One more chapter for today. I'll try and update by Friday. You guys can hold that to me! :3 Enjoy this chapter and please review!
Shocked wails arose from the cats as they watched Bumbletail's body fall to the ground. Furzestar leapt from her position on ReedPile and nosed at the medicine cat's body. Her yellow eyes were filled with fear as she looked up at her Clan.
"She's dead."
A hush fell over the cats. The first to step forward was Troutsplash, a pale gray tabby she-cat. Her tail twitched as she looked down at the still body of Bumbletail.
"I was alive when Mothwing was still our medicine cat. She taught me about some of the herbs right before the huge battle, just in case she didn't make it. I'm too old to take over Bumbletail's position, but I can pass on my skills to one who is willing to learn." The elderly tabby's voice was quiet and full of sorrow. Furzestar glanced up, nodded, and looked back down at Bumbletail.
"Thank you, Troutsplash." she murmured quietly, before looking at her Clan. "Who would like to learn the ways of a medicine cat?" The tall leader's eyes were pleading as she waited for someone to offer themselves for the job. After a few moments, a brown tabby she-cat stepped forward. Flypaw identified her as Cloverpatch, one of the more timid warriors.
"I'd be willing, Furzestar. I've always been a bit unsure about fighting, and I think that I would enjoy being a medicine cat." Her apprentice, Daisypaw, looked on in disbelief. Cloverpatch smiled wanly at her apprentice and looked back to Furzestar. "I'd also like to give my apprentice to Emberblaze. I think that she will be in good paws there." Furzestar nodded in agreement and bowed her head.
"It is decided then. Troutsplash will teach Cloverpatch to be the next medicine cat of RiverClan. We can only hope that StarClan will accept you and guide your paws in the right direction."
Flypaw stared in silence as the Clan gathered around Bumbletail to pay their respects. Finchtalon nudged him gently, trying to get him to join the rest of the Clan, but gave up after a little while. There were no words for this.
. . .
Cloverpatch settled into the medicine cat's den and was soon learning the herbs quickly from Troutsplash. There were still things that Troutsplash did not know, however, which Cloverpatch hoped to learn from StarClan. After Troutsplash taught Cloverpatch all she knew, she retired to the elder's den.
Flypaw watched all of this with the same stony silence that he had on the day that Bumbletail had died. Although he still participated in all of the training sessions that Finchtalon prepared for him, he was usually not mentally there. Finchtalon grew concerned after a half-moon of this, and decided to speak with his apprentice.
"Flypaw, if you don't snap out of it, Morningkit and Talonkit will be warriors before you!" Flypaw was surprised at the ferocity of his mentor's voice, and he blinked his eyes twice before answering.
"I'm sorry Finchtalon," he whispered, his eyes still looking haunted. "It's just…" Finchtalon's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Just what?" he asked, hoping to finally find out what was up with his apprentice.
"Well, those four cats that Bumbletail spoke about… it's just that I've been having dreams about them too." He blinked up into his mentor's astonished face. "Is that normal?"
. . .
Furzestar was furious when she discovered that Flypaw had been hiding these dreams from her.
"You didn't think it important to tell me?" She hissed, the fur along her spine bristling. Flypaw cowered, his ears flattening against his head.
"W-well I thought I was going crazy or something," he stammered, and Furzestar's eyes immediately softened. She leaned forward and gave Flypaw a gently lick on his head.
"I'm sorry, Flypaw. It's just that I've been waiting for StarClan to contact us for so long. Now, tell me, what happened in these dreams?" she asked, sitting down and curling her tail over her paws. Flypaw hesitated, and then began to speak, his voice starting quiet and getting stronger as he went.
"They told me a story. Not like the one that the elders tell all the time, however. It was different. It went something like this…
"Mistystar, Bramblestar, Blackstar, and Onestar were once the four greatest leaders. However, trouble was brewing in WindClan. A young warrior named Breezepelt was discovered to be working with the warriors of the Dark Forest, and he was planning to take over all four Clans. Mistystar, Bramblestar, and Blackstar were shocked when they arrived at a Gathering one moon and discovered that Onestar had supposedly died of Greencough, as well as Ashfoot, his deputy. Breezepelt declared that StarClan had visited him in his dreams and determined him as the new leader of WindClan. He introduced himself as Breezestar, along with his new deputy, Harespring.
"Everything went downhill from there. ShadowClan found Blackstar mysteriously dead, and Rowanclaw was appointed the new leader. Then Bramblestar was found dead, and Lionblaze became the next leader. The mysterious deaths were all determined to be murder, but there was no fur between their claws to determine the killer.
"Then the battle began. Breezestar attacked ShadowClan in the dead of night, which probably wasn't his best idea. However, he had gathered the Dark Forest to fight with him and therefore created a force large enough to destroy all three Clans. ShadowClan was lost before they could send help or a warning to any other Clan. None survived.
"Next was ThunderClan. Lionstar and his warriors fought bravely and managed to kill a good portion of Breezestar's forces, but they were all killed in the end. RiverClan was last. ThunderClan had managed to send a wounded apprentice to warn RiverClan of the attack, so they were prepared. In the end, only ten RiverClan cats survived. Breezestar was killed but the damage was done."
Flypaw hesitated for a second, glancing at his leader. She nodded, encouraging him to continue, and so he did.
"But out of the ashes rose the RiverClan of today, thanks to those ten cats that managed to survive. The warrior code exists today, and therefore we can exist today. But the Clans must be rebuilt. That is where the four come in. I couldn't really see them in my dream, but I know they were there, and they are close. Very close."
Flypaw looked down at his paws as he finished, his eyes blank. Furzestar hesitated before stepping forward and giving him a gentle nudge. The apprentice blinked and looked back at his leader, relief pouring into his eyes. He looked relieved to finally get the story off of his chest. Furzestar smiled at Flypaw.
"You did well, Flypaw. Don't worry about it. Why don't you go get some rest while I talk to Hailstorm about this?" Flypaw nodded and padded out of the den. Finchtalon rushed in, looking concerned. Furzestar opened her mouth to tell him that Flypaw was okay, but she was shocked to find herself interrupted by the senior warrior.
"Furzestar, come quick! There are four strange cats in the clearing. They say they must speak with you. Now."
Furzestar dashed into the clearing, her eyes wide with anticipation. When she spotted the four cats, she stared at them for a moment, shocked. They were all so strange! Each cat had an interesting marking or something else. Furzestar turned to Flypaw, wondering what he thought of the four.
Flypaw's eyes were stretched wide with wonder and recognition. He stepped forward, quivering, and looked at all of them in turn before speaking.
"You! You're the cats from my dreams!" Flypaw seemed very excited now, and his tail swished back and forth with obvious happiness. The leader of the four stepped forward to speak. He was a huge dark gray tom, bigger than even Hailstorm, with a lighter gray patch across his eyes. When he spoke, it sounded like water running over rocks and was very soothing.
"So, you are the cat that has been receiving our dreams? That's interesting. Only an apprentice? Well, you must be very special, to have StarClan choose you over all of these cats." Flypaw dipped his head and was uncharacteristically silent. The tom turned his attention to Furzestar now, his eyes calm.
"My name is Silver. I'm assuming you are Furzestar?" Furzestar nodded, her mouth dropping open in awe and shock. Silver purred in amusement and waved his tail at his companions. "This –" he began, pointing to a blue-gray tom who had black that reached to his shoulders on all of his legs. "Is Ripple. He is a superb fighter, and also a great swimmer." Ripple dipped his head to Furzestar and waited for the next cat to be introduced.
Silver's tail next indicated a ginger she-cat who had a strange yellow marking on her back. It started on her ears and extended to her tail-tip. "This is Dawn," Silver meowed, and the she-cat dipped her head like Ripple had. "She is very good at stalking in undergrowth and at night." Silver finally flicked his tail at the last she-cat. She was a very pretty tortoiseshell with extremely light blue eyes.
"And this is Sun. She is capable of running very fast and can catch most rabbits on the moors." Furzestar's eyes narrowed as she watched the four companions. She stepped forward and drew her leggy body up, trying to tower over Silver.
"Well, you three sure sound just like the four Clans that once resided here. Ripple would fit among RiverClan, Dawn, ShadowClan, and Sun, WindClan. How about you, Silver? Would you be a ThunderClan cat?" Furzestar sounded angry, but her voice was quiet, never rising above normal tones.
Silver blinked calmly at Furzestar, his tail flicking slowly back and forth. He seemed more amused then frightened, and Flypaw couldn't help but admire his calmness in the face of an angry warrior.
"If you do not wish us to stay, Furzestar, we will leave. We mean you no harm. StarClan has sent us here for a reason. If you do not believe us, again, we will leave." Furzestar hesitated. Flypaw stared at her, trying to make her understand that she needed to accept these cats into the Clan. But to his dismay, she shook her head slowly and backed away.
"No. I don't believe you. StarClan hasn't spoken to us for moons. Leave now, and don't return." Silver nodded solemnly and turned to leave. Furzestar addressed the Clan as he did so.
"RiverClan! If anyone sees these cats around, attack without hesitation. They are the enemy." RiverClan yowled in agreement, hissing insults as the four cats trudged away. Flypaw's eyes widened in shock.
"No!" He screeched, and Furzestar whipped around, a snarl on her face. "These cats must stay! They are vital to our survival!" Furzestar was unforgiving. She lunged forward and batted him across the face with a sheathed paw.
"Silence, apprentice! You need to learn to hold your tongue. You do not decide what happens in this Clan. This is my Clan, and I will make my own decisions!" Flypaw's eyes filled with hurt at her words, and he spun around and dashed into the apprentice's den. Finchtalon gave his leader a reproachful look and followed, his black tail disappearing into the den.
Furzestar stared at her paws, wondering if she had made the right decision. Hailstorm came up and nudged her gently with his muzzle. She blinked up at him, her eyes hollow.
"Did I make the right decision, Hailstorm? Or am I sentencing RiverClan to their deaths?" Hailstorm looked at his paws and found that he couldn't answer her honestly.
"I don't know, Furzestar. I don't know."
Hmmm... who are these mysterious cats? Are they here to save the Clans? Or are they here to destroy them? And why does Furzestar refuse to trust them? Does she have a secret? So many questions to ponder... enjoy! : D
