Chapter 2
"Wake up young one, we've been waiting for you." I opened his eyes to see he was in a small clearing in the woods. I looked up and gasped. The night sky was filled with stars. More then he has ever seen before. He sat up and looked around. "
Is this heaven?" My voice sounded hoarse and when I tried to stand up I nearly fell back down because of the pounding pain in my head. "To us it is." I jumped at the sound. I looked around for the source but couldn't find anybody. Accept for an orange cat. Curious I walked over to the cat and crouched down. I winced with the ever-present pain in my right shoulder. He attempted to scratch the cat's head but it jumped away and hissed. "Just because we've allowed you into our realm does not give you the right to treat me like a kittypet."
I leapt back and scrambled away from the cat. I knew he was dreaming. "How can you speak? You're a cat." The cat padded a little closer to me and sat down. "I'm not speaking in your tongue, you are speaking in mine. Now listen, you are dreaming but what is about to happen is very real. My name is Firestar, and I was once leader of a clan of cats called Thunderclan. You may not believe it but it is true. Now I belong to a group of starry warriors called Starclan. All cats that have lived their lives by the Warrior Code will be rewarded by living here forever. Thunderclan is not the only clan. There is Windclan, Shadowclan, and Riverclan." I must have really hit my head really hard.
"Okay Firestar, lets just say there is a clan of cats and you're not a figment of my imagination, what does this have to do with me?" Firestar narrowed his eyes, and turned and ran to the edge of the clearing. He stopped and called over his shoulder, "Follow me." I got up and dusted his pants off and shrugged. "It is only a dream." Then with out a warning Firestar took off at a fast pace and I was running as fast as I could just to keep the orange cat in sight. I was running faster then I ever thought was possible and soon I felt as though I was flying over the forest floor. Suddenly Firestar stopped and I slowed down gasping for air. They were beside a clear pool with water flowing in it from a small waterfall. Firestar was not the only cat anymore now there was a gray cat, a white cat and another orange cat.
The gray one spoke first, "Greetings twoleg, my name is Bluestar. This is Whitestorm and Squirrleflight." Sam rolled his eyes. This was on crazy dream. "Hi nice to meet you, now why am I here." "Sense this is only a dream, I might as well play along." "You are here because the clans need you. Now come forward and remove your pelts." I guessed that she meant his clothes. Very self-consciously I stripped off my clothing and walked to the edge of the pool. Then I turned and looked down at the gray cat.
"Now what?" I said in a very skeptic tone. "Walk out into the middle of the moonpool and wait until it shines like the moon." I did as I was told and took a step into the pool. It was bone chillingly cold. But I did not retreat, for some reason I felt like there was purpose for this. So step-by-step I walked towards the middle and stopped as soon as I was in the middle. I was waist deep and I could hardly breath because it was so cold. Suddenly the water shone a bright light almost blinding him. I some how could still see my reflection through the light but there was something different.
I peered closely into my reflection. My eyes… my eyes were very different. Instead of being brown they were golden and soon the rest of my image changed. No longer was there a human staring back at me but a cat. It was a white cat with gold stripes. For some reason I felt a strong pull to go under water. I took a deep breath and slid the rest of his body in the icy river. I could see perfectly in the water it was like looking through glass. White light filtered through the water all around me and they looked like sunrays.
I put my hand up in the light and a strong tingling sensation traveled through my body like I was electrocuted. Then I notice fur began to grow on my hand. I looked at my other arm and saw fur growing there to. Panicking I thrust myself up through the water and gasped in the cool night air. I violently splashed through the water and nearly flew out of the water. I looked around furiously for the cats responsible for this nightmare. But they were gone. Then darkness crashed over my eyes and before he went unconscious I heard a quiet voice, "Welcome to the world of the warriors."
I opened his eyes to see that I wasn't in a bus but in a forest with trees all around me and thick undergrowth. Golden rays of sunlight trickled down through the leaves that could barely light the forest. With a sign I heaved myself up and looked at the surroundings. Something about me felt different. My senses felt more acute and I could hear and smell things I normally couldn't hear or smell. I also felt shorter to the ground. Looking down and instead of seeing my human body he saw a furry chest and two paws.
I saw a puddle near by and walked over to it. My reflection wasn't my human face but the face of a cat. I yelled and scrambled away from the puddle. I turn and cannoned head first into a tree. Moaning in pain I sat up and rubbed my forehead with my front paw. Then I remembered my dream. "How could that have been real?" Suddenly I heard voices. "Mountainfoot I heard it come from over hear and I can smell another cat." I turned to see where the voices came from.
Suddenly a large male cat jumped from behind a bush and growled. "What are you doing on Thunderclan territory?" He had black fur and huge white feet. Then another cat appeared, it was much smaller and was a silver tabby. "Well are you going to answer or just sit there with your mouth hanging open?"
I thought for a moment, "didn't Firestar say he was from Thunderclan." Sam's voice came out as a hoarse rasping noise. "Was there one a cat named Firestar who lived in Thunderclan?" The cat that must be Mountainfoot looked surprised. The small tabby gasped. "The elders told me a whole bunch of stories about Firestar. He was leader of Thunderclan many moons ago. How do you know him?" Her voice came in a sweet song like tone. "I uh, saw him in a dream." My voice was no longer raspy as I continued to us it. "Streampaw run back to camp and tell Echostar we have a visitor." Mountainfoot ordered the younger cat known as Streampaw. Streampaw disappeared into the bushes and Mountainfoot turned his attention back on him. "What's your name?" I felt very intimidated by the larger cats presence, "S-Sam." Mountainfoot padded over and sniffed me. "Alright Sam you're coming back to camp with me." Mountainfoot started padding away. I hesitated but then followed figuring there was no way I could beat this cat in a fight.
Mountainfoot kept up a fast pace while I was stumbling over my new feet trying to catch up. The trees whizzed by and I noticed that Mountainfoot could gracefully avoid bushes and roots while I tripped on almost all of them. Then Mountainfoot stopped. He turned and spoke to me. "Alright were nearly there. The entrance is at the bottom of this cliff. Be careful as you go down, if you fall over in some places you can die. When you see Echostar, Darkforest and Softheart you must dip your head in respect. Do you understand?" I just nodded and followed Mountainfoot closely around the cliff side and down a steep hill.
There was a wall of thick thorn bushes that looked impenetrable. I followed Mountain foot to a small whole in the wall of thorns that was just big enough for a cat to walk through. I looked up at Mountainfoot and he nodded for me to go first. I made my way through the small path and suddenly a bunch of smells hit me. They smell like Mountainfoot and Streampaw.
I broke through the thorn barrier and there was a huge clearing with tall stonewalls on every side. Towards the back was a tall stone structure that had a cave inside of it. On the right side of the tall stone structure was a log with ferns with a cat lying outside dozing. Not far from that den was a huge and well-protected den. There were tiny kittens tussling out side with the mother watching close by. Then on the other side of the clearing there was a small tree that had a huge den. I watched as a huge dark gray tom walked out of the den. Our eyes met and there was no warmth in his gaze only cold hostility. I shivered; I would not want to meet that cat in a fight.
To my dread he walked over to us and with one sniff of me turned to Mountainfoot and growled. "Instead of bringing back some prey you bring a stranger into our camp. What were you thinking Mountainfoot?" Mountainfoot met his cats green eyes without flinching. "Well Darkforest, he seems to know some Starclan warriors, so I brought him back here to see what Echostar has to say." So this was Darkforest, doing as Mountainfoot said I bowed my head to show my respect. Darkforest just snorted. "How do you know he isn't a spy from another clan?" Mountainfoot didn't back down from the challenge. "Do you smell another clan scent on him? He-'' "That's enough you two." I looked up to see a beautiful silver tabby that looked like a bigger version of Streampaw.
"Welcome to Thunderclan, what is your name?" Her voice was soft but full of authority. "Sam, are you Echostar?" She dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Come with me to my den we will speak privately." I looked at Mountainfoot and he nodded to follow her. I padded after Echostar and watched as she bounded up the steep path on the tall stone structure. Sam scrambled up the path behind her and followed her into the cave.
My curiosity got the better of me and couldn't help but ask, "Is Streampaw your daughter?" She didn't look at all surprised. "Yes, and Rainpaw is also my son, now why were you in my territory." I felt hot under her questioning gaze. "I don't know how I wound up in your territory, I just woke up in the middle of your woods." She sat down and looked as though she was staring of into the distance. Then her attention turn back to me. "Streampaw said you heard of the once great leader Firestar. Is that true? And if so how did you come to learn his name." I was feeling really nervous, I didn't want to tell her I was once a human because I knew she wouldn't believe me. "He appeared in a dream." There was a scrambling noise coming from outside and Darkforest poked his head in the cave. "Echostar, Softheart is getting ready to leave with Yellowpaw." Echostar nodded, "very well tell her to come to my den before she leaves. I need to ask her something. Now would you take Sam here to the other apprentices, he will be staying in their den for the night." Darkforest narrowed his eyes but nodded. Sam reluctantly followed Darkforest out of the cave and down the rocky slope.
Outside one of the dens I saw Streampaw and another gray tabby sitting outside the den sharing what looked to be a mouse. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Darkforest turned to look at me. "Alright you'll be staying here for the night. This is the apprentice's den, hopefully Echostar will come to her senses and you will only be staying for one night." With a snort he padded away leaving me with Streampaw and the other cat.
"Hello I'm Streampaw and this is my brother Rainpaw, you want a bite of this vole?" My stomach rumbled in response. "Um okay." I lad down next to Rainpaw and took a small bite. It was surprisingly delicious. "So what's your name?" "Sam, what are apprentices?" This time Rainpaw spoke. "We're training to be warriors who hunt and fight for the clan. That's their den over there." He pointed in the direction of the large den that surrounded the small tree. Then he continued, "Over there is the Elder's den, they are retired warriors that share stories with kits and young apprentices. That den over there is the nursery where Queens take care of the kits. And that cave over there that is sheltered by a bramble bush is the medicine den. Softheart and Yellowpaw keep herbs and sick or injured cats there. And up there is highledge and EchoStar's dens." I gazed in wonder around the camp everything was so organized. "So why do you both have 'paw' at the end of your names?" Streampaw quickly responded, "Sense we are training we don't get our true names until we are made warriors, so we have paw at the end of our name. If you join our clan then you will get a clan name too. I wonder what it will be?"
I felt suddenly very tired and my mouth opened wide in a yawn. "You look tired, come inside I'll show you your nest." I happily followed Streampaw into the den; inside the ground was covered in moss. I was soft and spongy and I found a space that didn't smell like a cat and curled up. As soon as I closed my eyes I instantly fell asleep, becoming unconscious of the world around me.
