but shook my head and shrugged it off. It wasn't important. What was important was that he helped Icekit, so I was going to do something later to thank him. I'd make sure we trained together when Icekit and I were apprentices like he wanted. That would make him happy, and it was only one moon away.
Going back to grooming Icekit's fur of the red stain, he joined in and groomed my short, calico pelt. His was much harder to maintain, though, since his fur became dirty so easily, and it was also long and fluffy. Still, I worked at it and we cleaned each other, forgetting all about the mouse which had been ruined anyway. The only thing on my mind at the time was how, with Rainpaw, Icekit and I would grow stronger and become great warriors together.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 3
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather at my call!" The loud mew rang strongly throughout the camp, and cats begun to gather quickly. Everyone knew what this day was, and I was so excited that my pelt tingled and my paws kneaded the ground with anticipation. Beside me, Icekit couldn't sit still even though Silvermist kept trying to hold him steady with a paw as she rasped her tongue gently over his fluffy fur.
As cats gathered around Featherstar who sat atop the old fire den, in the main part of camp, I watched his shaggy brown form from across the camp, outside the ivy-walled nursery. The SunClan leader swept his amber eyes across all the gathering cats. I did the same, looking for my father.
I spotted a big, black and white tom with rippling muscles under his sleek pelt come to sit by Badgerpaw. His black pelt gave way to clean white at his belly, chest, and muzzle, and steady, green eyes watched Featherstar carefully. He sat tall, puffing out his chest and holding his head high. Badgerpaw slumped beside him, clearly disinterested in the ceremony about to take place, but I was glad at least Crowwing seemed proud of Icekit and I.
"This sunrise marks the time when two young cats leave their kithood behind to pursue their new time as apprentices," The leader's loud announcement snapped me out of my thoughts and forced my gaze back onto him. "Hollykit, Icekit, please come forward." He turned his head right towards us and flicked his tail as extra incentive to becoming an apprentice.
I nudged Icekit then happily bounded towards the leader, to the foot of the old fire den. However, halfway there I remembered we had to walk calmly and with dignity, so I slowed and lifted my tail. Icekit ran beside me but copied me when I stopped running and changed my posture. Together, we strode up to the fire den, standing just before the moons old ashes inside the small cave, and we turned to face the clan, all eyes on us.
"Hollykit, after spending six moons in the nursery, you are ready for your apprentice name and a mentor," Featherstar's voice sounded behind and above me. I only half paid attention as I scanned the group of cats before me for my best friend. I soon found the gray tom sitting near the back but stretching his head up to see above the heads of other cats, his silvery muzzle shining in the beams of light which penetrated the camp's wooden ceiling. His blue eyes shone with pride and happiness and so much excitement. We both were thinking the same thing, finally, we could all train together! "-will be Gorgeleap." I tuned in again to Featherstar's voice just in time to hear my new mentor's name.
The crowd began to part, and the only other calico in the clan padded up to me with long strides of her long legs, her blue eyes shining with joy. Her mostly white pelt glowed when passing under a beam of golden light, and my heart started to soar. This was it! I was going to be an apprentice, and even better, one of the kindest warriors of SunClan would be my mentor!
The she-cat stopped just in front of me, and I stretched my head up to touch noses with her. She bent down in turn, and when our noses touched I felt a spark go through me, barely able to contain the excitement. "I look forward to training you," she said happily, then sat down next to me.
"Icekit..." The brown tom looked down at my brother. I saw the joy he had for me and the excitement exploding in his little body for his own mentor, but when I looked up at Featherstar, his gaze was confused and slightly sad. "Um, Bluepool, I believe it best if your try to train him as a medicine cat."
Featherstar's words hit me like a stone, all my happiness and joy draining and being replaced with anger. Icekit couldn't hear what was going on, so his excitement remained, but I was not going to let him be a medicine cat and have his dreams crushed! If I could be a warrior's apprentice, then so could he! "No!" I yelled as loud as my little lungs would allow, my multi-colored fur fluffing out. A wave of shock flowed over the camp and all cats in the crowd gasped, as did Gorgeleap beside me. "He will not be a medicine cat!" I whirled around as I spoke, tilting my head back to glare at ragged-furred tom, my eyes blazing green fire. "Just because he can't hear, doesn't mean he can't be a great warrior!"
I felt all eyes of the crowd burning into my back which now faced them, but I didn't care. Then, Crowwing's voice rang out behind me, agitation lacing thoroughly lacing it. "Enough! Do not speak out with such disrespect at a clan meeting!" His deep, stern mew sent a shiver up my spine, but I wasn't backing down, not even for my father. He should want the same for his second son. Other cats started to yowl out their agreements, but Featherstar remained quiet and simply met my gaze, our eyes now locked on each other.
After a moment, he raised his tail for silence and broke contact long enough to look at the irritated crowd. "Silence," he meowed loudly, above the hisses and angry comments. The clan shushed. The SunClan leader returned his amber gaze back down to me, his eyes calm, golden pools. "You are so sure that a deaf cat can be a warrior?" he asked me, his voice just as calm.
"Yes," I relied confidently right away. Quickly, I glanced over to Icekit. Now, he shrank back from the clan, leaning toward me, watching them all with confused blue eyes. No way he knew what had been going on or why, only that the clan had spat at us. Returning my gaze back to Featherstar, I added, "I will not become a warrior apprentice without him."
The brown tom narrowed his eyes at me, but then closed them and started to chuckle with a few shakes of his head. "Oh, you are a stubborn, young she-cat." He sighed, finishing his little laugh. "Very well, if you are so sure that he can become a great warrior, I will give him a chance. However, I don't know of any current warriors who would be willing and patient enough to train him."
"I will." A soft, deep mew came from the midst of the crowd, and soon a bulky, ginger tom padded up to us, muscles rippling under his striped fur, even more so than Crowwing's. "I will train Icekit." The giant tom stopped behind Icekit and I, his shadow and big body looming over us as he addressed Featherstar with confidence and a soft glint in his amber eyes.
Looking up at the tom towering over us, hope filled my body. I looked over at Icekit, who was still immensely confused, but gained happiness when he saw my expression. I knew he trusted me.
"Gorseclaw, are you sure? A normal apprentice is one thing, but a deaf one? There is not taking back this decision. You know that," Featherstar meowed to the giant, orange warrior who nodded understanding, but was still so willing to teach my brother.
"Gorgeleap and I will train our apprentices together," he meowed, not going back on his choice at all.
The brown leader nodded. "Very well," he meowed softly. "Though it is unconventional to have two apprentices train so close to each other since battle may separate them, I trust you." He looked to the crowd. "From this moment on, Icekit will be known as Icepaw, and his mentor will be Gorseclaw."
Joy once again filled my body and let my heart swim. Watching Gorseclaw stretch his head down to Icekit and my brother hesitantly at first, but then eagerly push his pink nose against the huge warrior sent my heart to the sky. I loved my brother so much, and seeing him so happy and knowing I gave him the chance to become a warrior made me the happiest I had ever felt in my life. It became even better when the clan had begun to chant our names to the sky. "Hollypaw! Icepaw! Hollypaw! Icepaw!" I knew most only accepted Icepaw because it was Featherstar's word and a very respected warrior offered to be his mentor, but whatever. To the Dark Forest with them, I was ready to train with my beloved brother and help him get stronger, so we could be great warriors together.
I tackled Icepaw gently and snuggled my head into his long long, white coat, and he pushed his head gently back in turn. I could feel his happiness. Others didn't understand the bond we shared, but only I needed to know just how happy I had made him.
With him nuzzling me and our mentors watching happily, I looked out again to the crowd as they finished their cheers. Badgerpaw looked away, not caring at all. Crowwing looked down, his shoulders slumped a little in embarrassment, probably at my outburst. Silvermist was just a bundle of worry as usual while a few other cats just looked around awkwardly, not joining in the cheering at all. They probably thought Icekit being a warrior's apprentice was a mistake, but whatever. They didn't matter. It was when I saw Rainpaw that my joy faltered. He cheered and looked happy, but at the same time slight sadness swam in his eyes. Why? Wasn't he happy for us both? He had to be, but why was sadness also present? Confusion entered my mind, but only for a heartbeat before Gorgeleap's voice snapped my attention to her. "You had better rest up tonight. We have a big day ahead of us next sunrise," she mewed sweetly, and Gorseclaw nodded his happy agreement.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 4
Icepaw and I bounced lightly on our paws as we waited by the entrance. This was the dawn when we would first set paw out of camp and see the outside world! I wondered if it was anything like Rainpaw had told me as a kit when he had first been apprenticed - trees are far as the eye could see; brambles and fern and wild flowers everywhere; rocky crags splitting the earth; and further on down the mountain, a dank marsh filled with the sound of croaking frogs and buzzing dragonflies. Best of all, he said he had been taken to a place called High Cliff, where, when you stood at the edge you could see the whole world below you. I so desperately hoped to be able to go there.
"Hurry up, Gorgeleap, the apprentices are getting antsy. I don't know if can handle them on my own," the mountain of a tom Gorseclaw mewed, chuckles bouncing his voice. he sat besides us by the entrance, the early dawn sun seeming to light his ginger tabby pelt on fire. It blazed gloriously.
"I'm coming," a tired Gorgeleap answered groggily as she padded towards us, sleep still heavy in her voice and blinking eyes. "I never thought the day would come when the apprentices were up before the mentors," she joked amusingly then stretched her jaws in a wide yawn.
"We want to see the territory!" I told her excitedly. I know my brother didn't hear me, but he must have guessed what I said and judged my excitement for he nodded happily in agreement. He knew why we were waiting here.
"Let's get moving then," my calico mentor meowed, anticipating joy glittering in her eyes. She padded out the camp's bramble entrance- a hole that had been broken into the rotted wooden wall many moons ago. It was big enough for two cats, or one Gorseclaw, to squeeze through. Then, brambles weaved carefully around it and through the cracks in the wall among it to form a fox-length long tunnel.
I followed behind my mentor with Icepaw tagging along beside me. Our pelts brushed as we padded through the dark tunnel, only tiny slits of morning light able to creep inside. I heard Gorseclaw behind us, but I paid him no attention, too busy looking up at the thorny roof which stretched high above our heads. I couldn't believe that one sunrise I'd be big enough to where my head would almost touch it.
Once outside the tunnel, the scent of fresh green ferns hit my face, along with a faint odor of a mouse. Looking around, tall trees stood before us, stretching their limbs out and reaching for the sun above. Ferns and more brambles hung over well worn paths made by many patrols, and wild flowers sprang out of the leaf littered ground everywhere. I had seen a few of each of these things through cracks in the camp's walls, but actually being out here, surrounded by it all with nothing in my way, it was like magic. Although, it was still rather dark even out here, though not as dark is inside the camp walls. I looked over to Icepaw to see his reaction.
It amused me so much. His white jaw was gaping open, blue eyes shining in the low light in awe at everything. His expression mirrored my feelings so perfectly. he turned his head to look at me with wide eyes filled with wonder. I nodded to him, and he only seemed to grow happier at that. Seeing Icepaw so happy like this, it made me happy, too.
"Come on, we can't sit here all day and gawk at the trees. There's so much to show you," Gorgeleap meowed happily, her blue eyes light with her own awe. She then directed her attention to Gorseclaw. "What shall we show them first?" she inquired.
The large tom thought a moment then waved his tail happily. "How about training trees? They will be spend a lot of time there, so they should see that first," he decided. "Then we can take a walk do the mountain to the Marsh."
"Sounds perfect." The mostly white she-cat added a nod of agreement to her statement, then began walking down one of the three paths between ferns and little, white flowers. Icepaw bounded after her, and this time I followed him with Gorseclaw keeping up behind.
While we walked down the winding, narrow trail, ferns and flowers loomed over us, hanging over the path and brushing our pelts like gentle licks of loved one's tongue. It tickled like it did when Silvermist groomed me, though I didn't get as much time as Icepaw did. But it was okay, I didn't need to be fussed over like that, too.
His pure white pelt brushed mine again while we walked behind Gorgeleap. This was a regular thing that had happened long before we even left the nursery. I knew he made sure our pelts always touched or he kept me in his sights to know he wasn't alone and was safe. Honestly, it brought me a lot of comfort, too, to know that my best friend, my brother, was right there by my side and always had my back. my mind flashed back to Badgerpaw stealing our mouse and teasing us with it. Even though Icepaw couldn't hear, he didn't hesitate at all to stand up to our obnoxious older brother and get the mouse back for me. He was so brave. I just hoped that in the upcoming moons others would see that and he would prove to be a great warrior.
"We're here!" Gorgeleap's loud mew snapped me out of my thoughts, and I found myself in a small clearing surrounded by trees of a kind I had never seen, ones which had long, thin thorn-like things on their branches instead of leaves.
Their strong, sappy scent slapped my face as soon as noticed them, and I saw white sap even running in little, frozen trickles down their trunks. I wrinkled my nose at the smell. "What are those trees, and why do they stink so much?" I asked, my question muffled as I tried to hold a paw over my nose to mask the sickly scent.
"You think it it stinks? Most cats either love the smell of pine trees or don't mind it," Gorseclaw said with a hefted mew and added a chuckle as he looked down at me with amusement dancing around in his amber eyes. "Icepaw seems to really like it."
I glanced over to my brother to find it was true. He was inhaling deeply, his jaws even parted to further enhance the smell. How could he love it so much when it stank so bad? I didn't get it, but I was at least glad he was enjoying himself.
"Come see this," Gorgeleap called over to me from across the clearing as she stood under the tallest pine. I braced myself for the stinging odor then made my way quickly over to her, Icepaw and Gorseclaw's pawsteps sounding behind me.
"See this?" my mentor asked then nodded to the tree's trunk. Engraved in the bark were dozens and dozens of claw marks, but none overlapped. All the marks ran along the bark so carefully, pointing down to the grassy, needle covered ground and up to the blue sky above. "Each of these claw marks is from a warrior of SunClan. Every single one was made when an apprentice became a warrior, by that warrior, on the sun of their ceremony. In this clearing, Training Trees, every apprentice trains hard. Every mark you see on this tree is from the single claw of every warrior the clan has ever had."
"Wow," was the only thing I could muster in response, in only a breathy whisper. As I gazed up at the mighty tree, its thick trunk was covered in the marks. They stretched fox-lengths up the shaggy bark, ones further up healing over into permanent wood scars and ones down below still dripping with milky white sap. The distance and sheer number of marks showed just how long the clan had been alive and just how many warriors had made their mark. At that point on, I vowed to myself to put my claw mark on this tree someday.
Glancing over at Icepaw, I expected the same awestruck reaction, but he simply stared at the tree in confusion, his white head tilted the side and blue eyes not at all showing any wonder. How could he not be so pumped to put his claw mark here?
"I guess he doesn't understand," Gorseclaw meowed, a little disappointed himself, looking down at his apprentice. "I guess that makes sense since he can't hear what this is all about. Still, I'm sure he will feel honored when he can make his mark."
The disappointment I felt for my brother's lack of astonishment faded and was replaced with simple joy at Gorseclaw's words. So someone else really did believe Icepaw could be a great warrior. "Where is your mark?" I asked the giant, ginger tom.
"Right here," he answered and lifted an orange paw to one of the marks which had not yet grown over with wood but wasn't leaking sap anymore either. "It's been moons since I put that there. I can still remember that day perfectly, too." His eyes drifted towards the upper branches of the tree as he obviously began to recall the memory of his warrior ceremony.
"Here's mine," Gorgeleap meowed, pointing with a black paw to a mark a little below Gorseclaws. White sap still slowly flowed from it. "Hard to believe it was only six moons ago."
"You were made a warrior when we were born?" I asked the she-cat in amazement.
"Pretty close, yeah. My ceremony was only three sunrises before you, Icepaw, and Rabbitkit were born." Instantly after uttering those words she stiffened and shut her mouth, then quickly looked up at Gorseclaw who had stopped daydreaming and gave her a feline frown.
He chuckled then, rather nervously, then looked over his shoulder. "Why don't we go and see the Marsh now? All apprentices are meant to take an assessment there. You can't get a feel for the strange land too early!" With that, and a nod from Gorgeleap, he turned and started to lead the way.
I nudged Icepaw and followed with Gorgeleap taking up the rear this time, but my mind still echoed with that name. Rabbitkit. I had never heard that name before. Who was he? Why did Gorgeleap and Gorseclaw act so weird at the mention of the name? The name took over my mind. I was aware where I was walking and of Icepaw's pelt once again brushing mine, but the rest of my surroundings beyond a whisker-length melded away and had begun to fade and drift away. Who are you, Rabbitkit?
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 5
The Marsh was quite fun, and it really was like Rainpaw had said; the sound of croaking frogs and buzzing dragonflies filled the air there. It was fun to bat at the long-bodied insects, but the wet ground felt kind of weird underpaw. Icepaw seemed to like it, though. As much fun as it was, Rabbitkit's name still burned in the back of my mind the whole time. Now, we were headed to the place I wanted to see more than anything, High Cliff. I doubted I'd get an answer to my question there, but it had never changed that I wanted to see the world from its supposed rocky surface.
I huffed as we climbed further up the mountain, the previously lush forest filled with green growth giving way to only clinging trees and brush, and many loose rocks instead of soft dirt. The rocks made my steps clumsy, and I hated how they jabbed at my pads. I could tell Icepaw wasn't very happy about our ascent either on this horrible slope. He puffed more than I did and winced with every step. His muscles probably burned. Mine did too, but I bet his was worse.
"You can make it, you're almost there," Gorgeleap encouraged from behind us without so much as a fault in breath. She was probably used to all of this, though, being a warrior.
"Just a little more climbing and a gorge to cross, and you'll be at High Cliff." Gorseclaw still led the way up, looking over his broad shoulder at us from a fox-length ahead. He, too, wasn't even breathing that much heavier. Maybe climbing this rocky slope so sparse of plants was what made him so big...
The thought pushed extra energy into my mind, which, in turn, gave to my muscles. I pressed forward, pushing a bit harder with my hind legs and speeding up the slope slightly. I wanted to get stronger, too, to be able to climb this mountain with such ease. I wouldn't let a little bit of exhaustion get in the way of that!
But, before I knew it, I heard a sharp squeak from behind me, followed by the sound of stone on stone rolling down the hill. I turned back to see Icepaw go tumbling down with the rocks, a blur of white in gray and dusty tan. "Icepaw!" I screeched, but I didn't have to worry.
Gorgeleap was ready and caught him by the scruff of his neck before he could tumble all the way down with the shower of pebbles raining upon the lush forest below.
"Don't worry, you're alright," Gorgeleap reassured my brother through his long fur, which was now coated in a light layer of dirt. She set him down in front of her firmly planted paws, and he shook with fear illuminating his blue eyes.
"What happened?" I asked as I frantically but carefully made my way back down to them. Once there, Icepaw pressed his face into my pelt, still shaking like a shivered leaf.
"He tried to catch up to you when you tried pushing on ahead. He lost his footing on some rocks, but I knew at least one of you would do that. Every apprentice does at some point. Nothing to worry about as long as Gorseclaw and I are here," the calico she-cat told us then nudged Icepaw and I. "Come on then. The trek isn't over yet, and warriors don't cower over something so small. You two can make it."
I wished Icepaw could hear her encouraging words, but since he couldn't, I nudged him after my mentor had and nodded up to Gorseclaw who was waiting for his in his spot further up the slope.
Icepaw shook his head, fear still residing in his eyes when he looked at me, still pressing his pelt into mine. It was clear he wanted to go back to where the ground was solid and sturdy, but we had to see High Cliff, we had to see the world, we had to keep going.
I wasn't going to give up. I wished I hadn't left Icepaw like I had, though I hadn't noticed at the time in my determination to reach my goal, but I still wasn't going to stop. I loved my brother very much, and I knew I had to take care of him. So, I was going to teach him something now, as his older sister.
I gave him a stern and determined look then began to trek back up to my spot and then past it, growing nearer and nearer where Gorseclaw stood. I knew this hurt Icepaw; I could feel those sorrowful crystal eyes burn my back, but I kept going. He needed to learn not to give up just because you fell once. Even I knew that already.
"I don't think he's coming," Gorgeleap sighed from behind me, to which Gorseclaw flicked his tail.
"Just carry him up then. Either way, he needs to see this view from High Cliff. It's, like, every apprentice's initiation," the ginger tom meowed back.
I didn't look back at them, but I knew Gorgeleap was, in fact, carrying my brother like he was still a kit. I just pressed on, now climbing beside Gorseclaw, but struggling to keep up. I was so relieved when the mountain seemed to grow almost flat again at the top. I closed my eyes and flopped down in the dust, on the solid, rocky surface. My eyes closed against my will as my sides heaved for breath. It seemed harder to breathe than normal. Was it because I was so tired after the climb?
"Try to take slow, deep breaths. It'll help your body relax and get used to the thinner air up here," I heard Gorseclaw say from right beside me, then a shadow blocked the light. I opened my eyes to see him sitting by my side, his back to the sun, blocking it from my face.
"Oh," was all I managed to breathe out through my panting. trying his advice, I forced my lungs to take in air in a more controlled way, slow and deep. After a few inhales and exhales, I did feel a bit better, although not completely. My legs and shoulders still ached and screamed for rest even though I was already lying down.
Another heartbeat later, Gorgeleap appeared over the rocky surface with my brother dangling from her jaws. She set him down and he immediately scrabbled for me then shoved his side against mine for comfort.
I didn't protest this time, not wanting to hurt his feelings again or make him think I was mad at him, so I just laid there and breathed, envying how our mentors could make this hike look so easy.
"Get up, both of you. We're so close. You can rest once we're at High Cliff, but trust me, you won't care anymore when you see that view. It's only a tree-length away, too, just beyond those bushes right there." Gorseclaw flicked his tail towards some shrubbery bushes just up ahead, his eyes gleaming.
"Alright," I meowed breathily and stood up, nudging Icepaw as well. Gorseclaw went on ahead, padding through the bushes and vanishing on the other side. 'Only a tree-length away. We are so close,' I thought.
I followed behind, flattening my ears and squinting my eyes against the dry, jagged shrubbery as I pushed through, but nothing prepared me for what was on the other side. there, sat the giant, ginger tom in the middle of a fallen log, resting over a huge gorge. A distance away, on the other side of the connecting log, I could already see the dark green tops of other mountains peeking up beyond the orangey-tan stone surface which had to be High Cliff.
"Your destination is right over there. All you have to do is cross this fallen log here. See? Only a tree-length away," Gorseclaw said with the lightest mew and nod in the direction behind him. He sat there so confidently, too, his tail wrapped neatly around his paws while a drop whoever long lie just beneath him, the only thing keeping him from impending death being a dead log.
It was safe to say that my mouth gaped open in disbelief. He really expected us to cross that? Knots began to tighten in my belly, but I inched forward to peek down around the lip of the wide gorge opening. My mouth gaped more and eyes grew as big as moons - I was certain they had - at the sight before me. The gorge dropped down for what seemed like an eternity of falling before, faintly in the darkness, I could make out sharp, jagged spires made of ancient rock, and...some bones.
I backed away quickly and shook my head vigorously. No way was I going to cross that thing and risk falling down into that dark pit of death! My heart raced just thinking about. Merely looking at the bottom, the sheer drop down, sent shivers up my spine and sent my heart and mind into a frenzy. I couldn't do it. I came this far, but I couldn't do that.
My heart sank as I watched Icepaw take one look over the edge and then hop onto a branch of the fallen tree, then another, and then, finally, reaching the trunk. He began to make his way over to Gorseclaw, who was once again waiting on us. He couldn't scale the mountain the rest of the way, but he had no problem crossing a deadly gorge? My mind whirled.
Icepaw made it safely to his mentor then turned to look at me, determination and a look of encouragement now in his eyes. He waved his tail at me, then padded to the other side with Gorseclaw leading and leaped down onto the safety of the other side.
How was he doing this? He was so afraid to climb the rest of the slope when he slipped only a tail-length, but now he was doing things like this? Crossing a dead piece of wood over a huge gorge? My mind couldn't process it well...but, maybe, he had picked up something after all from my determination to make it up the mountain? was that what was happening right now?
"I can carry you across if you'd like."
Gorgeleap's voice startled me from behind, but I whirled around to face her then shook my head, my eyes trailing down to the ground. "No, I have to do this on my own. Icepaw did it, so I had to do it, too. I have to show him he's strong and brave, and that I'm right there with him, every step of the way." With each word I felt a little bit of courage come to me and fill my chest. I nodded to myself, deciding I was going to do it. I had showed him determination, and he had showed me he really could be brave. Now, we had to do what we came all this way up the mountain to do in the first place, and we had to do it together.
Icepaw and Gorseclaw watched me from the other side as I hesitantly set a paw on the root Icepaw had jumped on first. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, however, it still wavered slightly on the exit. But, I pressed on. Taking a little leap, i jumped onto the root and balance myself quickly, even if I wasn't over the gorge yet. I jumped to the next one right away, following in Icepaw's pawsteps with Gorgeleap right behind me. With her there, I felt a lot safer. If I slipped, I knew she would catch me before I fell.
With another breath, I jumped onto the trunk, my paws shaky as I took the first step. The tip of my tail tingled with fear I had not felt before. In fact, my whole body felt as if ants were having a celebration on my pelt, but I kept going. I looked down at the trunk, then back up at my clanmates on the other side, then back down again. My gaze flicked back and forth so I could watch my footing and how much closer I was to safety.
Each time I looked up, my eyes always landed on my brother's shining gaze, watching me with pride and happy encouragement. One time, only a fox-length away from him, I nodded. I was so close. I was doing it. And, before I knew it, I was able to leap off the log back onto solid rock. The first thing that Icepaw did was plow into me and happily lick my head, pushing me to the ground with a furry body.
I laughed and shoved him off but gave him a lick on the head in return. I had done it! We both had, and now, we could finally stand on High Cliff, together. I looked at my mentor for approval, the she-cat already standing beside us. She nodded, and Icepaw looked to Gorseclaw. He nodded as well.
We looked at each other, stunning blue meeting brilliant green, and we had the same exact thought, I knew it. This was finally it. Together, our pelts brushing, we padded over towards the peeking mountain tops. As we did so, they grew bigger and bigger, revealing more their great selves to us until we stood on the very edge on the orangey-tan, rock cliff.
Forested valleys rolled and rippled before us, small and large rivers cutting into the mixing shades of green with dramatic, flowing blue. Other mountains surrounded it all, enclosing the vast expanse of awe inspiring beauty like the world's own camp. From here, you really could see everything. With the sun shining down upon it all, it almost seemed to glow in magnificent brilliance, the trees being light aflame with golden light and rivers gleaming dazzling white among their natural colors. It really was just as Rainpaw had described it, but it was better with Icepaw by my side.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 6
"No, that's not right. You need to keep your belly off of the ground, but don't arch your back either." Gorgeleap dropped into a crouch, her back straight and belly fur only just above the grasses and needles of the clearing. "See? Like this."
I sat up and watched her, my eyes scanning her slender body's position. Trying to copy her, I crouched, but I still felt the fur on my belly brush the pine needles beneath me. With a frustrated hiss, I sat back and up and swatted at the needles, sending them scattering not even a tail-length away. "I can't do it!"
"Yes you can, you just have to keep trying. I've yet to hear about an apprentice that can get the hunter's crouch right in the first few tries," the calico she-cat meowed at me, trying to be encouraging, but I felt none of it.
"Icepaw is doing pretty well," Gorseclaw butted in from the other side of Training Trees' clearing. "He can copy what I do pretty nicely, and with slight adjustments, he might be able to hunt pretty soon." The giant tom looked so proud of Icepaw as he crouched there, his long fur not even touching the ground.
How? I thought, annoyance and disappointment for myself rolling inside my gut. "I can't do this!" I hissed then swiped at the ground again, anger growing stronger to course through my veins.
"Hollypaw, you've only tried it a few times. You need to practice more to get the hang of it," Gorgeleap told me in a soft tone, but it was clear she wasn't happy with my reaction.
"No, I don't want to do this anymore right now. Can we just train for battles instead? I'm actually good at that." Battle training was where I was strong. I could learn the moves so easily, the mentors said. I was quick and agile, and it was way more fun than hunting practice anyway.
My mentor sighed but nodded. "Alright. Gorseclaw, let Icepaw know we're switching to battle training," she called to the ginger tom across the clearing.
Gorseclaw nodded in response, and I watched him try to tell Icepaw the change of plans. Gorseclaw opened his jaws at first, but must have remember that Icepaw couldn't hear like any other apprentice. He closed his mouth again and thought for a moment, then gently swiped a paw at my brother's head.
Icepaw looked utterly confused at the light attack, staring up at Gorseclaw with his head tilted to the side at a slight angle.
The ginger tom looked back over, a little embarrassed. "I, uh, have no idea how to do this," he called over and gave a light, nervous chuckle.
I sighed and rolled my eyes then charged at my brother. His side to me, it was easy to attack him and land on his side. He fell over under me and struggled for a moment while I pinned him down, my own tail lashing behind me.
He looked almost frightened and quite sad when he saw me over him. I realized I had let my frustration slip in that one attempt to show him it was time for battle training. Letting him up, I licked his head as apology, feeling overwhelming guilt swirl and slither like a snake in my chest. Never, did I want to hurt my brother, physically or emotionally.
He perked up again at my apology and nuzzled my cheek, clearly forgiving me, but I would not forgive myself so easily for taking anger out on him for even a heartbeat.
I sighed in slight relief regardless, and dropped into a play crouch. He did the same, and I sat up then nodded to Gorseclaw. I was fairly certain he got the message now.
"Thanks," the mentor said to me, to which I gave a simple nod in reply. "Why don't you two have a little sparring match? After five sunrises of training already and learning some moves, I'd like to see how you've both retained them, and if you can use them effectively," he suggested then turned to Gorgeleap for a second opinion.
"I think that's a wonderful idea. It might help you get some of that extra energy out, and get you in a better mood, too," the older she-cat said to me with a slight purr. I knew she wasn't as cheerful as she made out to be, though. But, I wasn't doing anymore hunting practice right now.
"Fine, but you'll have to demonstrate first so Icepaw knows what we're doing," I told them, perhaps with a bit too much attitude slipping out.
Neither of them seemed to acknowledge my tone. Instead, they both shrugged and then padded to opposite ends of the training area, turned, and faced each other. They both crouched, then ran at one another. Gorgeleap was much faster than Gorseclaw, but he had size on his side. As Gorgeleap ran at him and tried to leap to the side, for what I was guessing to get at his flank, he rolled right towards her, clearly catching her off guard by the unexpected move. She faltered in her step, but leaped onto his back now that he was closer, yet he rolled again, squashing Gorgeleap underneath his massive bulk.
She recovered quickly once he was off her, but it was too late as Gorseclaw jumped on her and pinned her to the ground. She struggled and batted at his belly with her hind legs, making him get off. Once free, the calico leaped up and swiped at his muzzle in a swift fury of frenzied blows.
Gorseclaw, in reaction, stepped back, but then lunged for her more exposed belly, and they went tumbling, kicking up brown needles everywhere until Gorseclaw finally pinned her down on her side. Both of were left with their sides heaving. "I win," the big tom meowed playfully and backed off so Gorgeleap could rise.
She shook out her fur once she stood and panted. Then she gave him a playful cuff over the ear. "I let you win," she mewed, purring at the tom's reaction of slight shock. She turned to us, mine and Icepaw's mouths agape from the display of moves.
My mentor giggled at us; our faces must have been priceless. "Alright, you two. It's your turn. Let's see what you've learned."
I looked over at Icepaw and nudged his side. When he turned, I flicked my tail over to the other side of the pine trees. He nodded and ran over, seeming to understand what was happening now. Taking my place along the other side, I waited for Gorgeleap to give the signal. Quickly, I ran at my brother.
He ran back at me, but I easily bunched up my leg muscles and sprang over him, landing now behind him where he could not see. Any cat who faced us in battle would probably know he was deaf, I figured, so they would go for attacks where he could not see. I would do the same now, and in doing so, help him to overcome that obstacle before it even arose.
Icepaw turned quickly, but not quick enough. I was already looming over him mid-jump and then landed on his side, knocking him over. It wasn't even much of a fight really; it never was when we did things such as this.
I batted at his muzzle, and he struggled underneath me, I guess not thinking to use his hind legs and bombard my belly with kicks. I didn't hold back other than keeping sheathed claws. He needed to learn, and even I knew going easy on him wouldn't do any good.
Blow after blow, he only struggled, eyes shut now and randomly swinging his forepaws in a feeble attempt to block my swift paws. Then, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye and looked up. Nothing was there, but I swore I had seen a black, blurred shape dart from behind one of the pine tree trunks to another, at the very edge of Training Trees. I squinted my eyes to look among the browning brush, but the only thing I saw was a white paw flying towards my face, and then I was on the ground.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 7
Blurred, my vision faded in and out with each blink my body made in an attempt to correct itself. The trees and bushes where I had seen the black figure were nothing more than colored blobs for the few heartbeats I laid there. Icepaw had hit me pretty good, a solid blow right to my face.
The sounds of pawsteps rapidly approaching hit my ears, and then Gorgeleap nudged my shoulder gently with her head. "Are you alright, Hollypaw? Can you stand?" she asked near my ear.
I blinked a few more times and nodded, the hauled myself to my feet, but I never looked away from where I'd seen the strange thing dart between trees. "I'm fine," I answered my mentor, barely noticing Icepaw nudging me in apology and Gorseclaw standing beside us.
"What happened there? You were doing so well."
I glanced at Gorseclaw for only a split moment before my eyes returned to their original spot. "I thought I saw something, some black shape go from one of the trees over there to the other one. It might have been another cat," I told him, to which Gorgeleap bounded over to the spot I nodded to immediately, her fur bristling slightly and muscles tensed.
She reached the exact spot I saw it from and began sniffing the ground and examining the brush and tree trunks. Her muscles relaxed under her multi-colored pelt, and after a while, she turned back to us, a look of confusion and slight worry on her face. "There's nothing here. No scents or signs of anything other than small birds being in this spot for a while, at least a sunrise," she reported.
Gorseclaw walked over and joined her in the area. He, too, began scanning the brush and parting his jaws to detect scents, but he only gave the same expression. "She's right. Nothing was here," he agreed.
Both warriors looked back at Icepaw and I, but I only stared at them, my mind whirling with what it could have been that I saw - or if I had even actually seen it at all. It had been the size of a cat, I think, and all black with only the very quick look I got from the corner of my eye.
Could it have been Badgerpaw messing with me, or coming to watch our training so he could make fun of my brother and I later? Him and Crowwing were the only mostly black cats in the clan. Everyone else had more color to been seen, even in a quick glance like that...right?
Crowwing could have been here, silently assessing our training. I don't think our father would do that, though. He always seemed so ashamed of Icepaw, and sometimes me, but only when I defended my brother. I really don't think it was him.
A rogue maybe? But why was there no scent? Gorgeleap and Gorseclaw were great warriors with a lot of experience. Surely, they would have picked up some sort of odor had a cat, or anything, been there. Maybe...I was just seeing things.
"Are you sure you saw something here?" Gorseclaw inquired of me, padding back over. Concern even floated in his voice, as well as his amber eyes.
I looked down, shuffling my black forepaws in the dead pine needles and short grasses. "I don't know," I managed to mutter, rather ashamed at myself now. With lack of evidence, I wasn't so sure that I'd really seen what I thought I saw.
Gorgeleap sighed, coming to stand by her fellow mentor. "Well, there is no scent that anything threatening was there, so it's nothing to worry about. You're probably just tired. We've been training since sunrise, and it's almost sunhigh now. Let's all head back to camp and get something to eat, and not worry about imaginary predators." With her suggestion, I nodded, but even though uncertainty swam in my chest, I didn't want to pull my eyes away from that one spot, and something nagged at my heart and tugged at my mind.
When Gorseclaw started leading the way back and Icepaw nudged me again, I reluctantly willed my vision away from the trees and looked ahead where we walked back to camp.
Icepaw padded at my side, white pelt brushing mine like usual, but he was closer this time. He kept staring at me with concern swimming in those icy blue pools of his. Occasionally, he sidestepped just enough to give a gentle nudge on my shoulder, but I never turned to look at him.
I only saw him from the corner of my eye as I stared at the ground. My mind and the reason that had been fed to me told me that what I thought I saw was nothing more than a trick of the eyes, an illusion. However, my heart told me otherwise. It ached ever so slightly and willed at my brain to believe that I had really seen something; I just didn't know what it had been.
A twig cracked close by, and I visibly jumped, eyes torn from from the ground and head whirling around to see over my shoulder at the source. Gorgeleap, who was taking up the rear, had stepped on a twig on the narrow path.
She didn't say anything about my reaction, but was obviously more concerned at my current state of mind. Why had I jumped at that noise? Why was my fur bristling? Why did I feel like I was being watched from the distant bracken?
Unease wrapped its horrid claws around my body, and Icepaw's pelt no longer felt comforting but almost unnerving. Actually, it was more both at the same time - comforting and unnerving. Was something wrong with me? Why was I so worked up?
Back at camp, I raced through the entrance tunnel, leaving the other cats behind, and even cutting off Gorseclaw before he could enter. I went straight for the apprentice's den, hoping Rainpaw would be there. I need someone to talk to, someone I could trust, someone I was close to; too bad Icepaw couldn't hear, but I doubted he would have believed me anyway.
I stood in the entrance of the large den. It was much like how Featherstar's den was described to be - big with a giant, soft ledge in the middle, against the rotting wood wall. I scanned the nests along the floor; that's where apprentices' slept, while the warrior slept on the soft ledge, as the den was shared by both. In the nest that was tucked away in the furthest corner was the young tom, curled up and asleep with his flank rising and falling gradually in rhythm.
For a moment, I debated on actually waking him up, but I decided I had to. On quick paws, I made my way over to his nest then began to prod at his shoulder with a forepaw. "Rainpaw, wake up. I need to talk to you, please," I practically begged.
The dark gray tom roused and lifted his head, silvery muzzle dotted with bits of moss and deep blue eyes laden with sleep. He looked at me with a groggy expression and blinked a few times. "Hollypaw? Why'd you wake me?" he questioned, but then his expression grew more serious upon seeing how distraught I must have been. "What's the matter?"
It took a moment for me to find words, trying to work out I my head what I should say. 'I saw a shadow.' 'I might be crazy.' 'Please help me.' "I need some-one to t-alk to," is what finally came out but in a shaky vice with a slight stutter.
Rainpaw looked at me worriedly, but he then shifted in his nest, making room along the edge. "Lie down and tell me what's wrong," he insisted, and I did so without hesitation.
The nest was small for us both, so I had to kind of squeeze in against him to fit, but it definitely felt better to have someone I trusted be so close for comfort. His gray pelt was warm against mine, and it brought a sense of ease to my panicked mind; I had no idea why I was freaking out the way that I was, really. I took a deep breath to calm myself, then looked to my friend. "When we were training at Training Trees, I was on top of Icepaw, batting at him for combat practice. I was winning pretty easily, but I thought I saw something... I don't know what it was exactly, but it was black, out of the corner of my eye, and it went from one tree to another, like it was hiding and trying not to be seen. But when Goregeleap and Gorseclaw went to check it out, they said nothing but birds had been there. I know it wasn't a bird...if it was even real. I don't know... I feel like it was real, like it was...bad, but maybe I'm just a little crazy or something," I explained. I looked back up at him, my gaze having traveled to the wood ground mid-way through my exploitation.
Rainpaw watched me with curious eyes, the usual nervousness lingering behind them as well. He seemed more nervous than ever before, though, but yet, I could tell he was trying very hard not to be. "I don't think you're crazy," he said finally, his voice hinting at his unease but also filled with genuine truth. "If you think you saw something, and it scares you, then I think it's real. I mean, just because no one else saw it or smelled it doesn't mean you're crazy. Some things are just a lot harder to explain than others. Maybe you actually saw a StarClan cat?"
I listened but shook my head. "No, I don't think it was a StarClan member. Aren't they usually see-through, and their pelts made of stars?" I questioned, confused by his suggestion. "I'm sure what I noticed was more solid, and really dark, most likely black. And it made me feel weird and kind of scared. I don't think StarClan is supposed to scare us..."
Rainpaw shrugged his dark gray shoulders but the leaned a bit closer to me, pressing his pelt into mine, probably to comfort me. "Maybe it was StarClan, and maybe it wasn't. Either way, I think you saw something, and I think that you shouldn't worry about if others did or not right now," he meowed and laid his head back down. "Take a nap and get some rest. You should try to relax, but stay here with me." He suddenly got more nervous and started to stutter. "I-I mean, if you wa-nt some c-comfor-t, that-t is."
I couldn't help but almost giggle at his stuttered offer. I don't know why he got so nervous around me, or while he suggested I sleep in his nest for a bit, but I found it rather amusing and a tad cute. He was a nice cat and my best friend. Plus, it did feel better to lay here with him against his warm pelt. It felt safe and good knowing someone believed me and didn't think I was crazy; it made me feel like I wasn't crazy.
I laid my head on his shoulder and leaned into him, feeling his warmth bring me more comfort and security. His tail wrapped around my smaller body, and I heard a purr begin to rumble in his throat as he closed his eyes. I purred, too, happy to have such a good friend. I was sure he, too, was happy to make me feel better.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 8
I woke up to the soft prodding of a white paw on my shoulder. Groggily, I opened my eyes, the blurry form of my brother standing over me with worry on his face. It was easy to speculate that it was because of my little outburst yesterday, running in camp ahead of Gorseclaw and disappearing in here. I yawned then stood. I had completely forgotten that I had been sharing a nest with Rainpaw until he stirred from my movement then looked up, sleep still heavy in his eyes.
"Hollypaw?" he asked. He seemed confused that I was in his nest, but the memories of before must have hit him, as his eyes widened and he began to get nervous again. "H-how long have you be-en in here?"
Turning my head, I peered outside the den. It was darker than during the day in the camp, so I guessed it was probably the middle of the night, actually. "Not too long," I answered. "I think the moon is up right now." Looking around the shared den, I noticed Badgerpaw asleep in his nest and heard the soft sounds of warriors asleep up on the soft ledge - there were two in camp, and the warriors all slept on one of them while sharing the whole den with apprentices as well, but we got nests on the floor.
Rainpaw nodded, still nervous, like usual. He shifted in his nest and looked around at the mostly empty floor nests. "Did you sleep okay?" he asked me, turning his gaze back to me for a moment and then looking down shyly.
I nodded and replied, "Yeah. I slept well." I had slept great, in fact. It was nice to sleep next to someone other than Icepaw for once. I loved sharing a nest with Icepaw, but something about lying next to such a good friend like Rainpaw... I don't know, it just felt good and safe.
Icepaw nudged me rather hard then, making me actually shift to the side and stumble a bit. I looked at him in surprise; he had never done anything like that before. He was always so gentle with literally everything. Never once had I even swayed on my feet from him nudging me.
His eyes were huge, and he looked concerned. By the way he acted, bouncing slightly on his paws and glancing quickly out the entrance and back to me, he had been trying to tell me something for a while now. Had I really not noticed this?
"What?" I asked, knowing he'd understand what I was saying, but I added a tilt of my head to be sure. What could he really want to tell me so urgently?
He opened his mouth and said "back." He then looked to the entrance again and back at me, claws now kneading the rotting wood underpaw anxiously.
"Back?" Rainpaw repeated questioningly, watching my brother with confusion in his blue eyes. "What does that mean? Outside camp, maybe? Go back outside?"
"Training Trees?" I inquired of my brother, but he just nudged me again with a paw then ran off out the den entrance and into the main camp area.
Rainpaw and I glanced at each other then followed. Outside the den, Icepaw stood in the very center of camp and stared up at the Old Fire Den, at the top where Featherstar sat to call to the clan and gather meetings. Nothing was up there, but Icepaw stared so intently for a few moments, then looked back at us.
Rainpaw stood beside me a fox-length away, and we both looked at the spot Icepaw was so fixated on, but whatever he was seeing, we couldn't. It was nothing but dark, empty space, just like the rest of the camp. Only faint shafts of silvery moonlight resided in the darkness, besides us three.
"Cat," Icepaw meowed suddenly, watching us with huge, blue pools, his speech awkward as usual when he actually tried to speak, but now filled with urgency. "Back cat." He clawed at the ground, unease growing around him and coming off his snowy pelt in waves.
"I don't understand," Rainpaw said with a confused and concerned expression. He padded over beside Icepaw and looked up at the Old Fire Den, then turned his head and twisted his neck, trying to see from different angles. "There's nothing there."
I thought, picking through my own mind for any meaning behind my brother's broken speech. Wait, that was it! Because he couldn't hear, he couldn't speak well either. Maybe he wasn't trying to say 'back cat.' Maybe...it was something else. But, what?
"Back cat!" Icepaw meowed louder, his voice very awkward and squeaky, and loud enough to wake the camp, but nothing else really stirred. He finally started to get irritated with us and hissed those words again, tail lashing the air.
I still tried to think of what it was he was trying to say exactly, but he only got frustrated with me and hissed it again, then stomped over, now hissing it in my face. He didn't lose his temper often, so this must have been much more important than most things.
Still, I swatted at his face, not liking him hissing so close like that. Shaking my head, I gave him a light glare, and he backed off but kept insisting on 'back cat.'
"Black cat?" Rainpaw finally meowed questioningly from the side, and something finally clicked in my brain.
"Black cat? Uh, shadow cat?" I asked Icepaw then looked around quickly for my shadow. Thankfully, because of the moonlight, there was a faint darkened silhouette of me on the floor. I placed my paw on it and nodded to it then looked at my brother.
Icepaw seemed relieved and excited and nodded, getting what I was saying; we communicated well like that, using objects and expressions to say what we meant to each other. He nodded up to the ledge where Featherstar sat again. "Back cat."
Sudden fear began to creep up my spine, like a weird sense of dread. It was just like when I saw that thing at Training Trees. Maybe I really wasn't crazy. Maybe Icepaw saw it, too? But if he did, then what I saw really was real, right? Gorgeleap and Gorseclaw said there was no sign of anything being there where I had seen it at Training Trees. Could a cat be that stealthy? Was...it even a cat?
I hadn't realized I was staring off into nothing and being taken away by my thoughts until Rainpaw spoke, now right beside me again. "Hollypaw? Are you okay?"
I looked up at him, ripping myself away from my head and back to reality. "Y-yeah. I'm fine," I stuttered, that sense of dread and fear gripping my heart in cold claws.
"But your fur is bristling," he pointed out with a small nod and a worried expression.
I looked over my shoulder and sure enough, the fur along my spine was lifting. I forced it to lie flat again then looked down at my paws, shuffling them a bit in the dirt that resided on the wooden floor. "I'm okay. Really."
"Hey, you can tell me," the gray tom meowed, his voice soft and sincere. "I won't judge you, ever. I promise." Just then, the sound of paws running swiftly across the Old Fire Den sounded above us. We all looked up, Icepaw as well because we looked. Nothing was there.
"Ow!," Rainpaw yowled and quickly spun around to face me not even a heartbeat later. "Why'd you poke me with your claw?"
"I didn't," I answered immediately in my defense, very confused. "My claws weren't near you."
"Well, someone poked me, right on my flank," he said and waved his tail.
Confusion swam in my mind, but I got up and walked over to him, then looked at the dark gray fur. Near the base of his tail, something shone a dark crimson. A small spec of blood was beginning to well up through his fur. "You're bleeding..."
Rainpaw was about to speak when quiet chuckling echoed through the main camp. I couldn't tell where it was coming from, as it seemed to be coming from everywhere all at once. It seemed almost menacing...
Rainpaw pressed himself against me and stood in a fighting stance, ready to defend me if needed. I was surprised, but he seemed to do it so instinctively, while Icepaw sat where he was and glanced around, unsure about what was happening anymore. Rainpaw looked around, too, ears pricked and claws unsheathed. The fur along his spine began to rise, and his blue eyes shone with brilliant fire in the moonlight. The silvery fur which covered his muzzle looked like it was part of the moon itself. "Show yourself," he demanded in a protective growl.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 9
As dawn light seeped through the cracks of the rotting den walls, I sleepily cracked open my eyes, feeling as if I had gotten no sleep at all. After stretching my jaws in a huge yawn, I blinked away what little of the grogginess that I could and glanced around the den. Icepaw lie beside me, already awake and simply staring out the den entrance. Rainpaw wasn't in his nest at all, and Badgerpaw was also gone.
The rest of the evening had been uneventful after the disembodied chuckling. We had all stayed up for what seemed like forever, waiting and watching before we finally curled up in our nests again, when the sun was already starting to creep into the sky and the moon's silver light had begun to fade.
I rose to my paws, limbs aching and eyelids heavy. All the excitement that night had really taken its toll on my body. Training today would be horrible. I knew that already.
Icepaw stood and followed me out of the den where we met up with Rainpaw, who was actually sitting just outside the den wall, to the side of the entrance. "Why are you up already?" I asked him, but I figured he simply couldn't sleep.
Rainpaw looked down at me with focused, determined eyes. He was obviously still tired, as the fatigue lingered in those blue orbs of his, but he still looked better than I probably did. "I was...guarding you while you slept," he answered then stood. "But since you're up now, I should get ready for the day's patrols."
"Can we join you? I kind of want to talk about what happened last night." I made sure to keep my voice low at the mention of anything going on under the clan's nose.
The gray tom thought a moment then nodded. With a flick of his tail to follow, he padded to the fresh-kill pile and picked out a plump squirrel to share. We all settled by the Old Fire Den, positioned around the prey.
"So, what do you even think that was last night?" I asked in a whisper to the older tom as Icepaw took a bite of the squirrel, not even paying much attention to us; it made sense, too. He would have almost no idea of what had happened besides what he saw, and most definitely would not know what we were talking about.
Rainpaw shook his head. "I have no idea what it actually was... All I know is that it had to have been real if we both heard it." He glanced at Icepaw. "I don't know if he actually saw anything, though."
"Well, did anything else happen after we went back to sleep, if you were up all that time anyway?" I asked. I still had not even touched the prey at my paws.
"No, nothing. I listened for anything and kept watch the whole night after, but not one other thing happened that seemed out of the ordinary." He looked down at the squirrel, but I could tell he was really focusing somewhere else, somewhere in his mind. "None of it makes sense..."
"But it happened," I said quietly to him. I was sure that it did, and I was sure that I had really seen something in the forest now. It had to be connected, somehow.
Just then, a white paw knocked Icepaw onto his side, causing him to let out a little squeak of surprise. "Hey, mousebrains. What are we chatting about over here?" The black form of Badgerpaw loomed over us, and then he placed his paw onto our prey.
"None of your business," I snapped, not in the mood for any of this today, not after our eventful night and the tiny amount of sleep I had actually gotten. I stood and unsheathed my claws. "Just get out of here!"
Badgerpaw looked taken aback for only a split heartbeat, but then went back to that feline smirk of his. "Feisty this dawn, aren't we?" he asked in a mocking mew.
Rainpaw rose at that moment, his tail tip twitching with annoyance. "Just leave her alone, and Icepaw. Go jump in a river or something."
"Do you wanna fight, Rainpaw?" My older brother's pelt bristled, his claws unsheathing as well and tail slowly swishing the air. His eyes locked with Rainpaw's in a stare down of green and blue.
"Maybe I do," Rainpaw growled in response and lashed his silvery tail. The cool-headed tom was never like this. Last night and now were the only times I had ever seen him so angry, so ready to fight. All I could do was watch this seen unfold in front of me. Even Icepaw only stared from the side.
"Badgerpaw, quit fooling around like a kit and get over here!" Flarefang's harsh call filled the camp. "I'm not telling you again." The small, ginger tabby she-cat sat at the entrance with Dewstreak, who was the clan's deputy, and Crowwing.
The black and white tom gritted his teeth then glanced over at his mentor, the cat he despised most of all in the whole clan, even more so than Icepaw and I. He lashed his tail once then stalked off, hissing over his shoulder, "This isn't over."
I watched as the annoyed Flarefang cuffed Badgerpaw over the ear and Crowwing gave his famous stare of disapproval; I had seen that look directed at Icepaw so many times, and me whenever I stood up for him. Dewstreak simply sighed and shook her head, and they left camp to patrol.
"Hard to believe Flarefang is Gorseclaw's littermate. They are so different..." I thought aloud.
"Flameshroud was a lot kinder, too. I think Badgerpaw is just a jerk because Flarefang was mean to him when he was a kit," Rainpaw muttered. "Still, it's no excuse for what he does..."
I turned to look at the gray tom, wanting to question him of my brother's earlier life now, but I knew this moment wasn't the time for that. "Let's just eat so we can be ready for training or patrol," I decided. Crouching down, I finally took a bite of the squirrel in front of me, its delicious juices bathing my tongue in a magnificent array of flavor. I never got tired of the taste of squirrel.
After we ate, Gorseclaw, Grogeleap, and Goldenbreeze approached us right on time. "Are you all ready for patrol?" Gorgeleap asked happily, so typical of her character; she was always so kind and cheerful. I couldn't help but feel a bit better at her presence, like her joy was contagious.
"You guys don't look so good, though," Goldenbreeze spoke up, her high-pitched mew accompanied by a slight tilt of her head. "Did you all sleep okay? If you didn't then maybe you should rest some more before patrol, or take it a bit easier today. Without energy, an apprentice can't properly perform their duties."
"Goldenbreeze, slow down. You're meowing so fast, I can barely understand you," Gorseclaw said with a slight chuckle to which the golden-yellow she-cat gave an embarrassed nod. The large tom turned his attention back to us. "You should all be fine for patrol, but we'll give you a few moments to smooth out your fur. Meet us at the entrance when you're ready."
All three of us gave a nod, though, I was a bit surprised Icepaw nodded along with us. The older cats seemed satisfied with our answers and padded away to the entrance to wait.
"Goldenbreeze sure talks a lot, and fast," I commented once they were out of earshot.
"Yeah, she does, but she's a really good mentor. She teaches me a lot of things," Rainpaw said, having noticeably calmed down a lot. "We really should work on out fur, though. You kind of look like an actual holly bush, Hollypaw," he joked with amusement dancing in his eyes.
I purred and rolled my eyes. "You don't look much better." I'm sure my fur was everywhere in reality, but looking at Icepaw, his had to be the worst just because it was so long.
We got to work on grooming down our pelts. Like usual, Icepaw and I licked each other, smoothing each bit of unruly fur neatly into place. Rainpaw had to do it himself, but I don't think he minded too much. I did catch him throwing some longing glances my way, however. Maybe I'd help him out later. I probably did such a good job with Icepaw's fur that he wanted my help, too.
Not much time had passed before we all set out into the forest, heading down the mountain towards the Marsh. It was border patrol this time, and maybe Icepaw and I would be allowed to remark the border for the first time. Although tiredness gripped my body, excitement gave me the energy to perk up on the trip.
Gorseclaw led the patrol down the shallow slope, weaving us between trees and thick holly shrubs. Most of the other undergrowth was beginning to die out, however, as leaf-fall approached. Bracken was taking over the forest where lush fern had once grown. "Now, we have to be careful on this patrol. Fox sign has been found down near and in the Marsh. Be on your guard, everyone," the tabby tom called back.
Goldenbreeze walked in front of us, marching in step with the tom ahead. "If I see any fox, I'll be sure to give it a good whooping! No stinky, orange creature will ever come near the territory again!" the usually cheerful she-cat hissed fiercely. I noticed her claws slide out as she walked.
"She really hates foxes, probably more than any other cat in the clan ever," Rainpaw whispered to me, bending over slightly to speak directly into my ear as he walked by my side. His warm breath tickled my ear fur.
"How come?" I asked not as quietly, glancing at him and then at the long-furred she-cat in front of me.
"Because a fox killed her mother and littermate," Gorgeleap meowed from behind us, her voice hinted with slight sorrow. "They were good warriors, too."
"Oh," was all I could manage for a moment, but then a question came to mind that I just had to ask. "What were their names?"
"Lilyshade and Tigerroar," the ginger she-cat answered. As she said Tigerroar's name, a sense of grief washed over her, like the very mention of his name had unearthed long missed memories.
I thought a moment about why this reaction had occurred then blurted out, "You liked him, didn't you?"
My mentor's eyes fell to the leaf-littered ground. Her eyes closed for a heartbeat, and she gave a slight nod. When she looked up again, sorrow had completely filled them. "It didn't matter anyway. He had eyes for another she-cat, and it was probably for the best. He was a good warrior, but he had a big ego. Wasn't the kindest hearted cat."
"Who was she?"
"What?"
"The other she-cat, the one he liked? Who was she?" I realized that this may have not been the time for any of this, but curiosity had grabbed hold of my mind. I wanted to know about my mentor's past, and about the past cats of the clan. I still wondered who Rabbitkit was...
Gorgeleap rolled her eyes, the sadness leaving them, perhaps forcefully. "You're so direct," she meowed then sighed. "It was Flarefang, but back then, she was still Flarepaw. Tigerroar died before they could become mates, because they probably would have. No one else would take Flarefang anyway..." She muttered that last bit.
"She does seem really grouchy all the time," I agreed. I was glad when she had saved us from Badgerpaw this morning, even so.
"Yeah, she's always been like that. I guess maybe she was teased for her size or something. She is a really small cat."
"Like Badgerpaw!" It all kind of made sense now. I actually even felt a pang of sympathy for my older brother, having Flarefang as his mentor.
"Hush, we are supposed to be stealthy on patrol, especially now that we're so close to the Marsh," said Gorgeleap.
I ducked my head in slight embarrassment but kept my mouth shut now. Glancing to my sides, Rainpaw focused on the area ahead, but his ears swiveled at every little sound. He knew what he was doing. Icepaw, to my other side with his pelt brushing mine like always, gazed around everywhere. I felt bad in this moment that he couldn't hear like Rainpaw and I, so it would be harder to be aware of the surroundings. I decided to be a good apprentice for him in this way and started to focus more on the noises around us, ready to alert Icepaw if I heard anything.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 10
Water and mud welled up between my toes, the ground making a squishy 'slurp' sound with each step. I wrinkled my nose in disgust at the feeling of stepping on the soggy ground, and knowing that I would later have to pick pieces of muddy chunks off my feet.
The Marsh was already my least favorite place in the territory. Not only was the ground icky, but there seemed to be no trees in this part of the territory. I had never been out of the cover of trees before, and the lack of the protecting shade made my paws prick with unease.
Long, tough strands of marsh grasses brushed against my pelt. Looking up, they stretched high above my head, and everyone's heads. They must have been at least a tail-length and a half high. Seeing anything past my face and the patrol was going to be almost impossible.
I turned my head to see how my brother felt about this, and he seemed rather uneasy about it all. I guessed it was because he couldn't see well. I could feel the pestering fear coming off his pelt, and he turned to me, worry in his blue eyes. I did my best to reassure him by pressing closer to his body as we walked, but it seemed to only bring a minimum amount of comfort.
I sighed and continued walking, following behind Goldenbreeze and Gorseclaw. Suddenly, we stopped, and I felt the fur along my spine start to rise, expecting a fox to be near. Though, I heard nor saw nothing strange or to indicate so.
Gorseclaw turned back to us, flattening some of the grass aside. "We're at the border, so I want apprentices with their mentors to remark the border. Call out if you find anything unusual or something happens." With that order, he flicked his tail to Icepaw for him to follow. Icepaw obliged but then turned back to me when I wasn't coming.
I saw the confusion in his eyes as I started to walk away with Gorgeleap, while Rainpaw split off with his mentor. They were already disappearing into the tall grasses.
My brother glanced around at us all then rushed over to my side. He grasped my tail in his jaws gently and gave a small tug. I knew he wanted me to come with him, but I shook my head and pulled my tail away.
I've never seen such confusion in his blue eyes before, but I didn't know how else to get him to understand that we would have to split up for a little bit other than to deny him staying with me. I knew perfectly well this was hurting him, and it hurt me too, but deep down I knew that from the start we couldn't be together all the time for everything. We were lucky to even be able to train like we were now.
Gorseclaw came over and placed his tabby tail over the white tom's shoulders. He said nothing knowing Icepaw wouldn't hear anyway, but it was easy to see what he wanted to say. "It will be okay. It's only for a little bit. You have to do this."
Icepaw looked up at him with such sad eyes. He shook his head rather violently as if not wanting to believe it was true that we would be separated. Before I could try to help, he threw himself on me, wrapping his paws around my neck and burying his face into the fur of my scruff.
I stood there, stunned and bracing myself from the extra weight leaning against my side. When I snapped out of it a heartbeat later, my eyes traveled to Gorseclaw, who looked sad for my brother, but maybe also a bit regretful deep down. Gorgeleap looked no different. They had expected this, this all, not to work.
A flash of anger flared up inside of me. No one else believed Icepaw could be great warrior! Not even the cats whom I'd thought would be different. I would prove to them that he could be. We would prove to them. All he needed was a little push in the right direction.
So, that's what I did. Quickly wiggling free of my brother's grasp, I escaped then gave him a small shove towards Gorseclaw, making sure to give him a stern look.
The smaller tom stumbled back and landed on his hindquarters, looking shocked and stunned at my actions, and then hurt. His ears flattened with rejection. Slowly, he got up, his right side dripping with dirty water, and turned to Gorgeclaw.
I watched him give me the saddest glance over his shoulder at me before padding away into the field, tail and head drooping, Gorseclaw in the lead.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 11
I watched as Gorgeleap remarked the marsh border with the help of a lone tree. I really wasn't paying much attention at all, honestly. All I could think of was that look of pain on my brother's face before we separated, and that I had caused it. It hurt me, too, twisting up inside my belly like an angry snake coiled around prey.
Why couldn't he understand, though? We couldn't be together forever, not every single heartbeat of every sun. Even I knew that, but I hated that reality, too. Slowly, my mind began to drift off, wondering how he was faring now, at this very moment. Was he silently crying? That seemed like something he would do...
"Hollypaw, are you going to help me, or not?" Gorgeleap's voice snapped me out of my thoughts like the many times before. Seemed she had a knack for doing that.
I gave a look of embarrassment, my whiskers twitching slightly. "Yeah, sorry." Slowly padding over, I sniffed at the long grasses to see where she had not yet marked, all the while trying to ignore the gross feeling of muddy water underneath my paws. I marked a patch of grass and moved on down along the border, my mentor following behind me.
"I know it's hard on you two, but you did the right thing pushing him back like that," Gorgeleap meowed behind me. "I don't think he would have gotten the message otherwise. He needs to learn that while we are training you two so closely together, there will be times when you'll be separated, such as in battle."
Those words didn't seem to fit. "Then how come I feel so bad about pushing him?" I asked, not seeing what she was getting at, at all. My pace slowed. The waterlogged ground sloshed underneath me, gradually roaming past with each step I took.
"Well, doing the right thing doesn't always feel so good," the older she-cat replied after a moment's thought. "Sometimes, it hurts inside, rarely even physically. You're not going to feel like a hero each time."
"That's stupid," was all I could seem to mutter. The rest of the job was quiet for the most part. Our subject had been dropped entirely, and the only words we exchanged were orders to mark a certain spot and the simple reply of 'okay.'
Near the very end of the job, we met up with Rainpaw and Goldenbreeze, who had been marking the border headed our way, I had to guess.
"Hey, you don't look too thrilled. What's wrong? Most apprentices are usually excited to get to remark the border for the first time." Rainpaw's words washed over me like a river over stone; I barely heard them. Or more accurately, I barely cared to pay attention.
He said something else after, but that's when I really did stop paying attention. I didn't want to hear his sympathy. I didn't need it. It's not like his words would make me feel any better. Gorgeleap's hadn't, so why would Rainpaw's be any different? The only thing I wanted was to apologize to Icepaw.
Before I knew it, the sounds of chattering mentors disappeared. I don't know how long I stared down at the marsh ground, tuned out of sound, but when I looked up I found myself alone. Panic gradually rose internally as my head whipped side to side, eyes scanning the tall grasses for any sign of my clanmates, but there was none. Even worse, rain started to pour from what once was the clear, blue sky.
Faster and faster my heart pounded against my chest as I searched for my mentor or friend. I sniffed the ground, but the water and rain was already washing away their scents. It was as if they had all simply vanished into the wet air.
"Gorgeleap! Rainpaw!" I called out as loudly as I could, but the rain, the dreadful rain only fell harder, drowning out my attempts at contact. My mind whirled with horrible thoughts of loneliness. Why would they just leave without me? Would I be out here forever? Would I never get the chance to tell Icepaw I'm sorry...?
A cold chill rushed down my spine as a paw rested on my shoulder. I spun around quickly, not knowing who to expect, but joy already filled my heart despite my shiver. However, it sank and was replaced with fear at the sight of an unfamiliar face.
"Hello, child. My name is Star."
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 12
My pelt prickled at the voice and the shape before me. It was a cat, no doubt, but at the same time, she couldn't be. She couldn't be a real cat.
"I-I can see r-right through you..." My voice stuttered, but it was the truth. The figure was like heavy, black fog, edges constantly shifting and writhing like worms. The grass behind her was visible, but still shrouded in darkness. Only her eyes gave away any color at all, a haunting blue glow, yet they somehow seemed familiar.
The figure looked down at herself and started chuckling, the same chuckle Rainpaw and I had heard in camp that night. "I forgot to make myself actually look presentable. Sorry about that." Her mew was light and full of good nature, but it did not seem to fit at all.
I blinked, and in that time her whole form had changed. What once was a suffocating, black smoke was now a dull silver-gray, all except for her paws which remained black. However, the edges of her form had gained control and now flowed like a smooth pelt rather snakes. Her eyes remained the same shade of glowing blue.
I took a step back, not sure what to think, but my body knew what to feel. It felt fear, fear of the unknown. This cat could not be real. Was I going insane? was my head making her up in a time of finding myself alone?
I felt my pelt prickle more, even fluffing up as I took another step back, my head low and tail tucked within my legs like the frightened kit I was.
The she-cat titled her head to the side as if confused but then crouched down on the muddy ground. The grass around her parted in her wake, but the earth below didn't so much as dip for her paws. The look in her eyes turned soft, and she curled her gray, still see-through tail around her body. "You don't need to be scared, Hollypaw. I won't hurt you. If I wanted to do that, I'd have done it by now," she mewed smoothly.
As if that was going to make me feel better. I shook my head and continued slowly backing away. My pelt was probably fully fluffed up, but I didn't really care to take notice if it was or not. "W-what do you wan-t f-from me then?" I managed to ask.
"To help you," she replied, "and your clan." She sat up, keeping her tail around her paws neatly. "A great evil is among you, Hollypaw. I want to help train you so you can defeat it and protect your clan."
Thoughts started swirling in my head, questions upon questions raged angrily. "Why?" was all that actually came out.
"Because it's my clan, too. Well, it was, before I died." Star said it with such casualty, as if the fact she was dead but here was as normal as catching a piece of prey or going on patrol.
However, my heart sank. My pelt lie flat again, but I looked at the waterlogged ground with wide eyes. Was this really possible, or was I really just going crazy? How could a dead cat be here and talking to me right now?
"I understand it's a lot to take in for someone so young, but unfortunately, I really am dead. Killed in battle, can you believe it?" She let out a small chuckle at the end then continued. "But that's not the point." Her ghostly form rose and padded over to me until she loomed over my head. Then, she crouched, getting eye level with me, our noses almost touching - if our noses actually could touch.
Her eyes stared into mine. The illusion of cold ice blue gave way to warmth within, the glow of them seeming much softer than before, like the sunset in the Valley when you stood on High Cliff. I nodded to let her continue.
"You might not think so, but Icepaw is a real threat to the clan's peace and safety."
"What?" I squeaked and sat up abruptly, cutting her off before she could continue. "No he's not! He's the sweetest cat I've ever met, beside Rainpaw! He'd never do anything to put anyone in danger-"
"Not on purpose, I know," she interrupted, finishing my statement. "It won't be on purpose, not at first, but once the pain starts he's going to realize it's fun being in power for once. He's already ambitious enough, and that ambition will grow. Once he gets a taste of power, he'll want more. What deaf cat wouldn't want to not be picked on anymore? With power, that wouldn't happen," she went on to explain. "I want to help by training you in the Forest. At night, in your dreams, you can come visit me and train. Then during the day, you can train with Gorgeleap still and do whatever it is you want to do. The only catch is you can't tell anyone about me or the Forest. Make excuses if you have to, but you can't tell."
"Why not?" If we got more cats in on the extra training, then there would be even more warriors ready for any kind of threat. I still did not believe my brother could be a danger to the clan, but any real danger like coyotes and foxes would be easier to handle, right? Especially if more cats had extra training.
"Because then the clan would be chaos, to put it simply." She kept speaking before I could ask how. "Do we have a deal, Hollypaw?"
I looked down, raking my brain for the right answer. It did seem like a good deal actually - train in my sleep and help the clan, with actual threats. Though, I didn't know how training in my dreams would do anything for me in real life. I'd never believe that Icepaw would put any of us in danger, but foxes and coyotes and other predators were a real problem. Then, one thought stuck out in my mind. "How do you know my name?"
"I've been watching you," Star answered nonchalantly with a shrug. "And I'll continue to watch over you in the waking world." She got up once again and came to sit beside me then laid her tail across my shoulders; it felt like slightly heavier air. With an almost motherly look she added, "Consider me your own personal guardian."
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 13
"Hollypaw! Where are you? We've been waiting for ages!" Gorgeleap's voice sounded through the tall grass a ways away, but not too far. I turned to look in the direction for a heartbeat but when I turned my head back to say goodbye to Star, I found she was already gone, and not even a trace of her was left behind.
I looked around in the surrounding grass, but there was nothing, no scent, no prints in the mud, absolutely nothing. It was as if she had never existed in the first place. In fact, I would have believed that to be true if it weren't for the grasses where she'd sat to be slightly bent, but from anyone else's point of view, I could have done that myself, or even the wind maybe.
"Hollypaw!" my mentor shouted with more authority.
"Coming!" I called back and bounded a few tail-lengths away before looking back at the spot Star had been one last time. Was it the right choice to accept that deal?
Gorgeleap's tail tip twitched when I exited the Marsh's tall grasses to meet up with everyone else. Even Goldenbreeze looked impatient. Icepaw merely stared down at his paws, while Gorseclaw didn't seem fazed by the wait at all. Rainpaw actually looked a tad worried himself.
"Sorry," I muttered but then tilted my head to the side. "But why'd you all leave me there in the first place?"
"I wanted to see if you'd notice I'd left, you were daydreaming so much. It turned into seeing if you could find your way out of the Marsh by yourself, but that took too long, too. So I had to call you," Gorgeleap answered, her tail still twitching.
So it had been sort of a mini-assessment, and I failed it. Great... "Sorry," I muttered once again and made my way over to them. We headed off back to camp, but I trailed behind this time. I have a lot to think about."
"I'm glad you're okay," Rainpaw meowed quietly to me, falling back to pad beside me. "You had me worried there for a little bit."
"Why? Think I can't handle myself?" I snapped unintentionally. My mind hadn't even registered how to properly respond, like with an actual, not horrible tone, with the racing thoughts of Star, the deal, and extra training.
The gray tom recoiled back, eyes growing wide. He paused in his steps for a moment. "I, uh, no... I just..." His blue eyes scanned the ground vigorously as he nervously struggled for an answer.
I sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. There's just," there was a small pause, "a lot on my mind right now." My gaze fell to the ground as I walked, ashamed of my outburst.
"I-it's okay," Rainpaw replied quietly, clearly trying to be more careful with his words now. "I understand."
You really don't, I thought but kept my mouth shut. Icepaw walked in front of us, his pelt now brushing against his mentor's. A pang of sadness swept through me. I'd have to apologize to him later for shoving him like I had.
Back at camp, Icepaw went directly to Silvermist, who now lay outside the Warriors' den lazily, instead of the Nursery. He plopped down at her paws where she proceeded to quickly groom out the mud stains of his pure coat.
I sighed, feeling it best to let him be for a while. The mentors all went to the fresh-kill pile, while Rainpaw followed. He, however, returned with a plump squirrel in his jaws. "Wanna share it?" he asked between its fur.
"No thanks." I wasn't in the mood for eating right now. At least this time I hadn't been so harsh and snapped at him. "I just want to think." Ignoring the small look of disappointment he showed, I turned and headed for the Apprentices' den. Curling up in the nest Icepaw and I shared, I shut my eyes and let my mind wander.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 14
The trees were so bare when I looked up, and the air cold against my fur. Above me, gray clouds hung in the sky, broken only by the branches which had been stripped of their leaves. It was so dark.
I glanced around, fear and confusion gripping my heart. Where was I? Where was everyone else? How had I gotten here? These questions and more raced through my mind, seeming to slam into my skull, so desperate for answers.
"Ah, you're here, Hollypaw. I didn't expect to see you again so soon." I spun around at the voice to see Star. Only this time, her body was not transparent, but it looked like she was any other living cat. I shivered at the remembrance of her actually being dead.
Dead. She was dead, and I was here. Did that mean...?
She padded over to me, closing the fox-length distance from where she had suddenly appeared. Her tail landed lightly on my shoulders. "No need to start getting worked up. You're still perfectly alive, just sleeping is all. I told you, you'd visit me in your dreams, remember?" she said with a sweet, calming mew.
My increasing heart rate began to slow at her words of reassurance. Thank StarClan, I thought in relief. "So, um, this is the Forest then?" I asked quietly, glancing around at the dead trees and black void beyond.
"It is," Star answered with a nod. "Come, before you start your training you must meet someone." The dull gray she-cat padded away into the dead and dying trees, flicking her tail for me to follow.
I did so, my paws sinking into the slimy, gray grass. If it weren't for her forepaws being black, Star would have blended into the grass perfectly. "Who am I meeting, exactly?"
"My leader." There was no added reply. It was simply that, her 'leader.' Upon asking any other questions I had, she always gave the same answer. 'He will tell you everything you need to know.'
We walked in silence for a while. No matter how far we walked, though, the trees all looked the same to me. It was as if nothing ever changed no matter how far we went. It was like we weren't even moving at all, but instead treading in mid-air, in the same exact spot. Finally, we came to a clearing.
As the trees opened up, past Star's body, I saw several ragged looking cats mauling about in the open space. Nothing in the space at all, though. It was all gray dirt and a single, large boulder near the back edge. Atop the boulder was the cat I could only assume to be Star's leader.
She nudged me forward. "Eaglestar! I brought her."
At Star's call, the big tom on the rock looked over, and I flinched. His previously hidden right eye was revealed to be missing, leaving a nasty scar and pink flesh in its place.
He narrowed his one amber eye and leapt down from the rock. Each step closer he took, he got bigger and bigger until he loomed over us both. He had to be the biggest cat I had ever seen. Even with his long, matted, brown fur I could still see the muscles rippling underneath. He glared at me.
Instantly, I flattened my ears and looked away, crouching down with my tail tucked close. To say he was intimidating was an understatement. This massive tom was absolutely terrifying! I think my body shook, but I couldn't take full notice of that.
"So, you are Hollypaw?" His voice rumbled and rasped. "You don't look like you'd be much of a chosen one," he meowed, sounding closer than before.
My ears pricked. Chosen one? I dared to look at him, finding him indeed bent over and closer to me. I flinched again but this time decided I had to hold my ground. If he wanted to kill me then fine. My brother's face flashed in my mind. At least I wouldn't cower. I'd die like a warrior!
Inhaling, I abruptly sat up, puffing out my chest and holding my head high. My green eyes stared down into his one piercing amber. We were only a whisker-length from our noses touching each other.
He narrowed his eye and stepped forward one step, our muzzles so close I could smell his stinking breath. It smelled of rotting prey. "You dare stand up to me?" he bellowed in my face.
Inside, I wanted to bolt, run as far away as fast I could without looking back. I wanted to wake up, be rid of this place forever because of this one tom, but I couldn't run in fear. That's not what a warrior would do. I had to be brave. I had to. "Yes," I said firmly back.
Eaglestar watched me for a moment, seeming to mall over the situation. Finally, after what seemed like ages, after I was getting ready to break, he stood up again with a tiny scoff. "Maybe you have what it takes. Maybe."
Now that I wasn't quite so scared, I got a chance to have a better look at him. He was indeed huge, over twice the size of Gorseclaw, and he was the largest cat in the clan. Eaglestar had an odd, black mark on his head made of stripes, and the left half of his face was splotched by a single, white patch. It covered his eye and stole the area over his nose and the left half of his jaws, but didn't quite stretch to his shredded ear. The rest of his fur was solid brown and matted in places, while just plain ragged in others.
"You're responsible for her training, Star. Train her well, I'm trusting you. After all, she is to be the one who saves us all."
Star nodded eagerly then quickly bowed her head in respect. "I will do everything I can to ensure she learns everything. I will not disappoint you."
He gave a curt nod back, cast one final glance at me, then padded away back to the boulder.
I almost felt my heart give out when he looked at me again, but at least I hadn't shrank away that time. Glancing at the other cats in the clearing, I found all their eyes to be on me, probably that whole time as well. It took only a heartbeat for two other wild-furred cats to decide to come for their own visit, to my dismay. When could I go home?
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 15
My shoulder stung as I opened my eyes. It was still light outside the den, a dim glow sneaking in through the entrance. I felt exhausted even though I'd only just woken up from my nap. When I turned my head to see why I hurt, I was surprisingly met with light scratch marks running down the blade of my shoulder. The marks were fresh, as if done only moments ago, and were just starting to dry into fragile scabs.
How had this happened? Had someone scratched me in my sleep? But who? My attention turned to Badgerpaw as he groomed himself from his nest. He hadn't been there when I entered my own bed. "Did you scratch me while I slept?" I confronted him, my tail twitching with irritation. Ever since becoming an apprentice, I wasn't so afraid of my bully older brother anymore.
Badgerpaw looked up from rasping his tongue over his forepaw. Narrowing his eyes, he almost glared me and retorted, "No, don't blame me just because you're so fragile." With that, he went back to his grooming.
I simply rolled my eyes but turned back to the light wound on my shoulder. Then where had it come from? Suddenly, my mind flashed back to my time in the Forest. After those two other cats had approached us, one of them gave me a swipe when I didn't answer a question of hers. She had hit me on my shoulder when I ducked away, right in that exact spot. Did that mean if I got hurt there, I got hurt for real?
A worried knot started forming in my stomach, but I did my best to push it away. I'd just have to be careful is all. Nothing to get anxious about, right?
Just then, my ears pricked as angry clanmate voices sounded from outside. "Where's all the prey? The freshkill pile was way bigger than this! Did someone eat it all?"
I stood and made my way to the den entrance, poking my head out and peering towards the pile. Crowwing stood by it, his tail lashing as he scanned other cats who watched from afar.
Featherstar emerged from around the wall, near his den. His shaggy, brown fur was surprisingly smooth, I noticed, while he strode over. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked calmly.
"Featherstar, the freshkill pile, look at it! It was full of prey not too long ago. Now only a scrawny squirrel, two mice, and an old sparrow are left. The patrol I was in had caught a lot, and yet there's almost nothing now, and I know none of us ate any of it yet."
"Who all was in the patrol?"
"Dewstreak led it, with Silvermist, Flarefang, Badgerpaw, and I." Crowwing's eyes continued to scan the camp and watching cats, including myself. "Icepaw hadn't eaten any of it either. He was with Silvermist since him and other mentors returned, and Gorgeleap and Gorseclaw have been lounging together."
"So, I suppose that leaves Goldenbreeze, Rainpaw, Bluepool, Hollypaw, and Pinefall. Though, I doubt Pinefall got any himself with his old joints and the way he's starting to go blind," Featherstar sighed. "Why don't you go and ask him if anybody brought him any prey recently? I'll ask Bluepool if he's taken any of it. Then we can ask the remaining possibilities." The leader stayed so calm throughout his words, even though very little prey remained, too little to be of much use to the clan now that leaf-fall was practically here.
Crowwing nodded understanding and padded off to the Elders' den to converse with Pinefall, while Featherstar made his way to the medicine den. Even though he was calm on the outside, I could tell he was angry.
How could so much prey disappear so quickly? One, two, not even three cats could eat a mound of prey, not one as big as Crowwing made it sound. I know I hadn't eaten any of it. Wait, Rainpaw had gotten some when we came back and offered it to me. But did he really so much by himself?
I guess there was only one way to find out, one way without him getting in huge trouble if he had taken it all. My eyes scanned the camp, and I found the gray tom curled up on the soft ledge whose back made up one of the nursery's walls. He seemed to be asleep.
Hesitating at first, not sure if I should really wake him or not, I walked over to the soft ledge, then jumping up on it, beside him. He twitched in his sleep, his paws unsheathing sharp claws and ears flicking now and again with the occasional twitch of whiskers. Was he having a nightmare? All the more reason to wake him up, right?
Gently, with a paw I prodded his side, but he did not stir any more than he already was. I prodded him a little harder. Still nothing. I sighed in exasperation. Was he always this heavy a sleeper? In my last effort, I jabbed a paw into his side. Finally, he jumped awake, claws digging into the soft ledge and eyes wide. He looked almost scared.
"Whoa, Rainpaw," I said in sudden surprise. "Calm down. Having a really bad nightmare?" I took a step back and sat down.
The gray tom turned to me, eyes still wide, but he soon calmed down knowing it was only me. His claws slid back into his silvery paws. "Oh...yeah, a nightmare." He sounded unsure but quickly brushed everything off.
Before he could speak again the clan's deputy padded over. She looked up at us with determination-filled, blue eyes. "Have either of your two eaten from the freshkill pile since my patrol came back?" she asked, gray striped tail twitching.
"I did," Rainpaw answered truthfully. "When we got back, I did."
"How much did you take?" Dewstreak asked.
"Only a squirrel."
"Only one?" Dewstreak pressed, and Rainpaw nodded. The gray, tabby she-cat examined him with her eyes, looking him up and down. Finally, she nodded. "Alright, thank you." She looked to me.
"I went for a nap right after. I haven't eaten anything yet," I said before she could ask.
She examined me, too, then nodded. With that, she padded over to Goldenbreeze, presumably to inquire the same thing.
Rainpaw watched her go, confusion swimming in his deep blue eyes. "What was that all about?"
"Apparently, the freshkill pile was just full and now there's only four pieces of prey left. I think Dewstreak, Featherstar, and Crowwing are going around and just asking everybody if they ate it all." Surely, their bellies would be severely swollen if they had. It wouldn't have been too hard to tell.
"Why are they treating it like a huge crime? Maybe everyone ate some," the tom suggested with an added shrug.
"I don't think they thought of that yet," I replied. However, if no one had eaten any of it, then where had it all gone so quickly?
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 16
"This doesn't make any sense!" Crowwing growled as he paced in circles around Featherstar's den. "No one ate the freshkill, and there is no scent of anything else around the pile besides our clanmates. Where has it all gone?"
"Calm yourself, Crwowwing," Dewstreak ordered with a firm yet calm mew. "We will figure this out, but getting your tail into knots will not solve anything." She looked down at him from the giant soft ledge that was Featherstar's entire nest.
Before the angry tom could reply, Featherstar spoke up, also holding his tail up for silence. "This is indeed a serious thing, Crowwing, but Dewstreak is right. If we let anger consume us, we may never find out what has happened. Listen to your deputy."
The black and white tom watched Featherstar for a moment then sighed in defeat. "Yes, Featherstar," he mumbled. He began taking a few deep breaths.
The brown leader nodded satisfaction. "Bluepool," he addressed, turning his head to the blue-gray medicine cat who sat beside him on the soft ledge, "do you have any ideas as to what could have happened?"
Nervously, he shook his head. To anyone else, his anxiety could have seemed like he was the culprit, the thief of almost all the prey, but his clanmates knew him better, especially Featherstar. The two were very close friends. This was normal behavior for him. "But, perhaps," Bluepool started quietly, "someone took the prey away, or several others, to feed someone outside the clan?"
It was such a simple suggestion, yet it made all three other cats stop and look to him. "Yes, that is possible, isn't it?" Featherstar meowed thoughtfully.
"But who would betray their clan like that, and who would they be taking the prey to?" inquired Dewstreak. "There aren't many cats who could have carried out such an act anyway; most were either with us most of the time or simply couldn't given where they were at the time it all disappeared."
"True," the leader agreed, his eyes drifting up the roof of the large den. He was clearly getting lost in his own complex thoughts.
"I bet it was the apprentices - Rainpaw, Hollypaw, and Icepaw," Crowwing growled, starting to pace again.
Dewstreak looked down at him with shock in her eyes. "Why would you accuse your own two kits?"
"They're both trouble makers and inexperienced," the tom snorted, pausing in his steps to narrow his amber eyes at the gray tabby she-cat. "Rainpaw is always with them, too, so if they get into trouble, he probably will also."
"But Hollypaw and Icepaw are your kits! You have to believe they wouldn't do something so horrible as to endanger the clan like this so close to leaf-bare," Dewstreak insisted. "They're your kin."
"They aren't my kin," Crowwing said coldly, staring up at her. "Badgerpaw is my only kit. He's the only one with sense. They're your kin through Silvermist being your sister, and they have my blood, true, but they are not my kits. I will not have a defective tom and completely mouse-brained she-cat that never leaves his side be my kits."
I pulled my eye away from the hole in the den wall then, my ears flattening against my skull. I didn't want to listen in to anymore, or watch them again. Slowly, I padded out from behind the wall of vine which concealed me as I eavesdropped on the higher-ups, my heart aching.
My own father didn't want me...? He didn't want Icepaw? He really didn't want us because Icepaw was deaf and I defended and helped him? I thought he was proud of me. I thought I was going to make him proud of both of us...
I must have padded out absentmindedly into the open because Rainpaw bounded over. He took a single look at me then pressed his warm fur into mine. "What did you hear?" His mew was so quiet it would have been silent had his muzzle not been right up to my ear, so close his hot breath bathed it.
"I..." The words wouldn't come out, no matter how hard I tried to choke them into audible mews. Finally, I gave up and shook my head, feeling my heart slowly shatter.
Rainpaw gave a tiny sigh and wrapped his tail over my flank, our sides pressed together gently. "Come on, let's go and lie down for a little bit." Following his soft-mewed suggestion, we walked together to the Apprentices' den.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 17
Rainpaw's face contorted into an expression of pure anger, something I had only ever seen from him once. I told him everything, every word I could remember. It was what my father, or just Crowwing now, had said that got his attention the most.
"He can't do that!" the gray tom hissed beside me. His claws dug into the mossy nest, I noticed. "Just because one kit can't hear and the other defends him is no reason to disown your kin!"
"Rainpaw," I meowed quietly, "it's fine. I think, deep down, I always kind of knew. There's nothing we can do about it anyway." I felt so defeated, like an enemy cat had clawed my heart out in battle. It hurt so much, but I felt so empty at the same time. It all made sense, though. The way he acted towards us compared to Badgerpaw, the way he looked at us during our apprentice ceremony. I think that is when he disowned me, when I spoke out for Icepaw to be a warrior's apprentice. That's when he gave up on me.
The tom was silent for a heartbeat. He finally shook his head in rejection. "It's not fine, Hollypaw." His voice was calm again, but the irritation he felt was still betrayed in his eyes and twitching tail. "No father should ever disown or abandoned his kits for any reason. He should love them no matter what kinds of flaws they have, because he's not perfect either, and that's just what good fathers do. If I have kits someday, I can promise you that I will love them no matter what, and I'll be certain to make sure they know it."
His tone grew softer as he spoke, while his tail stopped twitching and instead wrapped around my smaller body. He leaned closer, too, gradually. It was comforting, hearing his words and having his presence. Rainpaw really was a sweet cat, and my best friend. Whoever his mate would be, she was lucky. I sighed a "Thank you."
Icepaw padded inside the den at that moment. He glanced at us then at the other wall quickly. I wasn't sure what he was thinking, but I still had to apologize to him.
Climbing out of Rainpaw's nest, I bounded towards him. As soon as I reached him, my face pressed into his fluffy, white shoulder. I nuzzled him, giving my apology.
At first, he seemed unsure, not moving, but it wasn't long before everything was back to normal. A rumbling purr emanated from his throat as he nuzzled me back. Before I knew it, he was on top of me, pushing me to the ground in a sudden play fight.
A small squeak came out, but I quickly was on my back and batting lightly at his soft belly while he pawed my face. As we wrestled and I grabbed him around the neck, we rolled on the rotting wood ground. It was as if all my troubles had disappeared, simply vanishing from the plain of existence. You know what? Who cared what Crowwing thought? I had my brother and a great friend in Rainpaw. I didn't need anybody else.
Screeching of a cat echoed from outside the camp. It stopped us two in a heartbeat from stunned surprise. Soon, another agonized screech followed it the first, then another, until it seemed continuous. Then, someone yelled, making my heart sink. "Fox!"
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 18
Paws collided on the wood like rolling thunder as cats raced from their dens and nests to defend against the threat outside. As I peered out of the Apprentices' den, flashes of colored pelts streaked by, each one with its own sense of urgency.
Badgerpaw plowed past me, knocking my off my feet as he shoved me aside to join the fray. "Out of the way, mouse-brain!" he hissed before pelting outside of camp. The screeching of fighting cats only got louder.
"We have to go," Rainpaw meowed in my ear only a heartbeat later. I nodded agreement and got to my paws once more while the gray tom left camp.
I glanced back at Icepaw. This would be our moment, a real battle as apprentices. I don't think he understood the situation, though.
Icepaw had backed further into the den, eyes like moons and pelt fluffed up as much as it would go while he crouched low to the ground. Of course he wouldn't understand. He couldn't hear what was happening, the deafening screeches of our clanmates. He only knew what was happening by what he saw around him, and what little touched his pelt and nose.
We had to be out there, quickly. Knowing our clan needed our help, I went to my brother and nudged him gently, bringing my head to his and then touching our noses together. It was a sweet, genuine moment, but it lasted not even a heartbeat before I whirled my body around and raced out of the den.
Not knowing if he was even following, my sights were set for the camp entrance. My heart pounded against my ribs, blood roaring in my ears like a rushing river. It almost drowned out the horrid sound of my clanmates' screams, but I still heard them. They still rang in the camp.
It seemed like moons yet only moments before I was through the tunnel of bramble vines. Unwillingly, my paws stopped me dead in my tracks at the sight I saw before me. Not one, but two foxes had been trying to invade.
Rainpaw clung to the back of a large male, ripping out russet fur clumps while Goldenbreeze and Crowwing clawed furiously at its flanks. Badgerpaw was helping with that one as well, swiping it is muzzle and the sides of its face each time it tried to turn to take a bite of the other cats.
Silvermist was clawing at the other one's chest, a smaller vixen who was probably mates with the male. This was her first time battling since being a queen and returning to the Warriors' den. It showed greatly as he technique was so flawed and weak while batting at the fox's chest. Every blow was uncoordinated and sloppy.
Featherstar had come to fight as well and had sunk his claws deep into the vixen's flank. Gorseclaw and Gorgeleap took turns jumping at either of the vixen's sides, clawing her and then jumping away for the other to take over. They seemed so in sync.
For a moment, I wondered why I was even out here. With so many willing and able bodied clanmates fighting, we had a very good chance of winning this fight. What I was witnessing proved that. The foxes had begun to retreat, trying to shake off the cats in an effort of escape. Why was I needed?
"Get in that fight, or something very bad is going to happen." Star's voice echoed in my ears. I glanced around but did not see her. Where was she? "Go, now!" her voice hissed at me, but my paws were frozen. By fear of the fight, or the idea I wasn't needed, I'm not sure. I just could not will my legs to move.
That's when it happened. A sickening snap pierced the throng of screeches. It was as if every other sound paled in comparison to the crack of bone. But, no cry of pain accompanied it. No, only wails of terror.
Her body hung in the vixen's jaws, limp and suddenly lifeless. Her spirit had been ripped away by this russet beast's jaws, and now only an empty shell remained, dangling there with blood dripping from fresh open wounds, dotting the grass and fallen leaves with crimson blood.
All seemed silent in that moment as I looked on, shock gripping my body. If I could have moved at all before, I couldn't now. I watched as her body fell to the ground and the foxes retreated back into the forest, likely to come back sometime because of this small victory on their part - killing one of our clanmates, killing my mother.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 19
My world started spinning as reality around me shattered. No longer was I standing int he forest, just outside the camp. Now, I stood in total silence, my mother's silver body and a pool of red forming around her from the fox's fang wounds being the only color in a gray and black world.
The pair of killers ran off back into the cover of the undergrowth, sending out yips of happy victory. It seemed they had come only to murder one of us, perhaps to send a message.
My clanmates stood around Silvermist where the vixen had dropped her, solemn looks and sad, quiet murmurs. Then, a loud shriek of despair pierced the still air as Crowwing crouched by his mate's body.
Sorrow consumed him in the following sunrises. My father would not speak to anyone hardly. When he did, it was only short response and curt answers to questions. He still performed his warrior duties, however, it was plain for anyone to see how much he didn't seem to care anymore. Even the prey which continued to disappear form the pile much too quickly didn't seem a concern.
Badgerpaw was livelier than ever, though. Insults and white paws were thrown at me every single chance he got. He blamed me for our mother's death. Icepaw, surprisingly, was left out of it. Badgerpaw constantly told me how it was my fault our mother died, that if I had actually helped in the fight then she would still be alive. I'm not sure why he left Icepaw out of it all, but perhaps it was because Badgerpaw did not even think him capable of fighting, so maybe he couldn't have helped anyway.
It had been a full eleven sunrises since Silvermist's death. Icepaw had witnessed it and had been distraught at first, but now he seemed to be normal again. The only exception was he clung to my side more often than before. I could only imagine what was going on in his head.
"Hollypaw, pay attention now," my mentor hissed at me, snapping me back from my thoughts to the fabricated reality. "If you want to defend your clan, then you will need to know these moves in battle. Do you want another clanmate dying because you couldn't fight?"
My eyes grew wide at her question, and I quickly shook my head. "I'm sorry. I'm paying attention." Surprisingly, I had gotten over my mother's death within the first few sunrises. We had never been really close anyway. But, it was the fact that I could have stopped it, the fact I was constantly reminded about by my older brother, that bothered my mind.
"Good. Now, when another cat stands or crouches before you, rise up on your hind legs. But, you must tuck your tail against one of your legs, wrap it around even. It will make it harder to balance, but it keeps others from grabbing it. Once you're in the air, slam your forepaws down as hard as you can on the other cat's head, not the shoulders. The legs don't buckle easily." The she-cat demonstrated it all as she spoke.
I watched closely, being sure to pick up every single detail I could from her words and positions. After she landed on all fours again, I tried my paw at the new fighting technique. Quickly, I rose up on my hind paws, finding balance easy until I tucked my tail against my hind leg. My back collided with the earth, but I quickly rolled on my feet and tried again. Again and again. After what seemed like the millionth time, finally, I managed to keep my balance, wrapping my black tail around my hind leg. Then, I tipped forward, letting my weight aid in the force as I slammed my forepaws against the grassy ground.
Joy filled my heart as I looked up to my mentor, happy to finally have done it, but she did not look as pleased. "Do it again. You must keep practicing until it is perfect," she told me with a stern, blue gaze.
"Yes, Star," I replied respectfully, bowing my head for a short moment before trying the move again, time after time. The more I did it, the better I got, until the muscles in my haunches felt tired. After that, the motions got sloppier and sloppier the more I went on, no matter how hard I tried to keep them perfect and fluent.
"Alright, that's enough," Star meowed to me and padded over. "You've done well in your training since your mother's passing. It's very pleasing to watch you become a great warrior before my own eyes."
Her praise, something very rare from the dull gray cat, filled my limbs and body with new determination and strength. I wanted to keep going, to be the best warrior I could be, the best in all of SunClan. However, her words continued to flow.
"You've come very far, but you still have a very long way to go." She took a step back. "I will see you again very soon."
With that, the gray grass and bare trees gave way to color. The grass turned green, many different and vibrant shades. Above, the sky bled a beautiful blue from invisible cracks, forcing the haunting gray away. Suddenly, leaves began to bloom from the tips of trees' branches, just as green as the grass. Even the air itself seemed to grow lighter and more friendly.
Confusion swam in my mind as the colorful world seemed to fade in while my forest training grounds faded out. I glanced around, not sure what to expect, but I was on high alert. Star had taught me to never fully let my guard down, even in sleep.
Just then, a ginger tom padded from behind a thick tree trunk. "Hello," he mewed a warm greeting. The scent of fresh herbs followed him and filled the air, lingering.
I readied myself, claws unsheathed and haunches in the air. If he made any sudden movement towards me, I would lunge for his foreleg first, knocking him off balance. Then, I'd go for his soft belly while he scrambled on his side.
"Relax, young one. I am a friend." He sat down, curling his long tail around his paws in a neat manner. An aura of calm radiated from his pelt, reassuring me almost. "My name is Flameshroud." His eyes looked into mine, his a warm amber.
Allowing my muscles to relax, I sat down as well, sheathing my claws once again. My green eyes traveled up and down his body. It was only then that I noticed his pale tabby markings. The orange fur was nearly as light as the ginger fur which they adorned.
"I'm Hollypaw," I managed to say without sounding too hostile. Although I tried to be much calmer, Star's words echoed in my ears. 'Do not be fooled by someone who puts on a friendly face. Always be ready to attack.' My toes tensed again, ready to slide out sharp claws at any time.
"Listen, I do not have much time here," Flameshroud began. "I am Flarefang and Gorseclaw's brother, and SunClan's former medicine cat. Bluepool was my apprentice."
He must have said these things to further gain my trust, because the look of surprise and then recognition I felt myself give seemed to make him happy.
"I am here to warn you that trouble is coming, and very soon." His warm amber eyes now gave more of a look of worry, which he clearly tried to contain. "You musn't go to that forest anymore, or listen to that cat, Star - or whatever she is calling herself now. She is poison, and she is infecting your mind with bad ideas."
He stood and took a step closer, causing me to tense again. "If you continue along this path, terrible things will happen to SunClan, to all those you care about."
"What are you talking about?" I blurted out, having been silent up until this point. "Star is a good cat, and she's teaching me good things. She's not poison!" My mind went back to my mother's death, when she had warned me to get into battle or something bad would happen. "She helps me."
"No!" the ginger tabby tom meowed quickly, urgently. "No. You are being used, and if you continue to follow her then the prophecy will come true."
My mind raced, baffled by his words. He wasn't making any sense! "Prophecy? What prophecy?" I demanded, getting to my paws as well and taking a bold step in his direction. How could I trust him anyway?
Flameshroud sighed as if defeated. "When ice cracks the holly's stem, then peace shall return to the clan."
"Peace shall return to the clan? What do you mean by that? The clan is fine! One fox attack shouldn't invoke a prophecy, right?" Of course, how was I to know any better? I was no medicine cat.
"It's not about the fox attack." The tip of his tail flicked. He was getting frustrated. "Just stay away from Star and look out for your brother. Icepaw is the key."
Before I could say anything else in return, he bounded off into the trees. Clouds of darkness rolled in like a black fog, pouring from the trees above and seeping up through the earth. It consumed everything around me until I opened my eyes to the light of the den.
The scents of the clan and my nest washed over my nose, but the faint tang of herbs lingered still. Beside me, the white ball of fluff that was my brother slept, his body curled against mine. Sounds of sleeping cats tickled my ears, but Flameshroud's mew still echoed in my mind while I looked down at my sleeping, peaceful brother. 'Icepaw is the key.'
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 20
What did Flameshroud mean? Icepaw is the key? Key to what? That random prophecy I've never heard of until now? But why was I only hearing of it now when it seemed so important? So many questions...
Carefully, I made my way out of the nest, taking gentle pawsteps and slow movements out of the nest. My eyes were fixed on Icepaw as though each move I made would cause his blue eyes to shoot open. But, I needed time without him right now. I needed to find answers.
His body shifted slightly as mine no longer supported his in the ever shrinking nest. We were growing so big together that soon we would need another nest entirely.
Finally, after much careful struggle, I was free. Outside the den, dawn's light filtered through the camp's walls and broken ceiling, sending shafts of golden rays cascading onto the dirt covered floor, but it did nothing to quench the chilly air.
Cats mauled about in the main part of camp, chatting with each other. The two that caught my eye, however, were Gorgeleap and Gorseclaw. They were sharing tongues by the Old Fire Place.
Taking a step towards them, I suddenly stopped myself. Who better than to answer my questions about Flameshroud than his own brother? If they were really brothers... That was my main concern before questions of the prophecy; who was Flameshroud really?
They looked so happy together, though, as Gorseclaw rasped his tongue over Gorgeleap's shoulders. She, in turn, groomed his forepaws. Curled up together like they were, one would have thought them to be mates long ago.
The soft joy in their eyes was enough to make me rethink going to them. I didn't want to bother them while they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Honestly, I paired them together in my mind anyway. The two were perfect for each other.
Instead, to answer my questions, I turned my attention to the medicine den. Flameshroud had said he was Bluepool's mentor. And a medicine cat could give me more than just information on the tabby. Surely, he'd know of the prophecy as well, right?
Wasting no more time, I raced to the medicine den, in that moment not realizing how odd that may have looked - an apprentice who'd just woken up running full speed to see Bluepool. Oops.
Inside the den, I instantly skidded to a halt. Bluepool sat in the back, staring at me with wide eyes, fear quickly taking them over. "Who's hurt?" he demanded, rushing over to tiny, black seeds. He began to lick up and crunch a few.
"No one is," I answered, watching him with curiosity. I was no medicine cat apprentice, but weren't poppy seeds used for calming injured cats? He'd used them on Goldenbreeze when the fox fight left her with a nasty cut on her haunch. Why was he eating them himself now?
The blue tom's head shot up, and he stared at me. I couldn't tell what was in his eyes now. Relief? Irritation? Perhaps a mix of the two.
He let out a sigh as if calming himself down with it then turned to face me. Sitting down where he was, he curled his tail around his paws. "Then what is it you need?" he mused, seeming to further calm himself by the heartbeat.
Inside, a small rock had started to form in my belly. Could I really ask this of him? I've never been shy before, so why now? Why were my paws shuffling underneath me, in the moss? Why was it so hard to find the words? Why could I not meet the medicine cat's gaze again?
A tail went over my shoulder before I knew it. Instinctively, I looked up and was surprised to see Rainpaw beside me. His tail was around my shoulder, and as he sat down, it slid slowly down my back before coming to rest again, never leaving my pelt. He looked at me with warmth in his blue eyes, a small purr rumbling in his throat. "It's okay. I'm here for you." His soft mew danced in my ears. The warmth of his pelt against mine as he leaned towards me... It all helped so much. This tom, my best friend, was the embodiment of comfort.
"Bluepool," I meowed finally after taking a deep breath to stir up my own confidence. "I need to know about Flameshroud. He gave me a prophecy."
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 21
Bluepool's eyes grew wider as he stared at me from where he sat. However, the tom remained calm, calm like the times I've seen him working on so many injured cats. It was a sort of chaotic calmness. "State what you've heard," he mewed to me.
I took another deep breath then repeated the words exactly as I remembered them. The medicine cat's eyes were now as big as moons, and it seemed as if the wall of confidence he had built up was starting to crumble away.
Glancing down to his paws, he shuffled them slightly in the dirt which coated the floor. "I know of this prophecy," he managed to finally mutter.
"What does it mean?" I knew what it sounded like, but surely it couldn't be that. A medicine cat like Bluepool could interpret it correctly, right? I had to know if I was to really fight my brother later on.
"I don't know." The blue tom sighed, his gaze never lifting from his nervous paws.
Unintentionally, an irritated hiss escaped my jaws, along with a harsh phrase. "What kind of medicine cat are you then?"
Bluepool visibly flinched but still did not look up. His ears flattened shamefully against his skull.
"Calm down, Hollypaw. He doesn't have to know everything just because he's a medicine cat. He's still only a cat, just like all the rest of us. Don't be angry with my brother." Rainpaw's gentle voice sounded in my ear.
Instantly, the anger left my body, and my muscles relaxed. I hadn't even noticed them tense up until it was already over. I sighed and looked down, feeling my own shame wash over my pelt like rain over the land. My head hung. "I'm sorry, Bluepool."
"It's okay," he replied back, lifting his muzzle again. "Is there anything else you'd like to know? Something I can actually help with? You wanted to know about Flameshroud, correct?"
I nodded, lifting my own head to meet his blue eyes. I had to know who that mysterious tom really was.
The blue tom sighed, nodding slowly. My guess was it was somewhat of a hurdle for him to remember.
"He was my mentor," the medicine cat began. "He was a mysterious cat all the time. When you asked him a question, he'd answer it in the form of a question. He liked making others think so you'd have to find you own solution. That's why he was named with 'shroud.' But, he was great, always kind and sympathetic to all." Bluepool's eyes began to shine with nostalgia and joy. "He was the best medicine cat SunClan had ever seen. He'd never lost the life of a patient."
"How did he die?" I asked, trying to be as gentle with the question as possible. Any cat knew the loss of a friend and clanmate was a touchy and sad subject.
"He was killed by a fox. He'd told me he was going to pick herbs alone, and that I should stay here in the den to watch over Gorsepaw since he'd been injured at the time." He paused, sadness overtaking the joy in his eyes. "I told him not to go alone, but he said he'd be fine. He... He never came back. A warrior found him the next sunrise." Bluepool hunched over now, digging his claws into the rotted wood beneath. "I always blamed myself for that. And then to make things worse, at nine moons I had to become a full blood medicine cat for the clan. I wasn't ready... I'm still not ready."
My heart ached for the tom by the end of his story. Having his mentor killed like that and then being burdened with not only guilt but the full weight of medicine cat responsibility... It just wasn't fair!
Before I knew what I was doing, my paws had carried me to Bluepool's side, and I pressed myself against him. My tail draped over his shoulders. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that." The words were soft and sincere.
Rainpaw joined us, pressing against his brother's other side. "It's okay. I know it's hard, but you're so good at what you do. I'm always here for you, brother."
Bluepool, at first, seemed shocked by our actions, but he soon relaxed and nodded. "Thank you, both of you," he mewed. When we pulled away, he looked back and forth at us both. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Something scratched at the back of my mind. It had been there since around the time I first became an apprentice a few moons ago. It had been buried time and time again by other thoughts, but it always managed to resurface.
"Yes, actually. There is one more thing," I meowed, taking my seat in front of him again. "Who is Rabbitkit?"
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 22
The question seemed to stun Bluepool for a heartbeat, but he quickly composed himself again, as much as he usually could anyway. He seemed hesitant to answer, but after taking a deep breath, the tom complied. "He's your kin. He was born the same day you and your brother were, only a little bit before you both, actually," he explained. "But he died shortly after being born. He was so tiny that it wasn't unexpected."
One would have thought my heart would have ached more at hearing this, but it didn't. The only change in my body was the growth of my curiosity. "Who were his parents?" I had to know why he seemed so important, or at least, important enough that Gorgeleap refused to tell me before. I had to know all about Rabbitkit.
"A tom called Snakeheart was his father. His mother was Hollyfrost, Silvermist and Dewstreak's sister."
Eyes widening, I stared at Bluepool. "I knew Silvermist and Dewstreak were sisters, but I never knew they had another one." So I had more kin?
He nodded. "Yes, they were all littermates. In fact, you were named after your kin."
"How come no one ever talks about Hollyfrost?"
Bluepool's gaze fell once again, and he shook his head. "I'm not the one to tell you that. You'll have to ask Featherstar and Dewstreak on that one."
Frustration sparked inside me, but I held my tongue from spewing a nasty word. "Then what happened to Hollyfrost?"
He gave me the simple answer of, "She died."
Letting my ears go back and tail tip twitch, I tried to think of something this irritating tom could actually tell me. "What about Snakeheart? Can you at least tell me something about him?"
The medicine cat nodded. "He was thought to be a great, noble, and loyal warrior. That is, until he met a rogue she-cat. Long story short, while Hollyfrost was to soon have kits, her mate Snakeheart left her and the clan for this rogue. He betrayed us all, but, as expected, poor Hollyfrost was the most devastated and heartbroken." He then added something with such mouse bile that both Rainpaw and I were taken aback. "He was a huge fox-hearted mousebrain!"
Rainpaw and I looked at each other and then back to Bluepool as he calmed down again almost instantly, like nothing had happened. I don't think either of us had ever seen the blue tom mad about anything, ever.
"If you want to know anything more, you'll have to talk to your leader and deputy about it. I'm not at liberty to give anything else out. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help," Bluepool apologized, dipping his head respectfully to us. "But, I hope you two find everything you're looking for."
"No, you were plenty help. Thank you," I mewed, dipping my head back. Getting up and flicking my tail for Rainpaw to follow, I padded out of the den. Once outside, I waited for my friend. "I think we should talk to Dewsteak and Featherstar now. I have to know more."
Rainpaw nodded his agreement. "Me too. I wish I could remember what happened, though." He let out a regretful sigh.
"Remember? Wait, you were at least four moons old when this happened, weren't you? I know you had to be almost an apprentice when I was born. How can you not remember what happened?"
Rainpaw shrugged, genuinely unsure. "I don't know. I just...don't," he replied then gave me an apologetic look.
"Whatever," I said, shaking my head. "It's fine. We will just ask Featherstar and Dewstreak. Hopefully, they will actually give us some answers." But what I couldn't understand was why everyone felt the need to keep this all a big secret.
Without another word, I moved forward, heading right to the leader's den. Featherstar would be the first to be questioned. As I walked, anticipation, anxiety, and even some slight relief bubbled up inside me. The closer I got to the den, the stronger these feelings became. Before I knew it, there we were, right outside the leader's den. Taking a deep breath to muster up all the courage my body contained, I called in. "Featherstar, may Rainpaw and I speak to you, please?"
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 23
Without barely a moment's pause, a calm mew echoed out to our ears. "Come in, I've been expecting you, Hollypaw." At hearing these words, I glanced over to Rainpaw who could only offer me a gaze as confused as my own and then a shrug of his gray shoulders. Featherstar had been expecting us?
We padded into the den, myself leading the way. Upon entering, the light grew instantly dimmer as if shadows had taken over the entire room itself. I'd never been in the leader's den before; I'd never been in a den so dark before. It was slightly unsettling, to say the least. However, Rainpaw was right by my side and placed his tail on my back to remind me so. His presence was very comforting.
Before us stood the massive soft ledge with our shaggy-furred leader perched on top. He looked down at us, amber eyes glistening in the low light. "What can I do for you two?" he inquired in a friendly manner.
The bundle of nerves which had been wrestling in my gut grew just about three times at this simple question. This was it. Featherstar had to know the answers to everything. He had been around so long and still had two lives left. The only obstacles in my way now were my own nerves making me feel sick, and the possibility that the leader may not even tell us what we wanted to know. But, I had to try. I stepped forward, forcibly shoving my feelings of unease down to a manageable state and looked up at the brown tom. "How come no one ever talks about Hollyfrost?" My voice shook as I asked this question, even though I tried desperately to steady it. My nerves were starting to really get to me; they didn't like being pushed away.
Featherstar's ears angled forward more. He seemed interested. "So it has finally come, the sunrise where you wish to learn of your kin and the darkness that happened here. I was right in expecting it this time." He stood up and jumped down from the soft ledge. Coming over to me, he took a seat once more but only a tail-length away now. "Hollyfrost was once one of the sweetest cats in the clan. When you were born your mother named you after her dear sister. But, she changed that very same dawn. She became a monster no one wanted to remember," he began.
This was it. I was finally going to get some answers! The anxiety rose more, causing doubt and fear to rise up as well. Did I really want to know all of this? I didn't have to. I could easily walk out of this den right now and never speak of it again like the rest of the clan. However, I knew if I was to do that then I would regret it for the rest of my life. It would gnaw at my soul until nothing was left. I had to stay, to listen, now.
"When Rabbitkit died, Hollyfrost was more than distraught. The mate whom she'd loved more than anything had left her and the clan for a rogue not even a moon before the birth of her kit. And now, the only thing she felt she had left was gone only half a sunrise later." Featherstar paused, closing his eyes and seeming to compose himself, or perhaps prepare himself for what was about to next be said. "Hollyfrost was not so kind anymore. She wailed hysterically and began mumbling things, like how the world was only full of pain and suffering. I wasn't there when she tried to kill you and Icepaw. By then I had gone back to my den, so I can only give second-paw accounts of what happened. Apparently, Hollyfrost wanted to 'save' you and your brother from this world she believed to be one of misery. However, when she attempted to do so, our deputy at the time, Fernbreeze, was there with her two kits and was just in time to tackle Hollyfrost away."
Rainpaw tensed up beside me the moment the name Fernbreeze was mentioned. I knew as well as he did who this she-cat was. Placing my tail on the gray tom's back, I pushed myself into him for comfort. His claws were sinking into the rotted wood ground, I noticed. I could only imagine how he felt hearing his dead mother's name again.
Featherstar noticed Rainpaw's sudden behavior shift as well, and he dipped his head in apology. Yet, he continued; Rainpaw was free to leave any time, but he stayed so the story would go on.
"From what I understand, the fight didn't last long. Hollyfrost had somehow managed to bite Fernbreeze's throat." Rainpaw tensed more, shaking now, but he stayed. "She died in the nursery. That's when Dewstreak, your mother's other sister, Hollyfrost's sister, leapt into battle. Hollyfrost was already weaker from her fight with Fernbreeze. The fight tore up half of the vines in the den, but Silvermist shielded you two with her body, taking some nasty blows herself. I guess everyone else was too stunned to fight with Dewstreak, but it didn't matter. She killed her own littermate to save her newborn kin. But, the battle had taken its toll on everyone. They lost a sister, the clan lost its deputy, and we all lost moral."
Throughout the story, my eyes only continued to get wider and wider until they were as big as moons. I almost couldn't believe what I'd been hearing. My kin went mad and tried to kill my brother and I as newborn kits... And Rainpaw's mother, the deputy at the time, had been killed by her instead. It felt like my whole world was slowly crumbling into dust, like the orange rocks of High Cliff. I could have died. Icepaw could have died. How...how was I supposed to feel? I felt myself breaking inside. Was that how it was supposed to be? What was this anyway? Grief? Realization? Why did it feel like I was falling into nothing?
"Hollypaw," Featherstar's voice jerked me back to reality, "I'm sorry you had to hear this, but you wanted to know. And now you know the truth." He moved closer and placed his tail on my back where Rainpaw's had once been but was now gone.
Looking at him, I only had one more question now. "Where was Crowwing?" How come he didn't help in the battle? How come he didn't save Fernbreeze and kill Hollyfrost instead of making Dewstreak do it?
"He was out on patrol at the time. He and the other cats came back to find the aftermath," the brown leader told me, now pressing his long fur nto me to be of whatever comfort he could. But it did nothing. He looked over to Rainpaw then. "I'm sorry you had to relive this. I know you tried so hard to forget."
I glanced over at Rainpaw. He was still shaking but more violently now, claws dug down into the floor as far as they would go. Even his ears were flat and the fur along his spine was raised, tail lashing the air and nearly missing swatting me. His eyes were shut tight. "Rainpa-"
"Be quiet," he spat at me, taking me aback. He had never once even raised his voice or twitched his tail at me before. There was no way I could even imagine the pain he was feeling.
"I remember now," Rainpaw said a little more calmly but with venom still dripping from his jaws. "I remember her wailing, the mumbling. I remember my mother launching herself at Hollyfrost, leaving my brother and I to huddle in our nest together and try not to watch. But it was impossible not to. The ball of silvery-white and gray tumbled all over the den, screeching furiously and nearly cutting us up several times. Then, it was over...and she was lying on the floor, blood pooling from her throat." He was shaking even more now, but his eyes were wide open and staring at the floor with nothing but pure terror in them. It looked as if his legs were to give out at any moment. "And then Dewstreak showed up, and it happened all over again..."
He ran out after that. Without thinking, I followed, breaking away from Featherstar's comfort and racing after my best friend. But by the time I rounded the wall, he was already gone and outside camp.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 24
Determined to help my best friend and stop him from doing anything stupid, I bolted after him. The long tunnel took no time to clear. I had him in my sights again, his blue shape barreling right through undergrowth and even thorn bushes. He didn't even slow down.
I was ready to race after him, but then, out of nowhere, Star appeared in front of me. Having already started my motion, my shifting weight didn't let me make a complete and surprised stop. No, I tilted on my front paws and fell forward, getting a nice face full of dirt and leaves.
"You shouldn't go after him. Bad things will happen here if you do," Star mewed to me from where she sat, unmoving.
Quickly sitting up, I spat dirt out of my mouth. It tasted awful! Once that was done and most of the nasty taste was gone, I looked at her with irritation. "Why'd you have to appear right there? I almost ran into you, and you could have given me some type of warning. You know, call for me from under that tree over there or something." I flicked my tail off to the right.
"Would you have stopped if I'd been anywhere else?" she asked calmly, to which I could only look away and know she was right. "It wouldn't have mattered if you hit me anyway. In fact, you wouldn't have hit me at all. I'm dead, Hollypaw. We both know this. You would have gone right through me, remember?" She gave me a slightly mischievous look then.
"What do you want? I need to go and help Rainpaw. He's hurting really bad, and he'll be hurting a lot worse if he keeps running right through thorn bushes," I half-snapped, not in the mood for anything else right now. I had to comfort my friend.
"Did you not hear me the first time? If you leave then bad things will happen here at camp," Star replied, getting slightly irritated as well. "He will be fine out there. You must stay here. Or would you like a repeat of Silvermist?"
As much I wanted to help Rainpaw, the mention of my dead mother made up my mind to stay. Her death still haunted me. When I wasn't training in my dreams, my brain was reliving nightmares of that battle, the one I hadn't helped in, the one I could have stopped my mother from dying in. "What's going to happen?"
"You will see in just a few moments. I suggest going back into camp now." That was all she said before she was gone. But, I didn't go in. I stayed where I was, because I could see shadows milling about in the undergrowth and peeking out behind trees.
A knot started to form in my stomach as I watched them. One shadow in particular was much larger than the rest. It was huge, in fact, much larger than any cat. And it kept growing. Then, it stepped from the brambles, and my heart sank.
A massive, black figure lumbered forward, its jowls curling up in a snarl and black, beady eyes looking right at me. The paws on this thing were bigger than my whole body, and muscle ripped under its coat.
I had no idea what it was, but that made it all the more horrifying. My paws wanted to stay frozen to the ground while my heart leapt out of my chest, but my mind was blank of all but one thought. Run.
Bolting back into camp, through the tunnel, I crashed into Featherstar on the other side. We both fell to the ground with the impact, but there was no time for sorries. I had to warn them. "Giant, black fox!"
Featherstar picked himself up from the ground and then looked at me with pure confusion in his eyes. "What?"
"Giant, black f-" Before I could even finish the second time, a loud crash echoed in the camp. A massive paw had battered right through the rotting wood walls. As the paw retreated, a slobbery muzzle took its place, sniffing furiously.
"Bear!" the leader suddenly howled. "Defend the camp!"
Cats started pouring out of the dens as another paw broke through the wall, making a hole large enough for the bear to stick its head through and snarl at us all. Crowwing suddenly launched himself at it, giving it a good swipe on the nose. The head retreated momentarily, and the metallic smell of blood seeped into the air. But it wasn't that easy. The bear came back, breaking through more of the wood, trying to get in.
"I want Bluepool in my den and under the soft ledge, now!" Featherstar ordered. "Goldenbreeze and Badgerpaw, up on the Old Fire Place. Flarefang and Crowwing, get on top of the nursery's soft ledge. Everyone else, get ready to spread out and attack in turns. bears are powerful but slow. We have to be quick, and we can do this."
I watched as the cats got in their set places, but I myself raced to the apprentice's den. My brother was still asleep in our nest, curled up and totally unaware of what was happening. No way was I going to let him get hurt without even fighting.
I nudged him firmly, and he opened his icy blue eyes, blinking sleepily at me. "The camp is under attack. We have to fight." I had to speak slowly even though my heart was pounding hard against my ribs, going as fast rushing water.
Icepaw took a moment to process what I'd said as he watched my mouth. I expected fear to overtake him, for him to start shaking and push into my pelt. But, this did not happen. I don't know why, perhaps Silvermist's death had changed him, but he seemed determined.
He stood up and nudged me, wanting me to go out first and take him to the battle. Little did he know, the battle was right outside the den. The whole time I was in the den, thunderous blows and splintering wood came from the wall outside.
I wrapped my tail around his shoulders and ran out, feeling his pelt brushing mine as he followed. Outside the den, loud crashes had stopped. Instead, loud, bellowing grunts and yowled battle cries filled the air. The bear had broken in, and cats were now surrounding it, launching themselves at its sides or hindquarters each time it moved to face someone else and swipe at them.
I glanced to Icepaw whose eyes were wide, but he still did not shake. He still did not look to me for comfort. I could tell he was scared by the look in his eyes, but he nodded to me then joined the fray.
I had to follow. We stood side by side now, joining the circle of cats who attacked. When the bear turned it haunches to us, we jumped in synchronized harmony to give it double the blows. Its hide was tough, my claws barely piercing it, but it was enough to make the bear turn to us once we quickly jumped back. It swiped at us, and we broke away from each other. Luckily, neither of us got hit, but when it turned to go for another cat, they weren't so quick and went flying across the camp. "Dewstreak!" someone else called in shock then lunged again.
I glanced over at my kin who now laid on the floor motionless. Was she dead too now? She couldn't be! But if she was, it only showed just how much power this creature really had.
Icepaw nudged me just in time for me to turn and see how latest opportunity to attack the bear. We both jumped together again, side by side, and gave it an extra powerful blow. "This is for Dewstreak!" The yowl escaped my jaws as our claws made contact together.
I couldn't help but notice that fighting alone or against each other, Icepaw was weak. He was easy to counter and easy to take down. But now, with us fighting on the same side for the first real time, he was just like me. We moved exactly the same, almost as if he was reading my thoughts. Maybe we were just that close.
Just then, the black giant let out a loud roar and barreled through our wall of cats. It went right for Goldenbreeze and Badgerpaw on the Old Fire Place. The stone ledge was high up, so I thought they'd be safe. That is, until it reared up on its hind legs, making itself almost twice as tall.
I could see the fear in the two cats' eyes from where I stood, but they hissed and snarled then swiped at its nose. It swiped back, but they jumped out of the way, and its paw collided with the stone instead, causing it to let out a small cry of pain.
Other cats began jumping on its back, clinging to the course, furry surface and scratching at it to do as much damage as possible. Featherstar went for its belly. After a few good hits, it landed back on all fours, making the brown leader retreat into the pile of ashes. The bear roared at him, and in response, he batted a paw in the ash, sending it into the bear's eyes. It howled it pain and stumbled back, not even seeming to care about the cats tearing up its back.
Its eyes were its weak spot! I was about to jump in again with my brother when a streak of gray beat me to it, going right for its eyes.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 25
A shrill screech blasted my ears. The noise hurt, and I had to pin my ears to my skull just to even remotely block it out. Physically wincing, I watched as Rainpaw jumped away from the bear and the black paw that had been swiping at him. Blood shone on his forepaws and left faint prints on the floor when he backed away. The bear continued to howl in pain, now rubbing its fat face.
Other cats took the opportunity and flung themselves at the bear once again, biting and scratching at its haunches and belly. My brother and I were among them. We jumped in unison and scratched as hard as we could at its tail.
This seemed to be the breaking point for the giant, as it turned and lumbered quickly out of the hole it had made in our defensive wall. But before it could disappear, I noticed the shiny, dark red around where its intact eye used to be.
Cats began to check themselves over now that the danger was gone. Crowwing and Featherstar rushed to Dewstreak's side as she still lie where she'd fallen. Unsure if I should go over to my kin or not, I opted instead to go to Rainpaw. Icepaw followed.
"Rainpaw, that was amazing!" There was no way I could not praise my best friend for what he had done. It was heroic to say the very least. "But how did you know there wa sa bear here?" I glanced down at his bloody paws, the realization that he had basically defeated a bear on his own slowly sinking in more and more.
The blue tom was panting, no doubt from the adrenaline which had coursed rapidly through his veins and was now dissipating. "I heard the roars and our warriors' battle cries," he answered in a mew. The fight seemed to have taken away thoughts of his mother, as well. It probably would have taken away thoughts of any other kind, really. "But you two were pretty amazing yourselves." His gaze shifted to Icepaw. "I've never seen you fight like that before. You were like a whole different cat!"
Icepaw puffed out his chest and stood taller at Rainpaw's words, seeming to know exactly what was going on right now. Yet, he still was barely not even as tall as I.
It wasn't often the white tom got praise from others besides his mentor and I, so he was really eating it up now. Even by the look in Rainpaw's eyes, it was easy to tell how stunned and impressed he was.
"We need some bark!" Featherstar's yowl grabbed the attention of us all. We looked over to see Bluepool rushing from the medicine den with some herbs stuffed in his mouth. Our brown leader crouched by Dewstreak, a paw lightly on hers. "Crowwing, take Badgerpaw and find a large piece of bark from a dead tree. We can't move Dewstreak without it, and she needs to be in the medicine den."
Without hesitation, father and son raced out of camp while Featherstar called "Be careful" after them.
"What happened? Did the bear get her?" Rainpaw asked worriedly, having not been here for most of the attack. He glanced from the hurt deputy across camp to me.
Sadly, I nodded. "She got flung into a wall really hard and then fell to the ground. She hasn't moved at all..." At least from context I knew she was still alive, but for how much longer? Could she even recover from something like that?
Icepaw broke away from our little group and began quickly making his way over to Dewstreak, Featherstar, and the very clearly anxious Bluepool. But, I had to intervene. Racing after him, I pounced, my paws landing square on his shoulders. He let out a yowl of protest as he went down then rolled on his back to face me. All I could do was let my ears lie back and shake my head sadly.
The next dawn I awoke to the leader calling for a clan meeting. "-come to gather around the Old Fire Place." Getting up, I stretched my paws and claws, tail in the air. Following that was a quick arch of my back. Glancing down, I rolled my eyes as Icepaw looked up sleepily with his snowy fur flowing everywhere wildly like he was actually in a blizzard and frozen that way.
"Rainpaw, you up?" He nodded when I looked over. He was just getting out of his nest and stretching like i had been. He then gave himself a few, quick rasps over his gray pelt. Badgerpaw then stalked between our nests and out of the den, oddly enough not saying a word to any of us, or even sparing a sideways glare. Weird.
"Come on, we should head out, too, before we're late," Rainpaw meowed then padded out. Icepaw and I followed, once I got him out of the nest and fixed his wild fur quickly. Naturally, we both chose a seat near the back, beside Rainpaw.
From atop the stone structure that once held fire but now only held ash, Featherstar gazed down at us all. His amber eyes looking tired for the first time. "Thank you all for joining me here this dawn. I realize it's early, but there are matters that must be attended to. First off, I'd like to choose a temporary deputy." There were gasps and murmurs from the crowd.
Rainpaw and I looked at each other, wondering who it could be. But, I also had to know if this meant that Dewstreak was going to be okay. Featherstar could not speak fast enough.
The brown tom held up a plumy tail for silence. "Dewstreak is alive, but her condition is critical. We, Bluepool and I, are sure that many of her ribs are broken, and she cannot feel her back legs at all, nor move them." He bowed his head, allowing the gasps and murmurs this time for a moment.
"What?" I couldn't help but blurt out in a loud whisper. Looking back to Rainpaw, he kept his eyes on Featherstar now, his blue gaze turning hard like stone. Did he maybe blame himself for not getting to the fight sooner? Maybe, but that wasn't what was important right now. Dewstreak couldn't move her legs, and her ribs were broken... Would she ever be able to be a proper deputy, or even cat, again?
Our leader continued after a few moments. "In light of this issue, Dewstreak has agreed to give up her position of deputy for now, and we have both agreed on a new one. I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of our choice. The new deputy of SunClan is Gorseclaw." He looked down to the tom. "Would you please come forward?"
Everyone's heads turned towards the ginger tabby tom, including my own. He seemed shocked that it had been his name to be called, but the whole clan knew just how loyal and great of a warrior he was.
His bulky figure rose to stand and then padded forward. Featherstar jumped down from the Old Fire Place to welcome him as deputy. With bows of respect and a lick on the shoulder, Gorseclaw turned to the clan. Pride and joy, but also a hint of solemn, beamed within his amber eyes.
The crowd gave half-hearted cheers. While they were happy to have a warrior like Gorseclaw be their deputy now, nobody wanted Dewstreak to stop.
I looked to Icepaw who seemed both confused and happy. He was probably only acting happy because the rest of the clan was. I nudged his shoulder to get his attention then slowly said, "Gorseclaw is deputy now. Dewstreak needs to rest."
His blue eyes got wide, growing as big as moons. Quickly, his head whipped back to stare at his mentor through the throng of cats. Thankfully, Gorseclaw was bigger than everyone else so it was pretty easy to see him, even for the shorter Icepaw.
I would have loved to know what exactly was going through his mind at this point, but the meeting was not yet over. Once the cheers for Gorseclaw died down, Featherstar spoke again. "And I'm rather excited to welcome a new queen into the nursery. Gorgeleap, you have done us all a great service as a warrior, but now I am fully prepared to let you rest and soon welcome new faces into the clan. Congratulations."
Gorgeleap dipped her mostly white head. She sat right in front of me, so I could easily hear the purr emanating from her throat. Looking back up at Gorseclaw, it all made sense.
I'm pretty sure my eyes were even bigger than moons now. But, now that I looked, it was easily noticed that her lithe frame had gotten more swollen. "You're having kits? With Gorseclaw?" I couldn't help the shocked words that escaped my jaws as I leaned forward towards my mentor. I was very happy for her, but there was one concern. "But then who's going to be my mentor?"
She looked back at me, purring still. "Nobody," she answered, her tail moving to rest over my paw. Before any more words could be said between the two of us, the meeting continued still.
"Finally, in light of the attack that happened this past sun, I feel it necessary to have more warriors in the clan. I'd like to call up all our apprentices; Rainpaw, Icepaw, Hollypaw, and Badgerpaw." Featherstar flicked his tail from where he now sat on the ground, the movement just barely visible through the bodies surrounding him.
Nudging Icepaw and then flicking my tail for him to follow, I happily made my way up. The crowd parted for us, Rainpaw taking the lead, followed by Icepaw and I, and then our older sibling. Nothing but pure excitement coursed in my veins now as we padded to the front of the crowd. We turned to face them with my head held high and chest puffed out. Glancing down at Icepaw, I found him to be copying me but with his own sense of pride. I was so happy he knew what was happening right now.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 26
"Rainpaw, would you please step forward." The gray tom stepped up and gazed out at the clan, then glanced back at me. Where sadness once ruled his blue eyes, joy now reigned supreme. Yet, a hint of that sadness still remained. He probably wished his mother could be here to witness this. But I know she would be proud.
"I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice, on all of these apprentices. They have all worked hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and in turn I wish to give them their warrior names," Featherstar meowed, loud enough for all to hear. The exhaustion in his eyes seemed to fade for now, the ceremony giving him new energy.
"I would ask if you would defend the clan even at the cost of your lives, but I have seen there is no need. So, Rainpaw, I first give you your warrior name. From this moment onward, you shall be known as Raintail for your swiftness and heart. May StarClan shine upon you and guide your path."
Rainpaw shook with excitement, so much so that he almost missed Featherstar's shoulder when it came time to lick it and make his part of the ceremony official.
The clan began to chant his name. "Raintail! Raintail! Raintail!" I was among them to join in, and even Icepaw tried his best. Though it sounded quite off and weird, he still called loudly with the rest of the clan until Raintail joined the ranks of the crowd and the cheering died down.
"Badgerpaw, would you please step forward?"
The tom held his black head high, white muzzle in the air. His chest couldn't have been any more puffed out either.
"From this day onward, you shall be known as Badgerfang for your ferocity in battle and all the hard work you've done. May StarClan shine upon you and guide your path."
Once again, the clan chanted his new name. I looked to Flarefang, his now former mentor. The she-cat was usually even meaner than her former apprentice, but right now I could swear I saw pride in her amber eyes. Looking at Crowwing, even he had given up the depression of losing his mate for this moment. He sat tall and gave an approving nod. Admittedly, even I felt some pride for my older sibling.
"Hollypaw, Icepaw, please step forward." This was it. Our names were called. Adrenaline and joy shook my body to the core. My heart raced faster than the legendary cheetahs of old myth, and I thought I might just pass out. However, Icepaw's pelt brushing against mine grabbed my attention. He looked right at me with reassuring, happy blue pools. I knew that even as warriors we would have each other. He would always be at my side.
"He's dangerous." A sudden whisper flowed through my ear. It was undoubtedly Star's voice, but why did she have to come here now? I couldn't believe my brother was dangerous, not right now at least.
"Hollypaw, Icepaw, are you coming forward for your warrior names?" My thoughts shattered into a thousand tiny fragments at my leader's voice. realizing I'd just spaced out for a few hearbeats and hadn't moved, I quickly stepped up, Icepaw beside me.
"I know it's a little nerve racking," Featherstar whispered to me, amusement in his mew. He spoke up to address us and the clan once more. "I am aware of how young you two are, but after this battle it is clear that you both are ready for what is about to come. Hollypaw, from this moment onward you shall be known as Hollyheart for your loyalty not only to the clan but to your brother, whom you never gave up on. Icepaw, you shall be known as Icespire for your ability to grow and rise despite the limitation you were given. May StarClan shine upon you both and guide your path."
The crowd erupted into cheer, louder than it had before. Heads high, Icespire and I gazed out at our clan, our new names ringing out and bouncing in echoed chorus off the camp walls. As expected, when my eyes landed on Raintail, his eyes were radiating pure happiness for us. Gorgeleap and Gorseclaw both were filled to the brim with pride as they chanted. I didn't expect much from Crowwing, but I was surprised to see pride even in his eyes and his jaws parted in cheer.
Once it died down, I placed my tail over Icespire's back, and we made our way down into the crowd, taking seats beside Raintail. Featherstar now spoke again.
"I am overjoyed to have four new warriors of the clan, and soon to have new kits. But, let's not forget how times have recently been dire. With the prey still continuing to mysteriously go missing, the hole in our defenses," everyone's heads turned to look at the wall the bear had destroyed before turning back to their leader, "another warrior being out of commission, and now leaf-bare baring its fangs, we have a very rough time ahead of us. We must persevere, however, no matter what is thrown our way. We are SunClan, and we are warriors. No matter how tough times will get, we will always come out on top!"
|
|
|
Post by 🍁Searipple101🍁 on Aug 10, 2016 21:10:45 GMT -5
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 27
The forest was dark and gray. Slowly, the wind blew like a lazy river, clattering the bare branches together to make an eerie percussion sympathy. Fog hung low at my paws, only adding to the dreadful scenery. I've seen it many times before, but never this bad. It looked like something straight from my nightmares. perhaps, I was in one right now. So I thought, until the familiar form of my friend appeared through the ghostly mist.
"Star! Thank StarClan you're here," I said in a cheerful mew then padded over to her, closing the larger gap between us. I noticed she flinched a bit at the mention of StarClan. But why? I wasn't curious enough to ask. I had another question on my mind currently. Well, several, actually. "How come the Forest looks even more gray than usual, and so creepy too?"
Star gave me a spaced out look, as if other things were on her mind and my voice was only a distant sound. But, she did answer after blinking once and seeming to come back to me. "Because my home is dying."
"What?" The news was obviously quite a shock. I'd never imagined a dream world, or spirit world, or whatever this was, to be able to die. How did a world even die? "Why is it dying?" I asked with my ears flattening slightly, all other previous questions gone from my brain.
The dull gray she-cat sighed and looked down at her black paws, looking defeated. "I'm not sure. No one is, not even Eaglestar. All I know is it's dying, and there's only one way to save us, not the world, but us." She looked up, her blue eyes almost pleading. "You must grant us permission to enter your world."
I narrowed my eyes in a skeptical way. How would that be possible? "You can enter my world? But I thought you were dead."
"I am. We are. However, if you allow us into your world, we can live again. It's hard to explain, but I know this to be true, and only you can have this ability."
After taking a step back, I sat down, still confused and rather unsure. "But don't you come into my world already? I've seen you before, remember? You've talked to me, too," I pointed out. This wasn't making a whole lot of sense.
"That's not enough. Yes, I can visit for short periods of time, but it's tiring. And I'd always have to come back here to rest. Look, Hollyheart, it's not that much to ask. All you have to do is say to me, 'I give you and your friends permission to enter my world.' That's it. Then, we can manifest and materialize and become part of the living world again. We could join your clan, make it stronger. We could help you all."
My gaze traveled down to my paws which were only partially visible due to the fog. It was like sitting in white, murky water. But what I could see was solid. Looking at her paws, even here, they were still the slightest bit transparent. I could still make out the tips of blades of the grayscale grass poking through her form. How did something that was dead for so long come back to life? How did a spirit become a cat again? Just saying a simple phrase didn't seem to be enough for such a miracle of an event. "I don't know," I said finally, never looking up to meet her eyes.
Without looking at her face, it was easy to tell she was stunned by my answer, or lack thereof. "What do you mean you don't know? Hollyheart, I'm asking for your help. I've done so much for you. I have taken my time and energy to train you. I warned you about the foxes and the bear. I warned you about Icepaw, er, Icespire. I was there when you first became an apprentice. I was there when you got your warrior name. I'll still be there when you make your mark on the Marking Tree in Training Trees. I will watch you dig your caw into that bark and officially become a warrior. But I'd like to be able to do that as a real, physical cat again. I don't want to fade away with this place, Hollyheart. None of us do. I was a SunClan cat before I died. I can be one again." Her tone of voice seemed to go from sad, to slightly threatening, to hopeful. But through all of it, she was desperate.
My paws shuffled a bit in the murky fog as my mind raced. We couldn't afford to have any more cats right now really. Featherstar said so himself that times would be hard for now. Our prey kept disappearing, and leaf-bare was so close. Plus, what prey we did have had to go to Gorgeleap now that she was having Gorseclaw's kits, at least a good portion of the freshkill should anyway. A big cat like Eaglestar probably ate a lot, too. Of course I wanted to help, I dreadfully did, but it just didn't seem like the best idea right now. It wasn't my decision. Thinking over her words, analyzing what my former dream mentor said to me. Then, something stood out.
I looked up now, Star's blue eyes standing out dramatically against her dull colored fur. They seemed to glow even in the half-light. They still plead to me, but mine held curious suspicion. "You said you were a member of SunClan before you died, right?" I inquired, wanting to make sure I had this information correct for sure, no doubts.
Star narrowed her eyes a bit, seeming confused. I noticed the tip of her tail twitched ever so slightly, and her claws start to slide out into the dank earth anxiously. "Yes," she answered, adding a curt nod. Despite her clear unease, she tried to hide it, and her gaze locked with mine. Green and blue stared into each other.
"How come your name is Star now? What was it before?" For some reason, the fur along my spine started to lift. Perhaps it was the anticipation, or the tension in the stale air.
"Rosewing," she answered instantly without any hesitation at all. But I didn't buy it. For the first time, I wasn't going to believe her. The answer appeared almost as if it was kind of rehearsed. it was as if she had thought ahead to my question long ago and kept telling herself this was what she should say, what she would say and deny anything else. A small pebble formed in my belly, telling me that my instincts were true, and that she was lying to me.
However, I played along. I wanted answers, real answers. I needed her to slip up, or to find out something for real. If she would lie about something as simple as her name then what else would she lie to me about?
Nodding slowly, I sat up a bit taller. My black tail came to curl around my paws. "Okay. How did you die exactly?"
"Why are you asking these questions all of a sudden?" Star retorted back with a feline frown. Her tail tip twitched more, and her claws sunk down into the soil deeper, I think. It was harder to tell this with the fog. But it was easy to see the she-cat getting more nervous and agitated.
"Because I never asked them before. I've trained with you and spoke to you. I've done everything you've said and wanted for five moons," I meowed with confidence, sitting even taller now. "If you are going to possibly be part of my clan again, I want to know more about you. Is that really so much to ask when I will be giving you life again?" I did want to ask why only I could give them life, but that was for a later date, it seemed.
"I'd rather not talk about it." Her gaze fell now, and her claws retracted. She appeared to huddle closer into herself as well. Her voice was sad. "Would you like to relive how you died? Would you want to think about it?"
A pang of guilt hit my heart, and I looked down, too. "I'm sorry." The words escaped my jaws in a mutter. Now, I just felt bad for asking such a thing. It really must have been an awful death. But maybe I could ask someone else in the clan. Maybe they would know what happened to Rosewing.
"Can you just please say the phrase I told you so we can live again and join the clan once more? It would mean everything to us. Please, we don't want to fade away and be forgotten forever."
"I'll think about it," I decided with a sigh. I'd have to ask Featherstar on this one for advice and his thoughts. I might be the only one who could bring them to the living world again, but Featherstar was still the leader of the clan. He still had to give me the okay.
"Oh, thank you, Hollyheart. You have no idea how much it means to me, to all of us, that you'll even only consider it," Star purred, genuinely joyful. I'd never seen her so happy before, or really all that happy ever.
All I could do was nod and look at her joyful expression. But, drifting my gaze behind her, I noticed the face of Eaglestar. His amber eye glowed in the darkness which surrounded the area. Other eyes were in the shadows, too, all watching us. Every single one of the many pairs looked menacingly glad.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 28
"Hollyheart. Come on, wake up." Groggily, I cracked open my eyes to see a gray shape looming over me. After blinking a few times, the figure of Raintail came into focus. My body began to protest about getting up. That, until the tom said these words, "It's time to go and sit vigil." That's when all the remnants of sleep drained from my muscles, and I rose.
Icespire stirred beside me but seemed to protest the very same, except he went further by hiding his face under his paws. Raintail and I looked at each other for a moment with amusement glinting in our eyes. Then, I bent down and grabbed my brother's scruff between my jaws then lifted slightly before letting him go.
The white mass, which had grown significantly over the moons, rolled over onto his back, bumping into my legs. His eyes opened to reveal tired, icy pools. He then stretched his jaws open in a yawn, to which I had to yarn, in turn.
"Come on, we're wasting time," Raintail meowed then glanced over at Badgerfang, who was still curled up in his nest. "Uh, should we wake him? Because we probably should."
I glanced over at my older brother, all traces of white tucked away by either black fur or moss from the old nest. "As much as I'd like to see him get in trouble, I'll be nice and wake him up," I sighed. Padding over, my tail tip couldn't help but twitch as my mind flashed the thought of simply leaving him there to be at the mercy of Featherstar. But then again, Featherstar always was a kind cat, barely even scolding anyone. But he knew how to make clan cats listen. He was smart like that. Still, though, a light scolding wasn't what I wanted to see if Badgerfang did get in trouble for being late to vigil. It wouldn't be satisfying enough for all the harsh words and bullying he'd done to Icespire and I.
Soon, a black paw smacked down on his matching head, and the simple word of 'vigil' was uttered. Then, I was back with my favorite brother and best friend, while Badgerfang scrambled up and let out a small hiss behind me. Raintail and I chuckled between each other.
We all walked out into the chilly air, all four of us, to the camp entrance where we found Featherstar and Pinefall, the clan's only elder, waiting. It was pretty obvious when my surprised showed once seeing the nearly completely blind elder, because Featherstar's amber eyes lit up with amusement.
"Good evening, everyone," the leader greeted and dipped his head to us all. "I can understand the confusing as to why Pinefall is here, but it's simple really. He likes a captive, quiet audience for his stories." The brown tom could barely contain a chuckle as he spoke. "And there's nothing against it in the Warrior Code or Vigil Rules. But, anyway, down to business. As you four already know, the freshkill pile has been getting smaller and smaller as leaf-bare approaches. We have only half a moon before it bares its fangs down on us. But, something has also been stealing our food, something unseen, unheard, and unscented. Now, how something like that exists, I'm not sure. It's still very possible that a clan member, as much as I hate to say so, could be taking the prey for themselves. While no evidence of any cat being bigger than the rest, besides Gorgeleap from her coming kit, it's still very possible one of ours is stealing the prey to do something else with it." He paused to look at us all.
I didn't glance to Raintail or Icespire, and I couldn't care less about what Badgerfang thought, but I knew my expression read nothing but shock and wonder. Could a clanmate really be stealing the prey for themselves? Or maybe they were giving it away? But then, to who? Were they trying to weaken the clan for some reason? Thoughts and possibilities, accusations and theories swirled around inside my brain, but none I wanted to believe.
"As such, I want to assign two of you to watch the freshkill pile, while the other two watch the camp entrance," Featherstar meowed. "Badgerfang and Hollyheart, you two will watch the freshkill pile."
"What?" Badgerfang blurted out. "But that's so boring! We shouldn't even have to watch a pile of dead things!" His tail lashed once behind him as eyes turned to fixate from his outburst.
Featherstar held his tail up for silence, giving Badgerfang a stern look. "We do not question my methods. I realize I am not a StarClan spirit yet, but I have wisdom. I've been around for seven seasons, four of them leading this clan. I've experienced eight other lives, plus the one I'm living right now. When you have that kind of experience, then you may decide what should be done. But until then, I am your leader, and I'd rather not have my clan starve." While no anger flashed in his amber eyes nor snuck into his tone, his words remained steady and hard as stone.
Clearly ashamed from the light scolding, Badgerfang nodded then dipped his head, but I noticed irritation hinting on his face along with a twitching tail tip.
"Now, as I was saying before. Badgerfang and Hollyheart will watch the freskhill pile, while Icespire and Raintail watch the camp entrance from outside. Any other objections?"
Shaking my head, I watched the brown leader. It's not like I myself was totally thrilled about being stuck with my obnoxious sibling either, but there was nothing to be done. At least we wouldn't be talking to each other.
"And I'll go sit with you young ones," mewed Pinefall. The brown and black tom gestured with his tail to Raintail and Icespire. "I know how you like my stories, Raintail." A raspy purr began to rumble in his throat, and he moved a little closer to my friend before placing a tail over his back, presumably for guidance outside the camp entrance tunnel. "It's so nice to have company, too."
"They are pretty interesting tales. The one where you chased off a fox all on your own is my favorite for sure," Raintail purred back, his tail going over the elder tom's back.
I'd heard that story several times while cleaning out his bedding. It was a clearly exaggerated story, made to fill little kits with wonder. There was no way Raintail actually enjoyed it all that much. But by the tone he expressed and the way he was acting, I knew he said those things to give the old cat some meaningful happiness. It was very sweet of my best friend.
Soon came the time where we were split off from each other, each group going to their respective places while Featherstar reminded us that we could not speak a single word, except for Pinefall, of course, because he wasn't actually on vigil.
I took up my spot by the edge of the freshkill pile, the view in front of me offering nothing but the usual camp scene, devoid of cats. Badgerfang took up his position beside me but also as far away as possible while still being right near the pile. Fine by me.
Time seemed to pass slowly, stretching onward further and further. Each heartbeat felt like a moon as we sat there in silence, nothing new or interesting offered up to our eyes. It was just dens and darkness. The only sounds heard were Gorseclaw snoring in his nest and the faint whispers of Pinefall's tales carried down to my ears on the breeze. I strained my ears to listen, but it was the fox story again.
Suddenly, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. Whipping my head around in the direction, I expected it to be Badgerfang, but he had his eyes closed, seemingly daydreaming about something. No, the movement was beyond him. By the nursery where Gorgeleap had been moved, I noticed a shape blacker than the darkness around slinking inside the den.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 29
There wasn't a moment of thought in my actions. I jumped to my paws and raced past Badgerfang to the nursery. Gorgeleap was in there with whatever had just snuck its way in. I was scared for her, her unborn kits. There was no way I'd let whatever this was hurt her!
"What in StarClan's name are you doing?" Badgerfang's growl came from behind me, but I barely heard it as my paws flew over the wooden ground. Coming to a halt inside the nursery's ivy curtain, I slid my claws out and puffed up my fur, ready for a battle.
Imagine my surprise when there was nothing there inside but Gorgeleap's peacefully sleeping form and Gorseclaw beside her because he refused to sleep without her in the warrior's den. Both of them laid curled up around each other, their flanks rising falling in perfect rhythm.
My fur flattened, and I quickly parted my jaws to sniff the air, but there was nothing. No new scents. In fact, there was nothing to at all suggest that any other cat or creature had come into the warm den. Not even a trace of the faintest odor.
Soon, there was a sharp blow on the back of my head, followed by a shushing sound. I spun around to see Badgerfang standing over me - though he wasn't at all much bigger than I was - with an annoyed expression. His tail twitched madly, and before I could say a word, the tom quickly grabbed my scruff in his teeth then began to drag me out of the nursery.
The only reason I didn't loudly protest was so as not to wake Gorgeleap and Gorseclaw. However, I did yank myself away from his grasp and followed along willingly back to our post. Once back, I sat down and looked at the ground, trying to figure out what I had seen and where it could have gone.
"What the actual heck was that all about?" Badgerfang hissed to me in a quiet but very annoyed tone. He stood to face me now, tail going from twitching to full on lashing the air. I'd really ticked him off with this.
My answer came out in a quiet, distant murmur. Really, my mind was only half there as the other half still tried to make sense of the event which had just transpired. "I saw something going in the nursery."
"You saw something?" The black and white tom's tone change to be rather flat now but quickly escalated back to being an angry hiss. "You made me break the vow of being silent during vigil, and leaving my post just to drag your sorry tail back here!"
My head snapped up to give him an angry, green glare. Suddenly, figuring out what I'd seen was on hold. "You would have broken the vows anyway! You could never do anything right, not like a real warrior. Your body isn't the only thing that's small, so is your brain!"
Surprisingly, Badgerfang seemed really taken aback but this insult. He was usually the one to dish out such things, but maybe it wasn't so fun when the one you've bullied for so long stood up and threw such harsh words back in your face.
He looked at the ground as if trying to come up with a better insult, but all that came out was, "You think I don't know that?"
Now, that caught me off guard. He was actually admitting I was right? Not only that, but that he thought he really had a small brain...or was stupid?
"You have no idea how hard it was to have Flarefang as a mentor. Featherstar is usually so cunning and smart, but he really messed up giving me to her," he meowed in more of a mutter, green eyes gazing at his paws sadly. "All I've ever been told is how I don't do anything right, how I need to work harder when I physically can't anymore, how I'll never be a real warrior if I can't do this or that... How I'm so small I can't be the respected Crowwing's son."
I felt my heart crack a little right then. It didn't break for him, but it cracked. He still had bullied Icespire and I our entire lives, yet I wasn't totally cold-hearted. I let out a small sigh and hesitantly shuffled my way over to him so our pelts barely touched. "Look, like it or not, you're still my older brother. Like it or not, you're smaller than most toms. Like it or not, Flarefang was your mentor. But, it's okay. Bad things happen, and there isn't really anything you can do about it. Like taking abuse from someone bigger than you." I made sure for the last line to really hint in my tone about all the bullying.
"Yeah... I...I'm sorry about that," Badgerfang sighed then closed his eyes. "I just didn't know how to deal with my own problems, so I guess I made you and Icespire have your own..." He lifted his head then and looked at me. "But what really was all that in the nursery? Did you really think you saw something?"
My ears flattened against my head as I looked away. "I...yeah. yeah, I could have sworn there was a dark shape going inside..." The more I thought about it, the crazier and unrealistic the idea seemed to be. There was absolutely no evidence of any kind that something had entered the den, beside Badgerfang and I. So, what had I seen? A shadow maybe?
Lifting my gaze to say something else, my eyes caught sight of it. The black shape was now lingering in the shadowed corner, beyond my brother. Looking at it now as it stared back at me with faintly glowing, blue eyes, it was easy to tell it was a cat. Its form, darker than the shadow itself, stayed perfectly still as we stared at each other.
"Hey. Hollyheart, what's the matter with you?" Badgerfang demanded in a firm whisper. We still had yet to wake any of the other clan cats, thankfully.
"It's here," I whispered back, eyes transfixed on the cat. Neither of us had blinked yet. "Right behind you, in the corner. It's the black thing from the nursery. Turn around slowl-" Before I could even finish, Badgerfang whipped around, and I got a tail smacked into my face, causing me to close my eyes and back away.
"There's nothing there," he said with slight irritation rising back up in his mew. The old Badgerfang was probably returning.
I spat out a few black hairs then flattened my ears once again with my own irritation. Looking back at the corner, the shadow cat was gone. "You scared it off! I said to turn around slowly."
"Hollyheart, there's no way any cat could have gone from that corner to any sort of cover that fast without making noise," he pointed out, turning to face me again. "Are you sure you're not just going crazy?"
It hit me then. He was right. There had been no sound of pawsteps at all, not before or after. The camp had been dead silent all this time beside the usual, quiet sounds. And where the shadow was in that corner, all cover was at least a few tail-lengths away. No cat moved that fast, that quietly. Both our eyes had only been off it for a heartbeat, if even that long. Couple that with the fact no scents had been left behind in the den where I'd last seen it, and it was like nothing had ever been in camp at all besides us. Was...was I really going crazy?
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 30
Fog surrounded me on all sides, the darkness hanging over me like a shroud of dread. In the air, hung the scent of death and decay, causing my nose to wrinkle up in disgust. Before me stood Star, Eaglestar, and another white she-cat with mangled ears.
"I'm glad all went well on your vigil," Star mewed to me. "But I must apologize for startling you the way I did when you saw me go into the nursery." She dipped her head to me.
"That was you?" I asked in shock. But really, I shouldn't have been so surprised, as Star had been around in my world before. "But why?" That, I had to know, considering my freak out during vigil. At least, I knew I wasn't crazy for seeing things.
"I just wanted to see how Gorgeleap was doing," the gray she-cat answered simply with an added, small shrug. "Now, can we please get down to business? We need an answer, Hollyheart. We need you to allow us into your world. Look around you." Her tail gestured at the surrounding, dank area. "Our home is dying more and more every heartbeat. Soon, it will disappear completely, and so will we. Do you want me to be gone forever?" She gazed at me, pale blue eyes pleading.
"Please, Hollyheart. You're special. You're the only one who can help us," Eaglestar meowed, his deep voice currently soft as downy feathers. But his intimidating size and lack of an eye did not help his case, even if it was wrong to judge by looks. He was a huge and scary tom.
The white she-cat said nothing as I listened to the other two cats, my mind torn. I wanted to help so very badly, but I had yet to talk to Featherstar about it. No time ever seemed right, and I was still hoping not to get punished by StarClan for breaking vigil rules. Though, they probably wouldn't do it in my sleep, and I had taken up residence in my new warrior nest right after the vigil ended. It would probably come later.
Finally, I worked up the courage to ask, "But why am I special?" Why couldn't Raintail do it? Or maybe Featherstar himself? Why did it have to be me? I had to know!
"None of us know for sure why; we just know it has to be you," Eaglestar meowed, looking down at me with one amber eye.
"Please, Hollyheart. I don't want to disappear," Star pleaded once more, more desperate now. She took a few steps closer and even rubbed her head on mine. "I don't want to lose you, my best friend."
That tore out my heart. I was really her best friend? I meant that much to her? Maybe we could work something out in the clan? Star and the others would make the clan stronger, and we could expand our territory to gather more food. Featherstar would have help keeping the clan safe, and no one would want to attack us if we had a cat like Eaglestar on our side, right? "What do I have to say again?"
Star jerked away, her once desperate eyes now shimmering with sheer joy and excitement. It was a new thing to see for sure, but it filled my chest with warmth to make someone so happy. "You have to say 'I give you and your friends permission to enter my world.'"
Taking in the words carefully, I nodded then took a deep breath. It felt like a lot of pressure was riding on my shoulders right now, so I at least wanted to make sure I got the phrase right the first time. Closing my eyes for a moment and letting silence fall, I prepared myself then spoke the special phrase. "I give you and your friends permission to enter my wor-"
"Stop!" A sudden yowl cut me off just before the phrase was completed. All our collective eyes went to a ginger tabby tom who seemed to fade in and out of existence. I remembered him to be Bluepool's dead mentor who'd visited me once before, Flameshroud.
"You? What are you doing here?" Star suddenly hissed, her fur bristling. Eaglestar and the white she-cat's pelts began to bristle as well, making them both look twice their size. It was really scary to see the tiger tabby tom, though. Eaglestar's furious gaze didn't help either.
"Hollyheart, please. Don't do this. They're evil!" Flameshroud begged, his form growing dim and then more solid then even dimmer. He was slowly fading from the world but seemingly trying to fight it as well. His yellow eyes showed nothing but desperation, a different kind from what Star's had shone. His was almost fear induced.
"Get out of here!" Eaglestar snapped, taking a step forward with a massive, brown paw.
Star turned to me, visibly forcing herself to relax more once I was in her sight instead of the orange intruder. "Hollyheart, say it now! Finish it! Please, he doesn't want us to be happy again."
"No! Don't listen to her! She's evil, I tell you," Flameshroud shouted at me, a growl in his tone.
I looked from cat to cat. Flameshroud had only appeared once, and that was to tell me Star was bad and to stay away from her. But that was it. He had been there one time, while Star had helped me through training. She made me a good warrior, along with Gorgeleap. Star had provided me comfort when needed while asleep, and she taught me valuable lessons. past words of her rang in my mind suddenly. 'Do not be fooled by those who put on a friendly face.' My mind was made up. "I give you and your friends permission to enter my world!"
"No!" Flameshroud looked on with fear filled eyes as big as moons before he disappeared from the dark world completely, fading out like smoke.
The other cats instantly calmed down and exchanged feline grins of delight. Star looked to me, her expression the happiest of them all. "Thank you, Hollyheart."
Before I knew it, I woke up in my new nest, Icespire sleeping beside me and Raintail close by in his own nest. I wasn't at all surprised by these facts, but what did surprise me was the feeling of dread hanging over my ears. I would have thought what I'd done was a good thing, so why feel this now? Distant thunder suddenly roared, and right after, a regretful voice whispered in my ear. "What have you done?"
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 31
Icespire stirred at thunder's boom. He must have felt the vibrations in the air; he'd always been a little more sensitive to that sort of thing. Lifting his head, his blue eyes cracked open to gaze at me sleepily. If it were not for the circumstances I may have chuckled a bit at his messy nesthead.
Sensing my unease, the white tom rose to a sitting position and began to smooth down my rising fur with calm strokes of his tongue. But I could not relax. Letting Star and her friends here was supposed to be a good thing, right? So why did I feel such dread and anxiety?
I rose from the nest, shrugged Icespire off in the process. I gave Raintail a glance before heading to the den entrance. there wasn't quite a need to wake my friend yet. Outside, in the camp cats were working hard to rebuild the wall where the bear had broken in. It had only had a temporary patch up until now.
Goldenbreeze worked with Crowwing to weave bramble tendrils just outside the wooden barrier. I think Gorseclaw and Featherstar were on the other side, as flashes of ginger and brown came through. With the way the wood was, however, nothing could be weaved in between, only outside the wall. The camp wall would never be as strong as it had once been for so many seasons.
Thunder sounded again, the sound rolling in the sky I could assume to be a dark, ashen gray. The storm was moving closer and very quickly. "Oh no. This is not good." Turning my head to the medicine den, I easily caught sight of Bluepool as he paced outside the den entrance, very occasionally glancing at the vulnerable wall and then the ceiling.
Curious and wanting to provide some comfort to the nervous tom, I padded over; honestly, I could use some comfort of my own and someone to talk to. Coming to stand by him, I sat down. "What's the matter, Bluepool?" My inquiry was supposed to sound genuine and confident, but even I noticed the tone waver. I hope he hadn't.
The blue tom stopped pacing only when I spoke to him. He stared me down with a gaze that suggested I had bees for brains. He then blurted out, "Can't you hear the thunder? Can't you feel that in the air?"
"Well, I can hear the thunder, but what exactly am I supposed to be feeling?" At least he hadn't seemed to notice my lack of actual confidence in this situation. I had an idea of what was to be felt, as well. That overwhelming sense of dread still hung over me. Was he actually feeling it, too?
"The bad thing! The-the-the darkness!" Bluepool started pacing again, this time even faster, back and forth right before me. Before another word could be spoken to him, he mumbled something about needing more poppy seeds then disappearing into his den.
Okay, so that hadn't been of any comfort to me at all, but it did confirm that I wasn't the only one feeling this dread, even though I never wanted that confirmation. Or did I? I didn't know. Either way, I only felt twice as uneasy now.
Turning with the intention of waking Raintail for some much needed comfort, I almost ran right into Icespire. He had stood right behind me for who knows how long without once making a sound, not even pawsteps.
He blinked at me then stepped closer to rub his head against mine. Then, he backed up again, looking me straight in the eyes. Next, he awkwardly meowed, "No."
Unease turned to confusion. No? Icespire rarely spoke, mostly because he barely knew how to since he was deaf, but when he spoke this time he just decides to simply say 'no?' Flattening my ears slightly, I gave him a confused expression. "I don't know what that means," I mewed back.
His tail tip twitched then, I noticed. That was also something which he seldom did - get irritated. "No worry." Opening my mouth to reply, he swished his tail at me for silence then continued, to my surprise. "We be okay." He then turned his head to gaze up at the Old Fire Place, still not letting me speak. Standing atop it was none other than Star.
Where her pelt was once see through, it was now a solid, dull gray and night black on her paws. Her blue eyes, now full of emotion, stared down at us. But, that emotion was not innocent cheer nor excitable joy. No. It was a different kind of happiness, dark and sickening.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 32
"Hello, Hollyheart," Star greeted with a foreboding and delighted mew. "I'm so glad you came out to welcome my friends and I back into the camp." She swept her tail across the dusty ledge in which she sat, gesturing to the rest of the camp.
I followed the motion, my eyes catching sight of many other cats now suddenly inside the walls. Eaglestar crept from the large tunnel which led to Featherstar's den. Behind him was that white she-cat from before, along with a blue tom and black tom. Two silver tabby she-cats slid from behind the nursery like snakes, slinking from the shadows. By the freshkill pile, a tortoiseshell she-cat and two ginger tabby toms emerged from the entrance tunnel. There were more coming from seeming out of the walls, too, but my gaze had gone to my clanmates.
The clan was just now also taking notice of Star and the others, gasps coming from their parted jaws as cats appeared out of nowhere. I heard such words as 'you're supposed to dead' and 'how' coming in shocked whispers.
Raintail and Badgerfang were suddenly by my side, standing beside Icespire and I, pelts bristling. "What's going on?" Badgerfang demanded in a low hiss, head whipping around to see every single new face.
Seeing that everyone was now paying attention, Star looked back down at me and gave a feline grin. "I really must thank you, Hollyheart, for letting us all come back to the living world." Her voice was loud and demanding of attention, and the eyes of all my clanmates burned into my pelt. But I kept my green gaze solely on Star.
Drawing satisfaction from the scene before her, she continued. "This isn't what you thought it would be like, is it?" A roar of thunder rang out, the storm already on top of us. Yet, Star didn't even flinch. "You thought everything was going to be happy, sunshine and running prey, right? Well, that's not how the real world is, dear. Do you know what you really did? You let us come back for revenge, revenge for what your clanmates did to us, revenge for casting us out into the Dark Forest!"
Unable to think of a proper response, I blurted out, "I thought we were friends!" My mind raced with memories of my training and Star's advice. It swirled with thoughts of what would happen now. It was clear to me now that Flameshroud had been right. Star was not a good cat, not at all. And she still had yet to hurt anyone.
She laughed at my words. "I know you did, and I used that to play you. You see, Hollyheart, I wasn't lying when I told you before not to trust a friendly face." She jumped down from her perch then and began to slowly approach me. "But you're so dense you couldn't see I was playing you this whole time. Heck, you couldn't even see that your best friend is madly in love with you!"
I couldn't help it, I glanced over at Raintail for confirmation, but he only gave Star a hostile glare. Yet, I now noticed how close he was to me, his pelt brushing mine. Shaking my head, attention back on Star, I sunk my claws into the wooden ground. "Shut up! You don't know anything!"
"Oh, but I know a lot more than you think. I knew your mother would die. I knew the bear would attack. I knew you'd grow weak from lack of prey, and I knew you'd let us into your world." Her face was right in mine now, only a whisker-length away, yet no one lashed out a claw yet. Everyone was listening, even me.
A restrained, angry 'How?' was all I could manage in response. Knowing Star had used me, had been faking liking me the whole time... It sent waves of anger through my pelt, burning my ears and whiskers. Inside, my heart felt like it was on fire as it broke into tiny, shattered shards.
"Because I made it all happen." She stood taller now, looking down at me with contempt in her eyes. "Do you know how hard it is to lead a bear to the camp? Or a couple of foxes? But, stealing prey all the time to make you all weak was no problem. Just like it was no problem tricking you with your naive, little mind," she gloated. "It was all planned from the very beginning."
My eyes widened and jaws fell open. All of it? She had planned and executed all of it? She killed Silvermist, my mother? She had Dewstreak, our deputy and my kin, crippled? She was the one making all the prey disappear right before leaf-bare? Suddenly, the whole world I had known and built up came crashing down, crumbling like the rocky slope of High Cliff. She had done it all. She had caused all my grief and stress. All of it, it was her. Suddenly, only one question remained in my mind. I raised my head, coming nose to nose with Star, all the courage and strength I didn't know I had bubbling up with newfound anger. "What do you want to do for revenge?"
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 33
There was no answer from her as a sudden shout broke the tension, but only for a split heartbeat before elevating it instead. "Hollyfrost!"
Star and I both looked over to the medicine den entrance where Dewstreak had emerged. She had crawled her way out of the den using only her forepaws. Bluepool stood nervously behind her, watching with fear filled, anxious eyes.
Star's own eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but then she started to chuckle as if someone had told a joke - perhaps the situation was a joke to her. "Long time no see, sister! It's been a while, hasn't it; ever since you killed me." The last line came as a growl, but she instantly perked up again. "I see you're doing...okay, enough to drag your miserable, pathetic self into the light anyway."
"You know I had to do it. I had to kill you," Dewstreak growled back, her eyes like blue fire. If she could move her tail it would have surely been slicing the air behind her. "You killed Fernbreeze and tried to kill Hollykit and Icekit. And all because your own kit was too small to survive."
Was this all true? Star's name was actually Hollyfrost, not Rosewing like she had told me? I knew she had been lying that one time, but for this to be the truth... She's the one I was named after. But from what I knew, I was supposed to be named after a kind, selfless she-cat, not a psychopath! And she was the one to kill Raintail and Bluepool's mother, the deputy before Dewstreak, Fernbreeze. Not to mention Star and Dewstreak were sisters! Which also meant that Silvermist was Star's sister, too...
Everything, all this information, it was coming way too fast. My brain couldn't process it all very well. My heart couldn't take it all. Literally my whole world was one big lie. Pretty much everything I had known was false, a ruse. All of it. My mind...it felt like I was going to explode. But that couldn't happen, not yet. I couldn't break down yet. I had to stay strong, for right now at least. Tension was still high, a fight would break out soon. That was imminent. I had to keep it together, for just a little bit longer.
The fur along Star's spine began to lift for the first time at Dewstreak's words. She spun away from me and instead now faced her crippled sister. "He should have lived!" she snapped, fangs bared and tail lashing behind her. "Rabbitkit was everything to me, especially after Bouncewhisker left me and the clan for that rogue!" A flash of realization came into her gaze, and she forced her fur to lie flat again. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she continued. "But that's not entirely why I'm here. You think it's only for revenge for killing me and because of Rabbitkit? No, I'm here to free you all from this miserable existence. After he died, I realized just how cruel life was."
"What are you talking about?" Featherstar suddenly hissed from over by the hole in the wall. His pelt was snagged by brambles as he made his way through the new repairs, undoing all the hard work. No way would he have gone through the entrance tunnel blocked by evil cats. But even so, long fur caught on thorns, he stood tall and proud.
Star turned her gaze to him and rolled her eyes, obviously not finding him intimidating. "Good to see you again, too, Featherstar. I-"
"Enough of this!" A loud, bellowing mew cut her off. Everyone's attention turned to Eaglestar. His massive tabby form loomed over everyone, even Gorseclaw. Amber eye burning with rage, he glared at Star. "Enough talking. You've had your time to toy with the clan. Now, it's time to purge!" Without any more warning, he lunged at the nearest clan cat. Unfortunately, it was Dewstreak. Muscles rippling under his long, tiger tabby pelt, he tore into the much smaller she-cat.
Bluepool bolted away in fear as wails of pain and angry screeching rang out before the former deputy fell still. There was nothing the medicine cat could have done anyway.
In turn to the sudden chaos, the rest of the cats, clan and Dark Forest, lunged at each other. In a matter of a single heartbeat the camp turned into an all out battle of good versus evil. Before I knew it, Star was on top of me. Her black paws only dark blurs as she battered my muzzle. My cheeks burned, and I lashed out, catching my claws on her face and knocking her off.
She was instantly back on her paws, shaking her head. Little droplets of crimson blood splattered onto the ground from below her eye.
I scrambled to my feet and flattened my ears against my skull. Readying my stance, I faced her, fur bushed out as far as it would go and fangs bared. Beside me, Icespire stood ready while Raintail and Badgerfang fought to keep others off us. Together, my brother and I would fight as the clan around us erupted in pain filled cries and the sky above roared.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 34
Without a moment's hesitation, Star lunged at me. Our training sessions together flashed in my mind, and I read up on my hind legs without a second though. Once she was under me, I slammed my forepaws down on her head. Consequently, her skull smashed onto the wooden floor.
I backed up as she stood and shook her head violently, ridding herself of the daze. It wasn't long before she was lunging again, but at an angle this time. I wasn't quick enough as her claws caught my side, and I was knocked down. Instinctively, I rolled onto my back and battered at her belly while she was arched over me. She yowled in pain, her cries joining the haunting chorus of my camp.
She retaliated by scratching at my stomach, but a white blur suddenly shot over, knocking her off. icespire and Star tumbled on the ground together. It was a deadly concoction of white, gray, and black as they battled fiercely.
Inside, I was grateful for my brother's heroic actions, but I knew he wouldn't last long against Star. He hadn't received the same training as me, and Star bested him in size. I got up, ignoring the small amount of pain in my belly. Bunching my muscles, I prepared to leap back into the battle. However, a golden tom leapt in front of me, stopping me dead. "I don't think so, little kit," he growled, fangs bared in a hiss right after.
His long, golden fur stuck out as far as it would go, making him look that much bigger. On his paws and around his mouth were the stains of of already fallen warriors. Which ones exactly, there was no way of telling.
He was very intimidating, but I had to be brave. I had taken an oath to protect my clan. I had fought a bear. And most importantly, I had made a promise to Silvermist and Icespire that I would protect my brother. His cries of pain echoed in my ears, distinguishing apart from the others which filled the air. I had to get to him while he was still alive. I had to help.
It didn't matter how scared I was. I jumped at the golden tom, but he reaed up. I knew what he was doping, yet it was too late. One heartbeat, I was headed right for him, claws outstretched and ready to tear into his flesh, past all that fur. Then the next, I was on the ground, pain radiating from where my head impacted the wood.
Suddenly, everything grew muffled, all the sounds of the battling cats began to fade as darkness started to overtake the edges of my vision. It felt as if my body had begun to float in mid air, and I was a little dizzy from it. The blackness crept further in my vision when suddenly, a flash of silvery gray entered.
Raintail tackled the golden tom, almost from above as he landed on the bigger tom's back. Without waiting another moment, Raintail began to claw rapidly at the other tom's back. Our enemy rolled, but Raintail jumped off before he got squished under the massive tom's bulk.
The darkness overtook more of my sight as Raintail leapt onto the tom while he was vulnerable on his back. His silvery paws were nothing but blurs as he clawed at the enemy's soft underbelly. Blood quickly stained his golden fur and, soon, the floor below. His screeches of pain did nothing to warrant my sympathy, and he soon fell still and silent.
But over it all, Icespire's yowls could still be heard. He was still alive, and I saw him still fighting with Star. Suddenly, a flash of white caught my attention, and Raintail went tumbling onto the ground. The white she-cat from before, when I had allowed these monsters into our world, tackled my friend.
The two began to fight now, a ball of screeching and frenzied blows. Raintail got pinned to the ground, and she batted at his face, claws soon glistening crimson.
I had to help. If I didn't, Raintail would die, and if I did, Icespire might die. Who was more important? Who should I save? That didn't matter right now, not as much as actually getting up did. If I couldn't fend off the darkness and this floating feeling, then neither would receive my aid.
Grabbing all my strength and willpower, I slowly rose to my paws. It hurt, but I pushed the pain to the back of my mind, and once standing, I shook my head to rid my sight of the creeping blackness. Surprisingly, it worked, and the dizzying feeling left with it. The thought of how I hadn't been attacked yet while so vulnerable popped up in my mind. Perhaps everyone was too busy or already thought I was dead. Either way, I shoved the thought aside.
I had to be brave and strong. I had to help, and since Raintail was closer, I went to his aid first. Dizziness still grasped at my being with a light but secure hold, though, I did my best to power through it. Adrenaline helped so much.
As the snowy she-cat battered my friend's face, I lunged at her from the side. My claws sunk deep into her flesh as desired, and without even thinking, my claws tore into her. She wailed in agony, but the sounds did nothing to stop or slow me. I would feel no sympathy for any of these heartless cats.
Honestly, she could have been dead for a while, but I kept clawing at her. Only when Raintail called my name did I snap out of it and stop. Barely any white remained on the she-cat's pelt, and her body started to slowly fade away like smoke.
I didn't think much of it and turned to see Raintail picking himself up off the ground, his face streaked with red. When I approached him to make sure he'd be okay, he turned to look at me, and I gasped. His left eye was completely gone.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 35
"Why can't I see out of both eyes?" Raintail asked me, his voice trembling with panic. The eye he did have showed nothing but absolute fear. I wondered how he couldn't even feel the pain and realize his own eye had been ripped out. Perhaps it was the adrenaline?
Either way, there was no real time to dwell on this now. I could only send a silent prayer to StarClan that he'd be okay then turn and finally race to my brother's side without another word.
Him and Star were still going at it, but Star had him pinned on his back now, her forepaws keeping his stuck on either side of his head with sharp claws digging into his skin and the wooden ground. As she loomed over him, the most sinister look was on her face, pure evil in her blue eyes more full of life now that I'd ever seen them be.
There wasn't a moment to lose. Forcing my body to grab hold of every drop of energy I had left, I raced full speed at her and launched myself at her side. It all happened so quickly, the scene around going by in a blur, Star being the only thing I cared about. With claws outstretched, I felt a gush of blood and heard an agonizing screech before my world was literally upside down.
I laid there on my back, my muscles sore from tumbling on the hard ground. Pain pulsed up my front legs from my claws, shimmering blood covering the black fur, causing it to glisten in the low light almost like stars. However, with the pain I was feeling, there was no way for me to tell currently if the blood was my own or not.
Blinking a few times to clear my head of the daze, I ignored it all and got back to my feet. The pain pulsed still, worse now, but I looked to Star. She was already heaving herself to her paws as well, her dull fur now a masterpiece of red splatters and streaks. But it seemed like no matter how much I, or anyone, damaged her, she just kept getting back up. Was that just persistence, or could she just not die again? The second possibility sent a shiver of fear up my spine.
Something pressed against my side suddenly, and I jumped away, whirling around and ready for another fight. But, it was Icespire. His long fur was now matted red, caked with his own and others' life essences. He looked worse than Star, honestly, but it could have been only because his long fur made it appear that way, as he stood tall and looked at me with worry. He had no concern for his own condition, only mine.
"Go to High Cliff." I jumped again at the sudden voice, but instantly was calmed. It was Flameshroud. Looking around quickly, I didn't see him anywhere, but his voice echoed in my ears. "Go to high Cliff, now. Don't look back."
Flattening my ears unsurely, I looked to Icespire, and he nodded at me in a determined way. Had he somehow heard it too...? Before I even had the chance to react, he turned and raced away, zipping past fighting cats with ease. I'd never seen him move so swiftly or confidently.
I soon followed after, dodging swiping claws and tumbling bodies. Their screeches of pain filled my ears, but Flameshroud's word never faded. "Don't look back." But...I had to. Once I made it to the camp entrance, I did look over my shoulder. But I wish I hadn't. I wish I had followed the former medicine cat's advice.
Before me, cats were dying, both from my clan and what I now know to truly be the Dark Forest. Crowwing tumbled on the ground with a ginger tom as big as he was. They appeared to be equal in strength as well. Goldenbreeze was there one heartbeat but then had completely disappeared under a pile of three attacking cats. Raintail was nowhere to be seen, while Badgerfang and Gorseclaw worked to keep Gorgeleap safe inside the nursery. And Featherstar... He laid motionless almost in the middle of camp in a giant pool of red. Suddenly, he lifted his head, but the moment he did, Eaglestar was on him and bit his throat, watching my leader writhe for a moment before falling still. Then, when Featherstar moved again, it happened all over the same way. Eaglestar was taking my leader's lives right as he got them.
I...I don't know how describe the feelings I felt then, watching my clanmates, the cats I knew and loved, dying in such ways. The scene and sound of their cries would never leave my mind if I lived through this horror. I knew that for a fact. My legs felt weak, and my heart felt as though it was continuously shattering over and over again. I don't know how, but the moment I saw Star running for me with a crazed evil in her eyes, I found some sort of strength and raced out the entrance tunnel. Flameshroud's mew sounded in the air. "I will help you to High Cliff."
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 36
The feeling that followed was like something out of imagination. My body had the sensation that someone else was in control as I ran up the mountain slope, towards High Cliff. It was as if my body was still mine, but someone else's paws were guiding my own, and making the actions so much easier to complete.
I didn't dare look back as my paws flew over the ground, barely grazing the fallen leaves below. But, I didn't have to look back to know that Star was on my tail. She wasn't so close that I could feel her hot breath or anything, but her pawsteps followed me, and they were much more rapid. She was gaining on me.
My vision became hyper focused on only the terrain ahead. I dodged around trees and leapt over fallen logs and small boulders. My lungs should have been burning, but yet they did not. The world flew by with ease with Flameshroud guiding my paws.
It wasn't very long, maybe when I was halfway to high Cliff, that I saw the all too familiar white shape of Icespire ahead. He was running too, but he was so much slower and looked tired. Please, help him, too. The silent prayer to StarClan was sent, and to my surprise, my brother glanced back at Star and i racing towards him, and he got a sudden burst of energy.
It was still quite easy for me to catch up, pushing myself just a little bit harder to do so. Now we ran equal, side by side as we have always been. I can't know for sure if it was adrenaline or my prayer which helped him run alongside me now, but either way, we were almost to High Cliff. However, what would happen there, I had no way to tell.
Suddenly, the slope grew much steeper, and leafy forest floor turned into crumbling rock shards. Here, we would ahve to take it much slower and more skillfully to make it up the slope without tumbling back down in a miniature rock slide.
Flameshroud still guiding my paws, I jumped into the air and landed a fox-length up the slope. My paws slid a bit, sending small, tan stone rolling downwards. But I stayed perfectly placed. Glancing to Icespire, he had done the same as me, leaping up the first bit of the shale. He, however, slid down a bit further but, thankfully, retained good footing and did not go down the whole way.
Star was upon us now, our momentary pauses giving her just enough time to catch up. her eyes were still filled with crazed evil. Fangs and claws bared, she jumped for me. A heartbeat later, she was on the ground, at the bottom of the rocky slope. I found myself going back to all fours and sheathing the claws of my forepaws, shocked by how quickly I had reacted without even thinking about it. Was it because of Flameshroud, or even my training with Star?
Whatever, there was no time to think about that. Instinctively angling an ear at the sound of sliding rock above, I gave one final glance at my former mentor as she hauled herself to her paws, more furious than ever. Was this even about 'freeing us' anymore, or was this some sort of revenge? Maybe Star had just gone completely mad...
I turned and started to clamber up the unstable mountainside. Icespire was just a little bit ahead of me. the bad part was to get up this slope, one had to go slow and careful. But we did not have that luxury right now.
With stone sliding and rocks tumbling away under my paws, I scrambled my way up, tail going in all directions to keep balance. Instinctively, I wanted to dig my claws in, though that would serve no helpful purpose. So, all the while scaling these rocks and hearing Star snarl behind me, I had to keep a conscious mind on not unsheathing my claws, as it would only cause me pain to do so rocks
It seemed like forever for my brother and I to reach the top where the shale gave way to some soil again. But we made it, with Star still hot on our tails, cursing behind us as her haste made her slide back down. Still, there wasn't much time.
Icespire ran to the fallen log which stretched over the gorge. Ever since my first day as an apprentice I had hated this spot. I hated crossing this log with the possibility of slipping. The imagine of myself plummeting to my death flashed in my mind, and I froze at the log's end.
Icespire, already crossing it, looked back at me, perhaps sensing that I had not followed, and he turned back. I ntoiced his blue eyes glance behind me, but I didn't hear much, too focused on my own possible screams echoing in the earth's casem.
Icespire lightly swatted my face with a red stained paw then. I blinked, snapping momentarily out of my fear induced thoughts, and looked to him. His eyes were filled with determination, and he then turned. His fluffy tail swept across my face as he glanced over his shoulder at me now. I understood.
It had always been easy for him to cross this. While he was scared of most things, this had not been one of them. Even on day one he had crossed with such ease and so much more confidence than I. While I had always led us before, he would now be leading me.
Gently, I clamped my jaws around his tail as he had done with me so many times to navigate the forest. Now, he led me over the log, going slow but with a set purpose in each pawstep.
Together, and with my claws aching even more from digging into the old wood so deeply, we made it over. On the other side, I was all too happy to happy to be on solid ground again. But the celebration was short lived as I looked back to see Star racing across the log, not even giving a second glance downward while she showered the gorge below in pieces of flaky bark.
With high Cliff only fox-length away, past a thin wall of bushes, Icespire and I turned together and bolted to the cliff. We crashed through the bushes, having to abruptly skid to the halt before we went over the edge and landed in the low valley below.
With a split moment of pause, I gazed out at the rolling, forested hills and rivers that cut through them. Tiny bits of rock from the solid cliff cracked off and fell so many fox-lengths below us. In this moment, with the faint sound of those pebbles, Icespire's panting, and Star's claws on the log behind, a sudden thought jolted my mind. Why had we come here?
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 37
Icespire pressed himself against my side, but he did not face the cliff the way I did. No, instead of looking out at the vast valley below, he faced the direction we had come. He stood ready to fight Star.
My heart pounded in my chest as her claws could still be heard scrambling over the log to get to us. But there was nowhere left to run. Even if there was, Flameshroud's paws had guided me here. For what purpose, I was about to find out. We were about to find out.
I spun around and pressed myself up against my brother. His warm fur provided a small amount of comfort, but it all drained away when the familiar, dull gray form of Star emerged from the bushes. I readied myself for battle, spreading my legs in a sturdy stance and unsheathing my claws with my ears folded back. However, my heart beat faster than it ever had before, and my sturdy stance was wavering from shaky legs. There was no doubt how scared I was.
Star began to laugh, a more menacing cackle, actually. Her fur was standing on end, puffed out in all direction, and dried blood of fallen warriors and my own decorated her fur in a horrific masterpiece.
She narrowed her eyes at us but mostly looked towards me. "Hollyheart, you stupid little kit. Haven't I taught you better than to go somewhere as dangerous as this for a fight? You could fall!" Right after her snarling words left her mouth, she lunged for me. But before I could even react, Icespire launched himself at her in a counter attack and to defend me. He managed to knock her away and then began batting at her muzzle while she flailed on the ground.
Blow after blow, my brother sprayed red across the orangey-tan cliff rock. As Star flailed, it seemed that she was losing her composure completely, and the knowledge of everything she taught me.
But suddenly, her paw came up, claws glistening, and collided with my brother's head. He reeled back from the shock of the blow. Star took the opportunity to jump back up and grasp her forepaws around his shoulders then bite down on his neck while she held him there.
"No!" Every instinct I had to defend my little brother kicked into overdrive, and the fear was no longer there. Well, not the fear of facing Star on such a precarious place, but the fear of losing my brother arose instead. Before I even knew it, I was charging for our enemy. Claws outstretched and with a loud battle cry, I leapt for her. Direct hit.
She was sent flying across the rock, taking tufts of white fur with her in her claws and teeth. She landed on her side, and I stood over her. She attacked my clan, tricked me, attacked my brother, and killed several cats. Just as she had shown no mercy, neither would I.
I no longer felt Flameshroud guiding my paws, but pure and angry fury instead. I would get revenge. I would get revenge for all the cats she'd killed and hurt, for hurting my brother. All I saw was red as I clawed her. The harsh metallic stench of blood stung my nose, but I didn't let up. Her screams of pain was like bird song to my ears. Even the burning in my overly tired muscles didn't stop me.
But then something grabbed the back of my neck, and I was dragged off Star. I spun around to lash out but stopped myself when met with Icespire's sad, blue eyes. His ears back, he slowly shook his head. His gaze was so tired and sad.
Just looking into those eyes for a couple heartbeats sent a clear message. It wasn't worth it. Killing Star wouldn't bring back the lives she had stolen or undo the damage caused by her claws and fangs. And if I were to kill her, it would only make me just as bad.
The energy drained form body, quickly being ebbed away as adrenaline and purpose for revenge faded. "I'm sorry," I mewed to him then stepped forward to nuzzle my face into his neck. Blood smell still stung my nose, but it seemed as though his long fur had saved him from a fatal bite. Thank StarClan. He nuzzled me back, and for the first time that sun, I felt content.
But that feeling was ripped away like Icespire was. All I heard was claws scratching on stone and then a small squeak of surprise. Then, when I opened my eyes there they were, my brother and a very bloody and ragged Star, going over the cliff. But Icespire was the one pushing her off, and then they went together.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 38
My heart stopped mid-beat and sank deep into my chest. Racing towards the edge, I could barely stop myself from going over too before peering down into the land below. I don't know what I expected to see, but what I saw from this height was so much worse. There, lying on the dusty ground was my precious little brother. A could of orange settling around him. And, lying awkwardly on her back was Star. Both of them did not move.
There were no thoughts in my mind except for one as I scrambled clumsily down the rocks to reach them. 'He has to be okay.' Honestly, the world seemed to stop around me. I heard nothing but the sound of my own heart racing and the blood it pumped into my ears. Even when I tripped and tumbled a ways, I felt no pain and simply got right back up to do it all again, as long as I reached my brother.
After tumbling the last few tail-lengths down the crumbling rock, I bolted straight for Icespire. I laid on his side, his flanks barely moving at all he took shallow, ragged breaths. His eyes, only half open, slowly moved to look at me. And then...he looked happy. He was so injured and looked freaking happy!
A wail rose up in my throat while my legs shook uncontrollably. But the wail did not come yet, instead becoming stuck inside my tight throat. I collapsed by him and nuzzled my face into his stained neck fur. "Why did you do it?" The words just barely sounded from tightly clenched jaws. "Why did you push her off like that?"
Deaf or not, I expected an answer in this moment. Surprisingly, I got one from a calm but mournful voice. "He saved your life, Hollyheart. And he fulfilled the prophecy."
My head jerked up to see the shimmering form of Flameshroud. His fiery pelt was filled with twinkling stars and faded slowly in and out of existence. My claws dug hard into the the dry soil. I hissed out, "What do you mean by that?"
The starry tom closed his eyes and bowed his head for a brief moment before answering me. "I was foolish to try and prevent the prophecy, so I had to help it along instead," he mewed calmly. "I told you not to train with Star anymore, and she told you your brother was dangerous. You're a stubborn cat, Hollyheart, and, as such, you listened to neither of us. You trained with her and eventually let her and the other Dark Forest cats into the world of the living. But you always kept your promise to Silvermist and looked after Icespire. And so, the prophecy was meant to come true. I only helped by bringing you here to witness it, so you weren't left wondering."
Bowing his head once more, he silenced. I narrowed my eyes at him but then looked down to my brother only to see his eyes now a lifeless blue. He was gone.
There were no words to describe the pain I felt in that moment, but that my heart shattered and blew away in the light breeze. I finally understood what it felt like to truly lose somebody you loved, and I let out the loudest wail in the world. And it echoed in the valley.
Flameshroud padded over then and placed his tail over my shoulders. "He will be with us now. He's a hero."
I didn't care what he had to say about it. My dear brother was gone, gone because of my carelessness. If I had only listened to Flameshroud sooner then none of this world have happened. If I hadn't ahve said yes to letting the Dark Forest into our world then I would still have my brother. I had two chances, and I messed them both up. Now, Icespire was gone because of it, and so many other cats along with him.
"Hollyheart, do not be so sad," the StarClan tom's voice softly spoke in my ear. "Please, look up."
Every emotion in my body told me not to, but I didn't want something else bad to happen because I didn't listen to him. Slowly, I rose my head to look into his shimmering, amber eyes.
He nodded his thanks then flicked his tail and looked to the side. "Ice has finally cracked Holly's stem and brought peace back to the clan."
With grief boiling up inside my body more and more, set to explode in an emotional eruption, I followed his gaze to Star's fading body. From here, down by her level, I could now see that she wasn't just lying awkwardly on her back. Her whole body was folded over a rock, her spine at an impossible angle and eyes just as lifeless as my brother's. She had broken her back in the fall, and now her body was fading from this world.
"Icespire did what he was always meant to do. He saved you and the clan. He brought peace back to SunClan and cracked the life stem of Hollyfrost."
I blinked a few times and looked back to Flameshroud as his words softly rang in my ears. So the prophecy was fulfilled...and the clan was saved? Despite my grief, which was settling down just a bit more now, I had to know one thing. "But the clan is still at war with the other Forest cats," I managed to choke out.
Flameshroud gazed down at me and simply shook his head.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 39
Leaving my brother was the hardest thing I could have done, but I had to get back to the clan. I had to help them if they still needed it. With paws of stone and a shattered heart, I slowly scrambled my way back up High Cliff. Once at the top, an overwhelming urge to look back down at Icespire's body nagged at my being, but I knew already what I would see. There was no point in looking back, and even if I did, I'd only break down again.
"Keep going. You won't like what you find at camp, but I assure you that there is a happy ending." Flameshroud's voice echoed softly in my ears as it had multiple times this sun, but, unlike the last times when I used it as guidance, this time I only felt anger swell in my belly.
My words came out in a raging hiss at the air. "Shut up! Just leave me alone." With that, I stomped my way to the log and crossed it, this time not caring if I happened to fall. With Icespire gone, it didn't matter to me anymore.
Flameshroud was silent on my journey back to camp. I had no idea what I was going to find - well, I knew it'd be bloody - but what was left of my heart was so numb with pain. Whatever I found at camp, it would probably only make things ten times worse. So I wasn't in any rush.
Sudden fear gripped me as I started to pad through the entrance tunnel, light from the high sun filtering in the darkness peacefully as it had done the first time I walked this path with my brother. It seemed like forever ago. But the strong stench of metallic blood tore my thoughts back to what I might find on the other side of this tunnel. How many would be dead? How many would be injured? Would anyone even be left alive?
It was then that I realized my paws had frozen to their spots on the ground, rooting themselves like tree trunks. I'd only just stepped into the tunnel, and, looking up, I could already see a mass of brown fur stained red. Instantly, I knew it was Featherstar.
He was the only one visible through the tunnel so far, but just seeing his lifeless corpse there made me sick with even more grief. It was like rapids from a river washing over me constantly, waves of grief and guilt crashing into my body, surging around me until I continuously drowned in it.
How could I move forward? What was there left to keep me motivated enough to go back into camp? Everyone I knew and cared about could be dead... But then, my gaze flickered to the edge of the tunnel where I saw a snaking black shape flicking just in my view. A tail. Someone was alive! There was no telling who it was, my clanmate or a Forest cat, but now I had to know. I had to find out if somebody I knew was still alive.
Gulping and gathering all the remaining strength I had, both physical and emotional, I carefully stepped forward through the tunnel. My eyes stayed fixed on the tail the whole time until I emerged and was able to see the owner.
Relief washed over me momentarily as I saw my father standing there with his tail to me. "Crowwing!" But right after my happy shout, I noticed what he was doing. Clamped tight in his jaws was Goldenbreeze's scruff. He was dragging her to the middle of camp, where the rest of our fallen clanmates lay together. Yet, it seemed the Dark Forest cats had already faded away.
Suddenly, the temporary joy was ripped away. In the center of camp laid so many of our cats already. Flarefang rested on her side, her face still contorted into a fierce snarl; she had definitely died fighting like a warrior. Pinefall laid beside her, his frail old body no match for the claws that had clearly ripped through his flanks. And Dewstreak...her body was a mangled mess, and I wanted to throw up just looking at it.
"Hollyheart, I'm so glad you're okay." Crowwing's mew snapped my attention towards him, thankfully. Suddenly, I felt his head nuzzle against my shoulder. His pelt smelled of blood, but also provided a sense of comfort. He was alive, and he was happy that I was too...
Emotion overwhelmed me, and I pressed my face into his black and white fur, letting out a loud wail. For the first time, I broke down, and even in front of Crowwing. But, instead of telling me I was weak or a disappointment, his head rested on my shoulder and tail went around me.
I'm honestly not sure how long we stayed like this before he pulled away. Looking up at him, I saw his amber eyes holding both grief and soft joy. He genuinely was happy that I was okay. "He didn't make it, did he?" he quietly inquired then. All I could do to answer was slowly shake my head, and he dipped his in response. Our father finally showed he cared... If only Icespire could be here to know.
"Hollyheart!" The familiar voice sent a spark of energy through my body. Before I knew it, I was being nuzzled again, but this time, it was Raintail. A loud purr rumbled from his throat as he vigorously nuzzled my head and shoulders, even pacing around me to do so. I couldn't help but let a little purr of my own slip.
He finally stopped then and stood in front of me, gazing at me with one, bright blue eye. The space where his other eye should be was closed with dried blood streaking down his silver fur. I felt so bad for him, but that feeling didn't stick around long as he leaned forward and licked my forehead. "I'm so glad you're okay," he mewed softly, his voice laced with immense joy.
Emotion momentarily got replaced with a wave of heat. Now, my heart pounded for a different reason other than fear or anticipation. I gazed into his eye, still hearing his purr like comforting thunder. As much as my mind raced in this moment, I had to push it all aside. "I'm happy you're okay, too," I told him then glanced around again at the bloody camp. "But how did you and Crowwing survive? Are there others?" These were what was truly important right now.
Raintail nodded and sat down where he was. "StarClan cats actually helped us. It was amazing. They had stars in their pelts, and they appeared right after you two ran out of camp then helped us kill the evil cats," he explained, that purr never fully leaving as he spoke. "I saw my mother again. And yours."
The news of the two she-cats coming back jolted me a bit. It was shocking to think they, along with other StarClan cats, came down to aid the clan in a short war. But then again, if Dark Forest cats could come into our world again, then why couldn't StarClan?
"Everyone else who survived is with BluePool right now, in the medicine den. It's pretty crowded in there, actually."
Before he could explain further, I dashed towards the medicine den. I was glad to know that others had lived, and that our starry ancestors had helped us fight, but now my mind was on something else. Was Goregeleap okay?
I wasted no time in poking my head into the den. inside, cats turned to look at me. Bluepool paused in putting a poultice on Badgerfang's shoulder while my older brother sat surprisingly patiently. And, on the other side of the den, Gorgeleap laid curled up in a thick nest of moss, asleep. Not a scratch was on her, to my relief. Beside her, Gorseclaw sat just outside the nest with his tail lying inside to rest lightly on her paws. Scratches and a few deep gashes lined his ginger pelt, some even tearing away parts of his tabby markings. But he looked up at me with a soft gaze.
He gestured for me to come in with a curt nod, and I padded forward. Bluepool, who didn't have a scratch on him either, and Badgerfang said nothing as I passed them. I went right to my old mentor and my brother's. At this point, I don't know what I was feeling inside anymore.
"I'm happy to see you alive, Hollyheart," Gorseclaw mewed to my quietly. "I'm guessing Icespire didn't make it, did he?" His tone lowered for this question. I shook my head slowly again. He sighed. "We've lost a lot of good cats this sun, but we are still survivors," he told me then leaned forward a bit, bending down, too, to get closer to my ears. Then, he whispered in them, "And we will have new clanmates very soon." Sitting up straight again, his gaze went to his mate, my former mentor.
Goregeleap's flank rose and fell steady as she slept. She must have been exhausted, but there wasn't a mark on her at all, and her belly was slightly swollen with kits.
Looking at her, I couldn't help but let out a short, small purr. All was not lost this sun. It had been my fault that evil attacked us, but it had also been unpreventable, according to Flameshroud. Still, guilt would always weigh heavily on my shoulders. Yet, the clan would still survive another sun.
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Chapter 40
"Let all cats who hear my call gather for a clan meeting!"
It had been three sunrises since the short war between Darkness and Stars took our clanmates away, took my brother away. All our fallen had been buried the same night they died, including Icespire. Afterwards, we had a clan-wide vigil with what few of us were left. Then, our time was spent either resting, getting our wounds treated by Bluepool, or fixing up the damage done to camp in the fray. Now, Gorsestar was finally going to assign a new deputy. Though, everyone already knew who it would be.
I hauled myself from my nest, my body tired from lack of sleep. Even with Raintail beside me now, it still wasn't the same. Besides, sleep brought dreams, and dreams brought the fear of myself ending up in that dark, dank place where only evil would reside.
Raintail lifted his head when I removed myself from our cuddle. His jaws stretched wide in a yawn before he, too, hauled himself to his tired paws. He had been working himself ragged to help fix the camp, despite his brother's warnings to take it easy with only one eye. Of course, Raintail never listened, always wanting to be the one to help.
"Gorsestar is finally going to assign Crowwing deputy, huh?" the tom asked me, padding beside me as we made our way to the center of camp. There, we took our seats below the Old Fire Place where the bulky, ginger tom, our new leader, sat atop its high ledge.
"I guess so. No one else is qualified for the position since he's the only one left who had an apprentice, and Gorgeleap is a queen," I answered, my voice as tired as my body and mind. There wasn't even a bother to hide it, but when Raintail leaned into me softly, I couldn't help but crack a tiny purr for a moment. At least he was still here with me so I wasn't completely alone.
When the rest of the remaining cats gathered around us - Badgerfang, Bluepool, Gorgeleap, and Crowwing - Gorsestar gazed at us a moment then started to speak, his mew solemn yet hopeful. But even so, it still hinted at just how exhausted he was as well. "Thank you all for joining me now for our first clan meeting with me as your leader," he began. His amber eyes continuously looked the small clowder over as if once he glanced away we would all be dead or disappear.
"I know things have been tough on the clan. I realize how small in numbers we are now. Even with new additions in a few moons," he nodded curtly to Gorgeleap beside me, "we will still be small. But, we must not let that keep us down. Featherstar would always say how, no matter the hardships we face, we would prevail if we faced them as a clan. He has not been wrong, even now. With us, the clan still exists, and it can continue to to do so and grow. Now, I'd like to assign our new deputy." The tabby tom jumped down from his perch to stand before us at our level. However, his eyes did not land on Crowwing. "Would you please step forward, Raintail?"
My eyes widened in surprise at the name our new leader spoke, and a sharp gasp came from my left. Turning my head, Raintail's remaining eye was as big as the moon itself. He glanced over to me and then back at Gorsestar as if to make certain he'd heard that right.
Gorsestar let out a small chuckle from where he stood before us. "Yes, I said your name, Raintail. I want you to be our new deputy. Do you accept?" His amber eyes twinkled with just a bit of mischief, though, it was not like the respected tom to make such jokes about a serious matter as this.
Glancing around the crowd, only Badgerfang seemed to be surprised by this, but he was keeping his mouth shut. Both Gorgeleap and Bluepool seemed completely fine with choice, and even Crowwing didn't at all look shocked he wasn't the one chosen.
"I...I..."
I nudged Raintail's shoulder. "Go ahead and do it. You'll make a wonderful deputy. I'm sure he has a good reason for this." For the first time in suns, I was genuinely happy, happy for my best friend.
Raintail looked at me a moment, his ears back slightly and blue eyes uncertain. But, I suppose my joy for him gave him the confidence he needed. Soon, the silvery-gray tom made his way to stand in front of Gorsestar, holding his head high with his chest puffed out to look proud, yet, I couldn't help but giggle quietly to myself. He was adorable.
"Raintail, I know you are confused, but after speaking with my mate, our medicine at, and Crowwing, we all feel that our warrior could not perform the duties of a deputy adequately after the heavy losses he had suffered." Gorseclaw glanced to Crowwing then bowed his head for a moment out of respect. His attention back on Raintail a moment later, he continued. "I am well aware that you yourself were only an apprentice not long ago, and that you have to train one of your own. However, from getting your warrior name after the battle with the bear, to then fighting valiantly against the Dark Forest, and even now with helping to tirelessly bring the clan back to its glory with even only a single eye, you have shown so much maturity, determination, bravery, and kindness that we all agree you'd make the perfect deputy for our rebuilding clan. And with StarClan's blessing, I would like to make it official." He looked to the camp structure's ceiling. "StarClan, please, I ask you now to give us a sign that Raintail is the one to be our deputy."
Silence then fell. I and the other cats looked around for something, anything, out of the ordinary. But there was nothing. Even the normal sounds of bird and cricket song were not present. Raintail's head drooped slightly, disappoint obviously washing over him. Then, a light tapping sounded on the outside of the camp walls, growing steadily harder and more persistent until it became a loud roaring chorus. A rain storm.
Gorseclaw's joyful mew rose about the powerful precipitation. "Welcome to the clan as deputy, Raintail." He licked Raintail's shoulder, and the new deputy did it to his leader in turn. In response, the small crowd cheered my friend's name loudly. Even badgerfang couldn't help but do the same. Of course, my call was louder than the rest. "Raintail! Raintail!"
The silvery tom turned to face his, his blue eye shining with pride and honor while he basked in the glory we bathed him with. Once the cheers died down, he asked for everyone to stay a moment longer. "I have something very important I need everyone to hear," he told us. Walking around the others, he padded over to me.
I was confused. Why had he come to me to say what he had to say? He was deputy now! Everyone would listen no matter where he was, or was this message most important for me to hear?
Gazing in his eye, I saw only the same look he always seemed to give me, a soft, warm look like he wanted to be my comfort. Ever since he'd grown out of being so shy around me, this always seemed to be how he looked at me, so it gave me no clues for his current thoughts.
Raintail chuckled, most likely at my confusion. But then he shook his head slightly and purred. "You have no idea how cute you are right now, Hollyheart," he purred softly. Before I could reply, he kept talking. "I want to always be able to look at you and be there for you. I want to make you happy. I want to feel the warmth of your fur when we sleep at night and hear your heart beating when we curl up together. I want to be with you forever, Hollyheart. Will you be my mate?"
✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠✠
Epilogue
"Alright, alright. Settle down you guys. My StarClan, you have so much energy. Pretty soon the nursery won't be big enough to hold you three," I told the kits with a purr, rolling my eyes.
"Don't worry, Hollyheart. We'll be apprentices soon! Then we can have the whole mountain forest to explore!" The little black tortoiseshell she-cat puffed out her dark chest, amber eyes shining. Only two moons old and little Cricketkit was already a glutton for adventure.
Sandkit then attacked his sister, his ginger tabby body overtaking her as the biggest of the litter. "Yeah, and then I'm gonna learn to fight and be the best warrior in the clan!" His ears went back as he gently batted Cricketkit's muzzle while he pinned her down.
"Get off me!" she protested, flailing her tiny paws at his face.
"I'll rescue you!" cried their sister bravely. She launched her ginger and white body at Sandkit, knocking him off. they tumbled together for a moment before the tom tried to retaliate with some playful swipes, but his littermate swiftly dodged them.
"My, you really do have your mother's speed with that lithe form of yours, Swiftkit," Gorgeleap purred from her nest beside mine. "Gorsestar and I named you well."
"She might be fast, but I'm way stronger!" Sandkit butted in, scrambling to his paws to then puff out his chest, trying to prove his point.
Gorgeleap rolled her eyes in amusement. "Yes, Sandkit. You have your father's strength, no doubt." Her blue gaze then met with Cricketkit's amber one. "And you, my dear, have our combined spirit. You're all so amazing in your own ways and take after us so much."
The kits rushed to their mother's side, clambering clumsily into the nest so they could all lie together. As I watched them curl up, I couldn't help but have a low purr rumble in my throat. Though, I quieted down when the little family fell asleep. It was late, after all.
A dark shadow appeared in the nursery entrance only heartbeats later. It lingered for a moment then approached without a sound, heading right for me and my nest. I wrapped my tail around my swollen belly as it neared, and I purred quietly again. "I'm glad you're back finally. You've been working so hard."
The figure sat down by the nest and dropped a mouse at my black paws. "Yeah, I know. But there's so much to do around camp to really improve everything. Five moons since I was made deputy and there's still so much to fix and upgrade," he sighed then gently nuzzled my face with his. "But I always look forward to coming back to see you."
I nuzzled him back then looked down at the mouse. "Thank you, Raintail. You're always so good to me." Craning my neck down, I sunk my teeth into the freshly caught mouse. Tasting the delicious juices of the prey Raintail always caught before sleep was one of the best parts of my life now.
"I told you that I wanted to always make you happy, so I'll do anything I can to ensure it's reality." Once I finished the mouse, he climbed into the nest with me. It wasn't usual for toms to sleep with their mates once they were a queen in the nursery, but Raintail knew how used to sharing a nest with another cat I cared about. And with Icespire gone, he was always sure to curl up close with me, no matter what den I was in.
He yawned sleepily and then gave me a quick lick on the cheek when he'd settled into place against me. "I'll see you in the morning, my love."
"Yeah, sleep well," I mewed softly. It was only moments before he was out cold in a sound sleep. I myself still had trouble drifting off, however. The land of dreams was not a place I welcomed anymore. It still wasn't. I knew I had to sleep, as one could only put it off for so long before the body grew too exhausted to stay awake any longer, but I would prolong it as much as possible all the same.
I glanced around the dark den, my gaze pausing on a faint, white mist by the den entrance. Narrowing my eyes in confusion, I stared at it while it swirled and pulsed. But after I blinked, it came into shape, and my heart stopped. Chest tightening with agony, I had to force myself not to cry out as the shimmering mist looked at me with deep blue, starry eyes.
In another heartbeat, he was gone. Yet, so was the soul wrenching pain my heart felt. Instead, it was replaced by a gentle wave of familiar warmth, and his scent lingered in my nose. "I miss you, Icespire," I meowed very quietly. A sense of calm joined the other feelings, and I knew he was safe and happy.
Now, the den was empty once more, with only my mate and I and Gorgeleap and her kits inside. However, now I felt good, better than I had in a long time. No longer did the thought of my dreams or sleep scare me. No longer did guilt haunt me or weigh my shoulders down. Now, I could take in the sounds of my friends sleeping, their breaths soft and rhythmic with a faint chirping of crickets outside. This was the sound of peace.
|
|