Warriors As Humans

Chapter Three

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Ice jumped to her feet. "Mum!" She squealed and dashed forwards, obviously trying to get to the tunnel. Jay blocked her way.

"Are you stupid?" he growled, grabbing her arm as she tried to get past him. "Do you really think that whatever hurt Ferncloud is going to leave you alone?"

But Ice wasn't listening. She twisted and flailed in Jay's grip, clawing him with her long fingernails. "Let me go!" she screamed frantically.

Jay grunted as her boot caught him in the shin. Why did kids have to be so difficult?

"Jay! Where's Fox?" Holly's anxious tone distracted him for a moment, and Ice took the chance to bite down hard on his hand and dart off.

Jay knew immediately that Ice had gone into the tunnel. "What do you think you're doing?!" Jay yelled at Holly. She was so pathetic! Couldn't she have looked after Fox herself, instead of trying to get him to do it when he was obviously busy with Ice? Now they were both gone.

Holly was furious; Jay could sense it. "What am I doing? What are you doing, more like! You can't even keep control over one six year old, for crying out loud!"

"Oh really? Well, what happened to Fox then, if you're so great?"

"I'm sure he's around here somewhere."

"Well, he's nowhere near here – that's for sure!"

"How would you even know that? You're blind, for StarClan's sake!"

She had gone too far. Jay clenched his fists and shoved his face into hers, spitting his words out furiously. "Well I'm sorry for being such a handful. I guess I'll just leave you alone, so you won't have to deal with a blind good-for-nothing lump like me!" pounding rain echoed in the silence that followed Jay's words, and he turned and stalked into the tunnel.

"Wait!" he heard Holly calling after him, but he didn't want to be near her. He'd prove to her that he wasn't useless! But first he had to find Fox and Ice.

It was obviously dark it the tunnel – he could feel the humidity of it pressing in on him – but that didn't bother Jay. He'd never seen colours before anyway; only in dreams.

On the subject of dreams – hadn't Ice said something about a dream? Back at camp? Jay had pretended he hadn't heard, but really it had worried him. What if it was important information? What if it could help them with the coming WindClan battle?

He picked up his pace. It was now even more important to find Ice, and ask her what she had dreamed about.

Eventually he found her, huddled with Fox in a tiny alcove in the side of a tunnel.

"Jay!" Fox squealed when he saw the older child, and folded Jay in hug. "Yep, it's good to see you too, Fox," Jay said uncomfortably.

Ice, however stayed in her corner, and Jay could feel her weariness.

"Ice?" Jay asked, kneeling in front of her. "Are you alright?"

She wanted to tell him what was up, Jay could tell, but something was holding her back. "I-it's nothing." She got up and took Fox's hand. "Can we just find Ferncloud, please?"

Jay narrowed his sightless eyes. "I know something's wrong, Ice."

"There's nothing wrong!" Ice protested weakly.

"Whatever," Jay rolled his eyes. "You'll have to tell me sooner or later."

He set off down the tunnel with the six-year olds in tail. They weren't far underground, for he could still hear the birds singing in the trees above, and the rain drumming the floor. Suddenly he felt guilty about leaving Holly up there. What if she caught pneumonia?

"Fox! Ice! Jay!" a shrill voice suddenly echoed through the tunnels, and Ferncloud came rushing up to greet them from the other side of the tunnel.

"Ferncloud?" Jay was confused. "But we heard you scream!"

Jay could feel her embarrassment. "I felt something brush against my leg, and it startled me. But then I realised it was just a cat." Something padded up to Jay and meowed. It brushed against Jay, and its fur was smooth and silky.

"She's a beautiful black she-cat, with startling green eyes," Ferncloud explained.

Even though he couldn't see her, something about the cat fascinated Jay. "It sounds like you're describing Holly," Jay murmured, as the cat meowed again. It even had the same demanding tones as his sister!

"She does look like Holly," Ferncloud confirmed. "Talking about Holly, where is she?"

Jay was wondering how to answer when a timid voice spoke out behind him. "I'm here," Holly said sheepishly.

Jay whirled around. "What are you doing here?!"

"I followed you from the tunnel entrance." Her voice suddenly rose in disbelief. "That cat does look like me!"

A sudden though struck Jay. "How can you see the cat? I thought it was dark."

"It is dark. Ferncloud's got a flashlight."

"Oh," Jay was embarrassed. He should have thought of that!

Footsteps echoed through the tunnel as Ferncloud set off again. "Come on; we have to find our Clan-Mates!"

Guilt surged through Jay as he followed Ferncloud. How could he possibly have forgotten his Clan-Mates?

As they moved on, Jay became aware of the silence. Surely they should still be able to hear the rain?

However, as he opened his mouth to say something, a great rumbling shook the tunnel, like the growl of a tiger, but ten times louder. He was stood very still, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound, when a rock clocked him on the head. More fell next to him, smashing to the floor with a tremendous crashing sound.

"The roof's collapsing! Run!" Holly screeched, her voice filled with sheer terror as she dashed clumsily forwards.

Jay tried to run, but his senses were being scrambled by the noise, and he hit the wall with a sickening crunch. He was dimly aware of the Holly and Ferncloud desperately calling his name, and then everything faded to a darkness he had never experienced before. For it wasn't just his sight that wasn't functioning – it was his hearing and sense of smell as well. He was swimming in a senseless black sea.

Suddenly a voice echoed through the void. So he could hear. "Jay," It called, the sound distorted as if it were travelling through a great mass of water. "Follow my voice, quickly."

His feet carried him unwillingly through the nothingness towards the source of the talking. Every step was difficult, as if he was struggling through dense, sticky mud.

Slowly the blackness faded into a picturesque forest scene. Birds sang. Sunlight filtered through a healthy green canopy of leaves to dapple a cluttered forest floor. Trees creaked and rustled in a gentle breeze. Quite unlike the stormy, muddy territory he called home.

"That's it, Jay," The voice, clearer now and definitely female, encouraged. "Just a little further."

Jay was too exhausted to feel annoyed at her patronising tone. Instead he carried on walking for what felt like 3 hours, until he finally broke through a cluster of leaves to see a woman waiting for him in a sunny clearing.

She was beautiful. Luscious brown hair tumbled down to her shoulders, and her face could have been that of an angel. (Don't hate. That's just how I imagine her in her human form.) "Welcome, Jay. My name is Spottedleaf."

"Why have you brought me here?"

"Can you handle the truth?"

Getting irritated, Jay snapped back grouchily "Of course I can. Just tell me."

Spottedleaf eyed him doubtfully. "Fine. Just remember; you asked for it." She stepped back and took a deep breath. "You were an inch away from dying back then, Jay. If one more rock had hit you, you would be in StarClan right now. I managed to save you before it got to that stage.

Jay's eyes widened. StarClan! StarClan was where everyone went when they died. They watched over the Clans and sent prophecies. Jay couldn't imagine going to join them, at least not until he had lived a long life.

"H-how did you save me?" Jay stuttered in disbelief. "And how come I can see?"

"All in good time, Jay. I am a member of StarClan – ask Firestar about me, he can surely tell you a thing or two. But that's not the only reason I brought you here – I have also come to warn you of great dangers ahead."

Nothing could be worse than that tunnel, Jay thought as Spottedleaf carried on.

"You and your siblings will face a greater destiny than most, Jay. Be prepared for it, because it will not be easy."