A.N: I'm catching up on a bunch of work I promised everyone a while ago. Summer's coming, that means more time to write. That, and more people asking to get in touch, which maens I'm giving out my page a bunch too. So yes, here is Heatherpaw
My Eyes glimmered as they looked down at the golden tomcat that sat below me. I knew him so well, his broad shoulders and sparkling amber eyes. But right now, he looked almost serious. In only a few seconds, I will break through his thoughts; we will continue our game in the tunnels. Because everything here in forbidden, against the warrior code. And we want to be doing this. We aren't hurting anyone, ourselves, our clans. Mostly, I even pretend that I don't belong to WindClan when I'm here. Just like he forgets that he belongs to ThunderClan.
"I name you Lionclaw, warrior of DarkClan!"
My voice echoes across the rocks, only the slightly murmuring of water disturbed the silence as Lionpaw stared up at me, where I had managed to climb to the tallest ledge in the cave while they played their game. I was Heatherstar, leader of DarkClan, and Lionpaw –newly named Lionclaw- was my deputy. We were the two-cat clan of the tunnels, alone.
I leapt off my perch, sailing through the air for a few seconds until my paws touched down on the smooth rock floor. We've only just found this place, but it's perfect for our secret meetings. My paws tremble a bit as I land on all fours, and as I wait for the tremors to stop, I look up into the hole in the ceiling, letting in the moonlight, making us feel closer to StarClan. But once I know that I won't fall if I take a step, I'm leaping forward, halting just in front of my new 'warrior'.
"Congratulations." My voice was soft and coaxing as I touched my nose gently to his. The touch was a soft electric shock, filling me with happiness. I could see Lionpaw's eyes break their serious vigil and light with a spark of the fun tom I knew. And an idea popped into my brain, my eyes narrowed with amusement.
"But first you have to prove yourself a warrior by outrunning me." I was dazzled momentarily be a ray of moonlight, the soft touch was bathing my pale tabby coat in silver. And a full-out smile broke onto my face as Lionpaw looked at me with an annoyed expression, though there was a mocking glint of fun.
"That's not fair WindClan cats are really fast; everyone knows that" He protested, but was already tensing his muscles for a spring.
"If you want to be a DarkClan warrior, you've got to be as fast as me." I teased, shifting my weight backward. He would aim for my back, but I wouldn't be there. It was a move Crowfeather had taught me.
"In that case," Lionpaw lunged, and I backed up, but tripped in a shallow hole made by the river. He caught me, his weight bowling into me as we both fell to the floor. His legs were around me in seconds, softening my fall, but when I tried to get up, he pinned me between his chest and the floor. And it wasn't like I didn't like my position. Through his scruffy fur, I could feel his heartbeat fluttering like a caught bird, desperate for more time together. "You've got to prove you're as strong as me!" He crowed above me, amber eyes sparking with mischief.
"Hey, that's cheating! You didn't warn me!" I mewed indignantly, returning the warmth I found in his gaze.
"The Leader of DarkClan must be prepared for anything." Well in that case…
"Like this?" And in a flash of my tawny pelt, I scrambled out of his grasp, which had become increasingly loose, and swung around him, dancing back and forth on my paws in excitement. Without a hesitative second that might let my ThunderClan friend respond, I grabbed his tail in my teeth, gently, but still digging in enough that he couldn't shake me off.
"Hey!" He yelped, ears flickering back and forth as he tried to deicide between being embarrassed and having fun. He swung a wide gold paw at me, but I dodged as he turned, following his tail in a circle around him. I chuckled through the thick fur as he grasped at the nothingness of the air, and then tried again. He twisted the other way this time, amber eyes glowing as he finally decided this was all a game, and struck out at me with a carefully sheathed paw.
But his change in weight had let me know what he was going to do long before he had. I stumbled the other way, away from the swatting paws. "You look so funny flapping your paws around! Like a fledgling just out of the nest!" I was purring by now, the rumbling of my vocal chords was audible in the tunnels spacious room. Undeniable feeling welled from me as I looked at the tomcat that was my loyal best friend. It didn't matter that we were in two different Clans. It shouldn't matter to the other cats either. But StarClan knew how set in the old ways the elders were. They would hack up something if they knew that we were together.
"I wish you were in ThunderClan" He mewed suddenly, soft warmth radiated around us like an aura, or a cloud of scent. It was everywhere I looked, and I felt the need to lean into him so badly. But my thoughts flashed to the forest. The overhead branches felt like the cages that the elders spoke of back in the forest. They closed in around me, depriving the ground of sunlight, where the shadows would creep forward and gnarled bushes reached out to caress her pelt with their stinging thorns. I couldn't even suppress a shiver as I thought of it.
"Under all those trees and closed in by stone walls? No, thanks! Besides," I looked around, motioning with my tail as I tried to dislodge the vision of the forest from my head, "we don't need to live in the same Clan when we've got this cave all to ourselves." Something attracted my attention as I watched for Lionpaw's reaction. Would he be sad or angry that I wouldn't want to be in a Clan with him? But instead, a tiny imperfection caught my eye, and my paw flashed out without me thinking about it, dabbing at a clinging burr. He must have got it on his way out of camp. "Just a burr" I smiled happily, my heart was content with being near Lionpaw. The burr fell with two little skips on the ground, rolling along the stone ground.
"Thanks." I could see him thinking as his gaze strayed from me, wandering about the cave, lighting on each of the tunnel entrances.
"I wonder where some of these other tunnels lead?" I wanted his attention again, all gazes on me. With two hops, much like the burr, I leapt the smooth, silent and dark river. And unlike the burr, I landed jauntily, all four paws on the stone. My claws shot out in seconds, steadying me as I stepped forward purposefully. I would not be afraid in front of Lionpaw. Not when we had already been meeting for so long, he couldn't think that I was a mouse. So I scented a tunnel, but repressed the urge to reel backward. The air was dead, still. The moor wind was always moving, and normally had the scent of rabbit, or at least rabbit droppings on it. But not now.
I could hear Lionpaw's paws light down on my side of the river again. His heavier weight made him puff out a small outburst of breath. He came over, and I could sense his whiskers trembling on the side of my head, even while he bravely sniffed the air too. I felt his flank against mine, and a shudder crawled up his back. The dark scent of dead air reminded me of something…
"Do you think one leads into ShadowClan territory?" I wondered out loud. I could almost see Lionpaw become aggressive. What did he have against ShadowClan? WindClan were on the opposite side of the lake from the dark cats. Nursery tales seemed true enough at the Gatherings; the ShadowClan cats kept to themselves, and were hostile to many cats.
"I hope not" Lionpaw murmured, half to himself apparently. But I wanted to figure out why he was so afraid.
"We could explore." I put forward, hoping he didn't see the awing gleam in my eyes. He was so perfect, how could ShadowClan scare him? ThunderClan were neighbors with the illusive cats, there were even rumors that Lionpaw had an aunt in ShadowClan, Brambleclaw's sister.
"There's no hurry." He said louder now, his legs were rigid as he backed away from the dark entrance. But from within the shadows, there were whispers. As Lionpaw backed away, I craned my head forward into the tunnel. What was truly down there? But then I broke free of the spell, shaking my head as if emerging from the river. With a small sigh of relief, I followed him back into the center of the cave. "We have enough fun here." He seemed to be reassuring himself. Oh well. I surged ahead of him, brushing past in my hurry to get back to the starlit hollow of the caves. My pelt spiked with agitation, and I circled along the edge of the tunnel as Lionpaw came back into view. I hoped he didn't see me like this; instead I put on the mask of the mischievous she-cat that I tried to be around him. Then I felt bad. Shouldn't I try to be myself around him?
"There might be all sorts of terrible creatures down there with big teeth and sharp claws-"The whispers in my head had cleared as I left the cave, and I was grateful.
"Shut up!" Lionpaw's ears flickered in that nervous twitch that she knew so well by now. The cave had spooked him. I'll help with that.
"Come on!" My mind grasped onto a different topic, one we were both comfortable with. One that would distract me from the whispering voices that echoed in my ears, which seemed to carry a futuristic warning. "You still have to prove you're a warrior!" I ran toward the river again, putting distance between myself and the cave. I could hear Lionpaw's thundering paw steps following me as I leapt across the river again. And for a second, I glanced down at the surface of the water. But instead of reflecting the stars and the moon above me, there was the ledge I had used to call my imaginary Clan to attention. And on it sat the ugliest, strangest cat I had ever seen. It had no fur, and bulging milky eyes that seemed to have no pupils. Its paws were wrinkled and withered; its frame was smaller than the leanest WindClan cat. And under his paws was a stick, his protruding claws whispered softly over the stripped-white wood. Bbut I knew that figure, and I knew that he'd be waiting for me to be alone again. Looking up again in time to stick the landing, I lunged forward, knowing Lionpaw would come after me soon.
And the sound on his heavy paw steps clamored for a hold behind me, my ears turned backward to listen as my muscles slid smoothly under my pelt, racing for the other side of the cave. But then, a harsh splash echoed across the cave, and I spun around, already knowing that I would see Lionpaw's ginger head, darkened with water to the perfection of the sinking sun over the moors, yet so terrifying. His amber eyes would be huge, his large paws scrabbling for a grip as the current swept him away, into the dark tunnel, away from her. Clearing the vision by blinking, I shook my head as I looked at Lionpaw, his back legs submerged in the dark water. With a quick heft of his shoulders though, he was back on dry land, shaking droplets from his hind legs with an irritated shake.
"Careful" I warned, a gentle tone in my voice as I nudged his head with my own. I could feel his heartbeat, which had quickened with the sudden fear, slowing. "I don't want to lose you." His neck craned and stiffened above me, as he looked up at the portal in the roof. I looked up after a few seconds, withdrawing a little from him.
Above were countless stars in the satin sky, which looked soft from the dark shadows and slight angles characteristic with the night. From here, I could see the dark outline of bushes, even some tree branches, and suddenly wondered where this hole was on the territory above us. But, there, on the eastern edges of night, there was a pink-yellow light streaking across, illuminating clouds and dulling the glimmer of stars.
"We have to go" Lionpaw's mew made me look down at him again; his amber eyes were still cast on the sky. In a heartbeat though, he looked down at me, twin blazing fires meeting my own in the morning rays that crept into the cave, leaving behind the moonlight behind. I let out a breathy sigh. Another hot day on the moor with prickly Clanmates awaited me, when the tunnels were so cool and full of friendship. "Tomorrow night?" Lionpaw meowed, whiskers twitching hopefully. And I hate to put him down, but I had a Clan life to live. So I pulled myself closer, hoping that the large tomcat would understand my absence.
"Can't, I have a training assessment the day after. I don't want to be too tired." The rabbits ran faster than my ThunderClan friend, it took a lot of speed to go after them. Normally, if the cat didn't slip up or fall into some badger hole, then they could catch it after a little while. Clan first, friendship second.
"Okay." He shrugged, though I could detect the little light in the back of his eyes that meant he would miss me, but he understood.
"Bye" I nodded, then sprang away. My paws were silent against the smoothed rock; my claws gripped the rock for a bit of balance. Soon enough, I heard Lionpaw retreating up his tunnel. That's when I stopped. I turned around, facing the spur of rock that we used as the leader's rock. In the fading starlight, there sat a thin, small figure of a cat with wide-set ears and budging, blind white eyes. The one I had seen in the river.
"Rock," I greeted him with an awkward bow, a paw pressed to the ground in front of me as I had seen Tribe cats do. Obviously this cat wasn't Clan or Tribe, but it felt better for me to use the Tribe speak while I was around the elder cat.
"Heatherpaw. This has to stop; I see grave Tellings from your future, dark, very dark." The old tomcat's breath rattled in his throat as he traced a few scratches over the smooth white stick. "That cat you were with…he is caught up in a plan that StarClan themselves cannot fully understand." I reeled back. No way was Lionpaw in some prophecy! That would be crazy! I mean, I knew that Firestar had prophecies about him, and so did Lionpaw's mother, Squirrelflight, and his father, Brambleclaw, had had a message from StarClan to leave the forest, but was it possible for the idea of a prophecy favoring one bloodline?
I turned around to leave, my tail flagging indignantly as I considered this. But the old cat's whispery, croaking voice called for my head to turn, and watch his figure fading in the early morning sun.
"Listen to me, then, if you won't listen to the Tellings. I have seen, from the light on water and the dripping of rain on rock that my ancestors visit you, Heatherpaw. You are special to them. But this is not the cat you will be with. Your paths do intertwine for a short time, but then they separate. You head toward the side of No Stars. Heatherpaw, you must change your fate before your decisions are made, and you are drawn into this war…"
His figure was gone, but the voice echoed in my ears. But I didn't want to hear the moaning of an old spirit cat. Instead, I padded up the tunnel, feeling a pelt brushing against mine. My head snapped to the side, tense, until I recognized the figure.
"Hawk's Shadow, you scared me." I muttered crossly, looking into his ice-blue eyes. But he dipped his head in apologies, his smooth voice filling my head.
"Sorry Heatherpaw. I didn't mean to. What did Rock want to talk about?"
"Honestly Hawk's Shadow, why don't you go ask him yourself? Never mind. I know." But the dark tabby was on a roll now.
"Heatherpaw, you know why. Rock doesn't know that I came back into the tunnels. If he found me here, he would send me away. So I have to hide and wait for you instead. I haven't seen someone down here in such a long time!" His voice became wistful as we neared the mouth of the tunnel. By now I could scent the heather and sage that blocked the entrance to the tunnels.
"Hawk's Shadow, he was talking to me about my destiny again. Really, I can tell you it later. He was just like all the other cats, telling me to stay away from Lionpaw. I'll be back in a few days though; I have a few Clan tests I have to pass to become a Sharpclaw like you." I murmured testily as I wove my way up to the light.
The still, shadowy outline of Hawk's Shadow was down below, just out of reach of the dawn light. "Come back soon!" He called after the tawny she-cat apprentice, who vanished among the stems.
He sat there for a few seconds, and then traced his way back through the caves, white paws making no noise, and his blue eyes staring ahead. As the spirit emerged into the main cave, he saw another spirit waiting for him.
This one was larger, with broad shoulders and a nicked ear. His tabby coat flashed in the morning light, and Hawk's Shadow dipped his head, low, to the older tomcat. But the amber gaze of the large tom slid right over Hawk's Shadow. "Well done, my son. Hawk's Shadow. What a good disguise for you."
"Thank you, Tigerstar." Hawkfrost murmured his tail lashing with a quirk of amusement. "It was easy to fool the WindClan she-cat as a little Ancient One."
"Soon the apprentice will be on our side. A very good plan indeed." Tigerstar growled, so sudden and cold that the actual spirits of the tunnel cats stepped back into the shadows from where they hid, hiding from the Dark Forest cats.
A.N: You guys seem to like these little tip offs of the story that I do, so I'm telling now, this will be four chapters, that's it. Longer than Ravpenpaw.
GO READ GD!