Chapter Two

Blaze curled his tail around his paws. It had been several days since he'd come to the ThunderClan camp. He was already getting to know everyone. He caught up with the familiar cats, and was introduced to the ones he didn't know. His identity was still a mystery to them. They didn't know he was Nettlepaw. Nettlepaw was dead, in their mind – and in his mind, too. Blaze would have left the camp days ago, if not for the fact that Fleck had suddenly given birth to her litter of kits. Skyflight, the Clan's medicine cat, was almost too overjoyed at this. It meant the group of rogues had to stay even longer, much to his delight.

His disillusioned older brother seemed to think that he was some Clan savior. He wouldn't stop meowing about it, over and over again. Blaze knew he was nothing special. He was simply the second-in-command of a gang of rogues. He wasn't heroic, and he never received any prophecies. All he was was a normal cat. Skyflight's enthusiastic insisting was less than impressive to him. Even now, the medicine cat was speaking with Lightningstar about prophecies and omens. He just didn't know when to quit. Blaze wasn't about to save ThunderClan, not after what they'd done to him. He owed them nothing.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jett arguing with Echoheart again. It was clear they both hated each other. Jett had been sticking closer to Blaze recently, and had observed Echoheart's behavior around him. She wasn't the only one to notice, though. Echoheart's young mate, Barleywhisker, had at often times sneered in Blaze's direction. It wasn't merely mistrust of outsiders, either. If Echoheart continued to share tongues with Blaze so often, things could come down to fighting. Barleywhisker seemed like the type to fight for the affection of a mate.

A yowl came from Jett and Echoheart's direction. Jett had struck the other she-cat on the muzzle, a blow which had drawn blood. The gaunt queen, Echoheart, knew she would endanger herself and her kits if she fought back. Luckily, Lightningstar rushed in their direction to stop Jett before she did more damage.

"You stupid furball!" spat Lightningstar. Her fur was bristling, and her amber eyes glinted. "Get out of here, now! All of you rogues!"

"Wait, no!" Skyflight immediately protested. "I'm so sorry for this – but, please, let them stay! I mean, one of their cats has had kits, it'd just be cruel to send them away."

"That's too bad," the ThunderClan leader growled. "They're leaving immediately."

"Well, if they leave, I go with them!" spat Skyflight. There was clear reluctance in his voice. "At least let me talk to them. We'll leave the camp for a few days, I'll make sure that when they come back, they'll be better..."

Blaze saw Lightningstar murmur something in his ear which made the gray cat freeze in terror. The rest of their conversation was mysterious and brief, but it looked as though Skyflight would be coming with them. Gingerly, Skyflight trotted over to Blaze, his ears lowered against his head.

"We have to go for a little while," he murmured. "Lightningstar says Fleck and her kits can stay, but we have to leave until you lot can calm down a little." There was a deep sadness, and a hint of fear in the medicine cat's voice. It was clear he didn't want to leave, but he had to. Blaze yet again felt sympathy for him. He was responsible for the gang of rogues, and most of them had only wanted to make trouble.

"I'll gather the rest of them up," Blaze meowed. "I'm very sorry about this. Jett – her behavior was unacceptable."

"It wasn't just her, Lightningstar says." Skyflight looked down at his paws. "Marco and Todd were also making trouble. They had Daisypaw and Shrewpaw chasing blue squirrels out in the woods. They could have been lost out there – or worse." The medicine cat's gray ears pinned against his head as he spoke, and fear clouded his pale green eyes. Was there something out there he was afraid of? What was it?

He didn't respond to him, not knowing quite what to say. He'd rather they apologize for their own behavior, instead of him having to do it. In a short amount of time, the small gang of rogues were gathered together, ready to journey away from the camp. Blaze could see how tentative Skyflight was being as he led them. The medicine cat was looking back and forth, and fear scent was coming off of him in waves. He didn't know where they were going, that was for sure. He was leading them blind into the darkness of the eerie forest.

Blaze knew they needed to find shelter by the time night came. It was no good staying out in the open where predators could creep up, or severe weather could strike. He watched Skyflight, wondering where he would lead them. The medicine cat's tail dragged along the forest floor, and his whiskers drooped. It wasn't as though he'd been exiled from the Clan, so what was there to be so upset about? Lightningstar had only asked them to leave until they were calm enough to come back and stop making trouble.

The forest continued to grow darker and darker the further they walked into it. Crooked, barren trees bent down to touch the ground in places. Vines dangled in their way, brushing their pelts as they walked beneath them. Gradually, the ground began to grow hillier, with dips and rises in the ground. Scenery began to change, and the sound of rushing water could be heard in the distance.

"Where are we?" asked Neko, his eyes round and wide.

Skyflight timidly took another step forward. "I – I don't know," he murmured. "I've never been this far away from the camp before."

Blaze blinked. The forest was beginning to seem more lush around them now. There were leaves on these trees, and there was sunlight streaming through the branches above. Despite the brighter atmosphere, this forest still felt wrong. There were no scents, no animals – and no sounds beyond the wind through the trees and rippling water.

"It looks good here," Todd meowed. "Or at least, it looks better here than it did back there."

"I agree, let's find shelter and stay out here," mewed Jett. "In this type of forest, there's bound to be a good amount of kill."

Skyflight lifted his head to look at the sky. Blaze could see relief wash over the gray medicine cat. Sunlight was more than welcome when you'd seen none for days. He continued to lead them in search of shelter. The trees began to fan out before them, revealing an exit from the forest. Grass bordered the trees at the top of the hill. Suddenly, Skyflight stopped in his tracks. Blaze looked ahead, trying to figure out what had startled him. In the distance, there was the silhouette of a cat against the sun's rays.

"Who could that be?" murmured Blaze.

They rushed to the top of the hill where the cat was standing. The hill was where the forest ended, and a different land began. Blaze watched as Skyflight gingerly stepped towards the cat, his fur bristled and his eyes wide. The cat didn't move, but instead stood still as stone. Blaze drew closer, following his brother's lead. An unsettling emotion had implanted itself in the pit of his stomach. As they came closer to the cat, it became clear that it wasn't alive. It wasn't even a cat. It was made out of stone, frozen with a look of sheer terror in it's eyes.

"What in the name of StarClan...?" Skyflight sniffed the stone. "What is this?"

"It's a rock formation," Marco meowed, confidently. "I've seen many of those before. They look like something, but they're really not. They're just rocks."

"No, it's too perfect," Blaze meowed in a low tone. This didn't seem like a natural phenomenon to him. It seemed like someone had taken a cat and turned it into stone. That was impossible, though.

Jett's tail lashed impatiently. "I don't care what it is. Let's just find some place to stay the night out here."

"Look, over here!" called Willy.

Blaze padded over to where the black and white cat was standing and followed his gaze. Before them, a dry patch of land fanned out. The land dipped down towards a gorge lined with jutting rocks that reached towards the sun. The smell of death and rotting flesh rose from it, causing Blaze's nose to wrinkle in disgust.

"That looks like a good place to spend the night," meowed Todd.

Yeah, if you're keen on smelling carrion all night long, thought Blaze. He turned to his brother, who seemed drawn towards the canyon in a magnetic way. Was the medicine cat truly considering spending the night in a place that smelled like crowfood?

"Wait a moment, I think I smell other cats!" exclaimed Marco.

"I can't smell anything over that horrible stench," growled Jett. She didn't seem to want to sleep with that smell in the air, either. "Something obviously died down there, and I don't want to find out what killed it."

Skyflight began to walk down towards the gorge, as though he were being pulled by some invisible force. The others had no choice but to follow him. Blaze's paws skidded on the ground as the slope turned into a sharper incline. They reached the top of the gorge, and meows of surprise came from them. Below there was a group of cats, much like those in a Clan.

Who are they? Blaze wondered.

"Maybe they'll let us spend a couple nights in their camp," suggested Neko. "I mean, we're not really threatening, and I'm sure they can spare some prey."

"There's only one way to find out," Skyflight meowed. He padded down the sloping hill that led into the bottom of the gorge. Blaze rushed to keep up with him, heart pounding in his chest as they walked down towards the cats. Skyflight's judgment seemed oddly clouded at that moment. It was never wise to just rush down into the camp of another Clan. They might think it's an attack, and tear them to shreds.

When they reached the bottom of the gorge, all activity seemed to stop. The foreign cats stared at them as they walked through the camp. There was no murmuring, no gossiping, just staring. Suddenly, a ginger tabby she-cat approached them, her eyes wild and round as saucers. She walked up to Skyflight with a look of sheer madness on her face.

"Ash," she meowed softly, like a mother would.

"N – no, my name is Skyflight," the gray medicine cat meowed. "I'm from another Clan, not too far away from here. We were wondering if we could possibly spend a couple of nights here."

The she-cat only turned her gaze to Blaze, who stared straight ahead in confusion. "Blaze!" she exclaimed lovingly.

Blaze was taken aback. "How do you know my name?" he asked. "Do I know you?"

"Where is Echo?" the she-cat asked suddenly. "Didn't she come with you?"

"Who?" Skyflight blinked.

Suddenly, the she-cat hissed, glaring at the outsiders. "I don't know them. Who are they? Why have you brought them here?" she demanded.

"Please, if I may explain," Skyflight started. "I'm from a Clan called ThunderClan. These cats are not from ThunderClan, they're rogues who are staying with us. I was ordered to take them away from the camp until they could stop making trouble."

Murmurs came from the cats around. Blaze could hardly make out their words, but it sounded like they were saying things about 'traitor kin'. The ginger she-cat's eyes glinted. "Alright, you may stay. Do you know who we are?" she asked.

"Not really, no," Blaze meowed.

"We are the Clan of the Stones – or StoneClan," she informed them. "I am Dawnseeker, the healer of the Clan."

"Is that the equivalent of a medicine cat?" asked Skyflight. "That is – a cat who shares dreams with ancestors and heals the sick. That's what I am; a medicine cat."

"Yes, I suppose you could say that," Dawnseeker meowed. "Our leader is Icestone, and he is also my mate. He's the most marvelous cat you could ever meet. He's handsome, smart, and cunning..."

"Oh. Where I come from, medicine cats can't have mates," meowed Skyflight. "It's against the warrior code."

"Well, in our Clan, the leader and healer are usually mates," the ginger she-cat blinked. "In fact, all the leaders and healers before Icestone and I have been mates. Brokenstone and Heartseeker, Sandstone and Windseeker, Viperstone and Lionseeker... the list goes on and on."

Jett snorted. "Well, that's very interesting and all, but can I have a den to stay in?" she asked.

Dawnseeker looked her in the eye, a sort of knowing look on her face. "Of course you may, Jettheart," she murmured.

How did she know Jett's name? Blaze wondered. And how did she know my name? Maybe it was just something that came along with being a 'healer' in StoneClan.

"It's just Jett," the black she-cat corrected. Her eyes were narrowed, and he assumed she had the same questions he did.

"Jett it is then," Dawnseeker meowed. "You must forgive me for my confusion. I've not been very right in the head, recently. I think I'm coming down with something. Silly me, a healer and I can't even heal my own ailment." Her eyes lit up with amusement at her own joke.

Skyflight dipped his head. "Thank you for allowing us to stay here with you," he meowed gratefully. "It would have been a long, cold night had you not done this for us."

"It was no trouble," the ginger she-cat purred. "Come now, I have to introduce you to Icestone. He's going to be so pleased!"

As they padded towards the leader's den, millions of questions were running through Blaze's mind. For the most part, as strange as they were, these cats seemed non-hostile. They weren't keen on driving them away from the territory, or even berating them for trespassing. It seemed as though they were being welcomed with open dens. Blaze had never known a Clan to be so open. Though, all the way out here, they probably had no rivals.

They walked through some dangling vines and into a den where a lean, muscular silver tabby was laying down on a bed of moss. Dawnseeker padded over and whispered something in his ear. The tabby's eyes shot open. There was a shine of delight in the crystal blue of his gaze. He got to his paws in a hurry and greeted the cats.

"Welcome to StoneClan," he meowed. "It's been a long time since we've had any visitors from the outside lands. We're a rather solitary group, I suppose you could say."

"I see that," Todd meowed. "You're territory lengths away from anything."

Icestone dipped his head. "My name is Icestone, and I am the leader of the StoneClan. We've lived in this gorge for many, many seasons. We're very delighted to have you come here to visit us."

Skyflight purred. "Well, we're just thankful you're giving us a place to stay. We thought for sure you were going to run us out of your territory."

"It really isn't any trouble for us," Dawnseeker meowed. "We have plenty of room, and plenty of food to share with you. While you here, you can even tell us about the Clan you come from – Thunder, wasn't it? We'd like to know about how you live."

"I can tell you all about it," mewed Skyflight. "Maybe you could share a little bit about your Clan with me, too. Lightningstar – that's the leader of ThunderClan – I'm sure she'd love to hear about you."

The ginger she-cat nodded. "I will tell you as much as I can about the StoneClan," she agreed. "This sharing between our Clans could be the start of an alliance."

Skyflight's eyes lit up. An alliance would be a good thing for ThunderClan, Blaze knew. If they ever wanted to win back their territory, they'd need other cats on their side. The StoneClan cats were well-fed, muscular, and abundant. They also seemed very willing to help. Blaze watched as Icestone touched noses with Skyflight. This definitely was the beginning of good things to come.

"I still need that den," Jett complained. "My paws are sore and numb from standing here." Her tail was lashing back and forth with impatience.

"I'm sorry, I forgot about that for a moment," Dawnseeker meowed apologetically. "Here, Jett, I'll show you over to the mother's den."

"Mother's den? What's that?" the black she-cat asked.

"Well, you are going to have kits, aren't you? I'm a healer, I can tell. The mother's den is where all the mothers of the Clan stay," she answered. Dawnseeker flicked her tail in the direction of the den she was talking about. Inside, Blaze could see the glow of several pairs of eyes in the darkness. Those cats didn't seem at all inclined to come out.

Jett blinked. "Yeah, I'm going to have kits, but not for another moon or so."

"I'm sure they have advice for you about raising kits," meowed Dawnseeker. "That is their job, after all."

"You mean they aren't just warriors who have taken time off to have litters?" asked Skyflight. "Because in our Clan, that's usually how it is. Of course, there have been some cats who have considered being a queen a full-time job, but still..."

"No, the mothers are not fighters or hunters, they are just mothers. They give birth to kits, they raise them, and then they repeat the cycle until they grow too old," Icestone informed them. "Now, let's get the rest of you settled. There's plenty of caves around here, I'll have some of the learners go and set up nests."

Skyflight's tail flicked in appreciation. "You're very kind to do this for us," he meowed. "Again, I thank you for letting us stay."

Icestone nodded and led them in the direction of one of the caves that was carved into the side of the gorge. Blaze looked around the camp as he walked, examining the curious cats who were also examining him. These cats were nice alright, but perhaps they were a little too welcoming. Perhaps it was just paranoia, but there seemed to be something a little off about them. Icestone stopped at the cave, peering inside briefly.

"Well, what do you know," he meowed. "There's already some nests inside here. Go ahead and settle down. It's getting late, and you travelers need your sleep. In the mornings, I'll send some cats to wake you and give you prey. Have a good sleep, kin."

Blaze watched as the silver tabby padded back down the hill and into the gorge. The group began to settle down, picking nests and curling up. Dusk began to fall on the gorge, turning it brilliant shades of color. That's when he saw the most horrific sight of his life. Instead of the cats who were there moments before, all he could see was bones covered in rotting flesh. Bile rose in his throat, and he closed his eyes, hoping that what he'd just seen was merely an illusion. He opened his eyes seconds later, and everything was back to normal.

I was just seeing things, he assured himself. There's no need to worry, just go to sleep...