Beyond StarClan
Smokepaw
(A dark gray tom with green eyes)
Echos of laughter bounced through the trees as we charged through the green forests of StarClan. It didn't matter that we would never walk in the living world again. In fact, meeting Frostpaw was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Frostpaw turned to face me, her blue eyes looking deep into my green gaze. Her light grey pelt was slightly faded so I could see the outline of trees behind, but I tried not to think about that.
I ruffled my darker grey coat against the gentle breeze. Every day we ventured farther and farther into the the endless woods. We had already seen the border of the dark forest and Frostpaw had claimed she even saw a cat there. I didn't believe her of course.
Every name of every cat we had ever met was never forgotten. Every scent, every noise, every sight was memorized. Everyday deeper into the ever-lasting forest.
I ran ahead, sending a pile of leaves fluttering into the warm breezed the land always seemed to have. "I'll race you to the edge of the forest!" I called back over my shoulder, not bothering to slow down.
"Hey!" she protested. "That's not fair, Smokepaw!" Then she dashed ahead under the lush green branches of a bush. I charged after her and we both raced side by side through the sun filled wood.
A small creek came into view, and suddenly Frostpaw stopped. I skidded to a halt beside her. "Whats wrong?" I asked, breathless.
"You hear that?" She whispered.
I coked my head, but all I could here was the trickle of the stream. "What?" I questioned, not seeing anything wrong.
"Silence." She replied.
"Very funny." I muttered, pretending to be angry.
"No, I'm serious. It's too quiet." She was right. No creature stirred in the lush undergrowth, no birdsong filled the air, even the leaves kept from moving. It was all very unsettling.
"Wait." I murmured, looking around. "Shouldn't we be out of the forest by now?"
She looked at me, confused just as much. "Maybe we just took a wrong turn."
I shook my head. "There should have been a meadow farther ahead, but the forest doesn't appear to end anytime soon."
"Maybe if we follow the stream, it'll lead out." She suggested.
"Maybe." I didn't really believe that, but it was the best idea we had.
The creek continued to gurgle by as we walked farther and farther, following it's path. The farther upriver we travelled, the colder it grew. A thin layer of ice lined the sides of the bank and the wind faded in the cold, still air.
A snowflake gently drifted by my eyes. "Snow?" I whispered. "In StarClan?"
Suddenly Frostpaw stopped. In front of us stood a huge stone cliff that seemed to touch the dark night sky. The stream flowed out of a gap in the sheer rock wall. A cold bone chilling wind whipped out the small hole. I hesitated outside, the musty smell of rock and soil making me want to run back to where I knew everything was safe.
"You first." I tried to tame the fear in my voice with the usual humour, but it still came out shaky.
Frostpaw smirked at me before stalking by, which usually would've made me angry, but I was grateful for the familiar comfort.
At first it was too dark to see, the narrow passage seemed to crush me, and I felt my breath speed up. My whiskers tickled both sides, and I realized my theory was almost true.
Suddenly, the path opened up into a large chamber. A small gap in the roof shed light over a tumbling waterfall. The silver liquid fell from a crevice in the wall near the roof, before splashing into a small shallow pool that took up most of the room.
I squinted at the cascading water. Rays of joyful sunlight seeped through, making the shadows dance around with a blue tinge. Experimentally, I stuck my paw through. Behind was nothing but empty air that smelled of decaying leaves and depressing snow.
With a deep breath I leaped through. Frostpaw shouted something behind me but my only focus was seeing the other side. The spray had already coated my pelt with uncomfortable wetness, but the huge pressure of the thundering water, made it's way quickly through and straight to the skin. Then my paws touched stone, but it was slick, and I ended up in a clumsy position on the ground, grateful that Frostpaw couldn't see.
And as I thought, there was a whole different space behind. "Frostpaw, you might want to see this." I murmured staring at the huge open space I could see through the exit. It seemed to be a world even StarClan did not know of. Hidden away and covered in snow. A paradise made of frost and aspen trees. A place beyond the stars.
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