UPDATE 9/9/12: Yay, the first revised chapter! Oh, and we have little Cinderheart here as well! FOR A FEW MOMENTS ANYWAY.
Breathe in, breath out. Breath in, breath out.
His breaths came out evenly, his chest rising and falling in rhythm. Amber eyes gazed around warily, a nicked ear pricked for any unusual sounds during the night. Suddenly, the wind started up, and he closed his eyes momentarily as the wind blew up the dust all around him, ruffling his golden tabby fur into a golden mess. However, he couldn't fix the mess; he was not allowed to move during his warrior vigil.
Someone coughed beside him, and with a sideways glance he looked at her. Although he couldn't see it at this angle, he knew that his sister's green eyes were shut tightly as her own fur, a black darker than night, also whipped around in the wind. However, he knew that his sister could handle it; she was a brave warrior.
He glanced at his other side. Dark blue eyes also gazed sideways at him, and he nearly smiled. Even amidst all of the chaos in the Clan, she could remain undamaged – although somehow that didn't apply when she fell off that tree rescuing Mousewhisker – and still beautiful in his eyes. Gray tabby fur ruffled a bit as the wind also assaulted her, but nothing else happened.
A head poked out of the medicine cat den, and he blinked. Blind blue eyes gazed at him as if they could actually see, and in the cat's mouth was a mouse. Lionblaze steadied himself, inwardly reminding himself that he wasn't allowed to move, when suddenly, the sun peeked out from above the trees surrounding the camp. He slumped down to the ground instantly.
"Finally!" His sister, Hollyleaf, groaned. On his other side, Cinderheart was yawning widely while the cat in the medicine cat den trotted over, the mouse between his teeth. He dropped it in front of Lionblaze, before rushing back over to the fresh kill pile to fetch a pigeon for Hollyleaf and Cinderheart.
Cinderheart looked at the medicine cat teasingly. "Well, looks like you're in a good mood today, Jaypaw. What happened?"
"... Just don't ask questions, Cinderheart..." Jaypaw muttered, taking a quick bite from Lionblaze's mouse. Before his brother could retort, he added, "I'm happy when I want to be happy, alright?"
The she-cat only rolled her eyes. "All right."
"Is everything all right here?"
The four cats turned to the source of the voice. A ginger tom approached them, his emerald eyes shining as the sunlight hit his pelt, making it look like it was ablaze, while a dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes trailed after him. Firestar... and Brambleclaw.
Hollyleaf straightened up. "O-of course, Firestar!"
"Aw, put a mouse in it, Hollyleaf," Cinderheart joked, nudging her friend onto the ground. The black she-cat squeaked in protest as the gray tabby started nosing her chest fur, tickling her into giggles that made the toms listening and watching snicker.
Firestar only smiled wanly. Jaypaw looked at his Clan leader, and immediately, he was brought into a memory.
"Firestar."
The tom's head rose up from his nest. The medicine cat, Leafpool, his daughter, was approaching, a grim look on her face. Amber eyes were narrowed with worry as she pushed through the entrance to the leader's den, sitting in front of Firestar.
"Yes, Leafpool?"
His daughter looked down. Wondering what was wrong, the tom sat up, draping his tail over his paws as he gazed calmly at the medicine cat. He reached forward, nudging Leafpool's chin up so that their eyes connected. Firestar continued to look at her before she finally cracked, sighing.
The tabby draped her tail over her own paws. "Firestar, StarClan has shared with me."
"..." Firestar remained silent, his emerald eyes searching her amber ones for more answers. When the medicine cat didn't respond, he gently licked the fur on her head, smoothing it back to soothe her.
Finally, Leafpool spoke. "I've been tasked with giving you this message; when the blood stains the moon and the bones reign with terror, only the glass eye, ribbon tail and fierce fang will lead us to victory."
"Blood..." The ginger tom looked up. "Great StarClan..."
The medicine cat apprentice staggered back, right into Lionblaze, who had already hunched over to finish off the mouse. Jaypaw's paws flailed around wildly as he lost balance, crashing into Hollyleaf, who fell on Cinderheart.
"Jaypaw, are you feeling alright?" There was concern in Brambleclaw's voice. "Maybe you should go see Leafpool-"
"I'm fine!" Jaypaw snapped, stumbling to his feet, his ears feeling hot. Great, now they think there's something wrong with me! I've got to stop stumbling backwards... Out loud, he asked, "Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, can you escort me?"
Hollyleaf looked at him. "What? Are we out of herbs already?"
"Yeah." There was a look in Jaypaw's eye. "I'm missing some... mallow. Yeah, mallow." Mallow was a code word for 'I've-got-something-really-really-important-to-tell-you-guys-involving-StarClan'.
As if on cue, Leafpool poked her head out of the medicine cat den, amber eyes looking around hurriedly before they landed on her apprentice. "Ah, Jaypaw, there you are! I was just about to tell you to fetch me more yarrow. Uh, Lionblaze, Hollyleaf?"
"Of course!" Before the others knew what was happening, Hollyleaf had dragged her brothers by their scruffs out of the camp.
Firestar only looked at Brambleclaw pointedly. The tom blinked, then shrugged. "They got it from Squirrelflight."
"Why do I even ask..." Firestar muttered, turning to head back to the Highledge to arrange patrols.
Jaypaw tripped over a root. Again.
"Jaypaw, you seem to be out of yourself today." Lionblaze commented, picking his brother up by the scruff, much to his protests. With a leap, the golden tom cleared three thick roots and landed into a clearing, where their sister, Hollyleaf, was waiting impatiently.
When his brother dropped him, Jaypaw shook himself off before saying, "OK, both of you, get whatever herbs you can find around here. Mostly yarrow, though." He stared off into space for a few moments before adding, "And some mallow too."
"But-" Hollyleaf was cut off by Jaypaw shoving his tail into her mouth. She spat it out crossly before sniffing the air for yarrow and mallow.
Lionblaze did the same as well, although this time he was treated a little bit better by Jaypaw, who had already gathered up a small pile of yarrow in the middle of the clearing. Mallow was a bit scarcer though, but easy to find; Lionblaze was already tugging at a clump of them, hidden underneath an arching tree root.
"I saw one of Firestar's memories," Jaypaw began, clawing together the mallow as his siblings circled the clearing for more. "He was talking with Leafpool about a new prophecy."
Hollyleaf dropped the yarrow stalks in her mouth. "What?!"
"Don't tell me it contradicts our prophecy." Lionblaze mumbled through the mallow. He spat them out onto the pile as Jaypaw gathered them together again before he raised his tail, signaling it to be enough. "Please tell me it doesn't contradict the prophecy."
The medicine cat apprentice shook his head. "It doesn't. But it makes me doubt about our positions as the Three though..."
"Well then, go on, spit it out!" Hollyleaf urged.
Jaypaw snapped, "I'm getting to it! Great StarClan, keep your fur on, Hollyleaf!" When he saw that Hollyleaf was about to retort, he quickly added, "Leafpool told Firestar, 'When the blood stains the moon and the bones reign with terror, only the glass eye, ribbon tail and fierce fang will lead us to victory'. Do any of you know what this means?"
"Not really." Lionblaze admitted. "I mean, come on, can blood stain the moon? How can it reach the moon?"
Hollyleaf looked curious. "And bones? How will bones reign with terror?"
"That..." Jaypaw paused. "That, I don't know. I guess..."
Lionblaze looked up to the sky. The sun shone brightly above them. "I guess..."
"... we'll just find out, won't we?" Hollyleaf finished.