Comment time! Wow, 29 reviews for 3 chapters! That's more than the last story got in the third chapter…thanks!
BF5DBlover : Yeah, it will be quite stressful for her…:3 but now you'll find out what her curse is!
Ty7769: D'aww, thanks. What plusheh?!
Guest: It's a good guess and that's sorta part of it but not really. You'll find out in this chapter though! Plushie?
Thunderous Intentions: Yeah, Sundapple is a big mouse-brain…*shakes head* what plushie would you liiiiike?
Ashclaw10: XD nah, I don't think Echowing is gonna come visit her in her dreams…:D thanks for the suggestion though. Plushie?
SwiftStar: No, that's kind of the effect of her curse….but you'll find out soon enough.
Spottedfire7: here ya go!* tosses Skypaw plushie*
Chibi Kitteh: Yes, I'm a girl XD if it wasn't obvious enough…:D :D And sure, you can have Skypaw and Echowing! *throws them*
Whsiperbreeze: you're semi right….:3 lol here's le Skypaw *tosses one* AND UPDATE YOUR STORRRYYYYYY!
Iceflower of ThunderClan: Interesting guess my friend….but no, sorry. XD
CheyRaye: I think everyone hates Sundapple now :P
And to SilverStorm13 who only reviewed chapter one: I will try to make this story as good as Echoes of a Whisper, but remember this has a whole different storyline. If it's not up to your expectations by the end, I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do about that.
So. Many. Comments. :D but that's not a bad thing :3
Onto the story! *cue ominous music*
"WindClan!"
Skypaw pricked her ears and looked up at Thornstar's call, spotting the large golden and brown tom standing under the Tallstone with Brackentail by his side. She nervously to her paws and began padding towards the leader as her Clanmates began to crowd eagerly around him as well.
"I have decided that the cats going to the Gathering tonight will be Brackentail, Aspenheart, Rosefire, Sagepaw, Crowleaf, Falconclaw, Talonpaw, Skypaw, Rainpaw, Ashstorm, Lilywhisper, Rabbitflight, and Featherheart," he announced.
Skypaw's shoulders slumped when she heard her name mixed in with the others and she silently cursed her bad luck. Great, she thought, Just what I need right now, to be surrounded by multiple cats at one time.
As the cats dispersed and clumped together in small groups to wait for the proper time to leave, she spotted her sister and Fallowpaw padding towards her.
"We're going to the Gathering!" Rainpaw burst out as soon as she got within earshot.
Skypaw hastily slammed up her wall before muttering, "Yeah, awesome."
Fallowpaw sighed longingly, her pretty silver pelt gleaming. "I wish I was going." The white she-cat glanced at the other apprentice enviously. If I could trade spots with you, I would.
"I can't wait to see the other apprentices again," Rainpaw meowed excitedly. "Emberpaw and Fernpaw are always fun to hang around."
Before either of the other two could answer, Talonpaw came up to them with golden eyes bright and tail twitching impatiently. "Hey you guys."
"Hi Talonpaw," Fallowpaw meowed, turning to her brother. "So you and Sagepaw are going to the Gathering too, huh?"
The pale brown tabby purred and gave her ear a quick lick. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get too go next time and then we'll all be stuck here in camp." He glanced at the younger apprentice and meowed, "Hi Skypaw."
Skypaw nodded vaguely in his direction, the humming in her head buzzing like a dozen bumblebees. Her eyes shifted constantly as she looked everywhere but at the three other apprentices, wishing she could just stay in the camp and let Fallowpaw go instead.
"Talonpaw told me about the hare you almost caught," Rainpaw mewed, nudging her. "Why'd you slow down just so he could have it?" A mischievous glint sparkled in her green eyes and Skypaw's ears turned a bit warm at what her sister was implying.
So she did what she did best. She shrugged.
"I think Thornstar's getting ready to leave," Fallowpaw interjected smoothly, casting a glance to Skypaw who blinked gratefully. She knew that the older apprentice sort of understood that her sister could be a bit annoying at times.
As the three cats broke away and headed towards where the rest of their Clanmates were waiting, Skypaw somehow found herself in the middle between Talonpaw and Rainpaw. The tips of his fur were touching her and she deliberately shifted closer to her sister-then she scolded herself for being so cloud-brained. He's just like any other apprentice, she told herself furiously. Stop acting like a self-conscious moony she-cat!
"Are you okay?" Talonpaw questioned, glancing warily at her as her tail lashed back and forth anxiously.
"Fine," she muttered, staring straight ahead as they reached the rest of the cats going to the Gathering. Thornstar glanced around and then nodded, flicking his tail and jumping onto the path and continuing on up the gorge.
Apprehension skittered through her limbs at the dark looming prospect of the Gathering. Unlike her fellow apprentices, Skypaw absolutely despised having to go because that was when she had to be extra careful; even if there's was only a single tiny weak crack in her wall, everything would swarm into her at once. Unfortunately, she had learned that the hard way at her first Gathering.
As the WindClan cats padded on the ancient path to the island, murmurs of whispers swept through them. Skypaw tried to ignore them but she overheard Aspenheart and Crowleaf talking about ThunderClan, and something made her ears prick.
"Lionstar better not try anything tonight," the dark furred tom growled as the cluster padded along the moor. "We have enough problems without that cloud-brain sticking his nose in everything and trying to start something."
Aspenheart nodded, her pale blue eyes narrowed up at the sky. "I pray to StarClan that this drought will end soon. The Clans are already at each other's' throats because of the water running low."
Skypaw recalled an image of the huge white ThunderClan leader with the fur like a lion's mane around his neck-his namesake-and the pale green eyes that danced and hungered for a good fight. She felt anger bubble up inside of her when she remembered that Lionstar had the fierce reputation of being savage and brutal in battle and that he rarely showed mercy. I wouldn't want my wall to break down around him, she thought with a shudder.
Rainpaw, who Skypaw realized was also listening in as well, piped up, "Featherheart says that even though he is vicious, he's very cunning and smart as well."
Crowleaf snorted. "That wiry old she-cat will find the good in anyone," he muttered, though she detected a hint of fondness in his voice. "And even if Lionstar is smart and clever, then that means we must be twice as wary about him."
"We most certainly cannot trust Oakstar either," Aspenheart meowed as they neared the island. "ShadowClan has always been made of sneaky little foxes."
"What about Brightstar though?" Rainpaw demanded. "She seems nice enough."
Skypaw tried to remember what the RiverClan leader looked like but came up blank. Loosing interest in the conversation, she slowed a bit to let the three cats get farther ahead of her and she hung towards the back of the patrol. Too late, she realized in dismay that Talonpaw had also fallen back and was walking with her.
She double checked that the barrier was strong and stared at the ground as she walked, wishing he would go away. She really didn't want him taking an interest in her because it would not end very well for either of them if they became friends.
"So…" the pale tabby began, trying to ignore the fact that awkwardness had settled between them like a thick fog. "I guess you don't like Gatherings, huh?"
Skypaw's head snapped up and her yellow eyes were wide with fear. "Why do you say that?" she snapped, trying to keep her face impassive while her heart thudded wildly. Did he know? No, he couldn't have because she had always kept the secret tightly locked away and never gave any implication that she was cursed. At least…she thought she had.
Talonpaw blinked slowly, surprised at her harsh tone. "Um…because you look as if someone just told you to eat a moon old piece of prey."
She let out the breath she had been holding and felt a rush of relief at his words. So he hadn't known about her secret at all, that was good. Maybe tonight wouldn't be as terrible as she thought it would be.
After a moment of silence, he tried again. "So why don't you like Gatherings? Rainpaw seems to be pretty excited about it." He tilted his head in the direction of her slender sister who was padding ahead of them, her tail lashing as she talked enthusiastically with Aspenheart.
Skypaw shrugged, irritation sparking in her eyes. Great StarClan, why must he be so persistent?
Talonpaw rolled his eyes and sighed ruefully. "You're always so silent Skypaw," he muttered. "Trying to just ask you a simple question is like teaching a newborn kit to swim!"
"Then why are you even trying?" she asked dryly, feeling as if he had insulted her in some unknown way. "Obviously I'm not as talkative or fun to be around as Rainpaw." As soon as she said it, she realized that she was comparing herself to her sister-again.
As if following her thoughts, he meowed, "Why do you always compare yourself to Rainpaw? You do know that it's not good to keep putting yourself down like that, don't you?"
She glanced up at him, surprised, and found that doing so was a big mistake because now she couldn't look away. She had never noticed-never had been close enough to notice actually-that there were tiny flecks of green mixed in with the rest of his golden/amber eyes. He was staring at her intently with an expression she couldn't quite decipher.
Realizing that her mouth was hanging open slightly, Skypaw hastily snapped it shut and cleared her throat awkwardly, looking away. She felt something nudge her wall, trying to force its way in, and she knew she had to get away from this attractive tom before the whole thing collapsed along with her confused emotions.
"Um...I should…probably…catch up to...um Rainpaw," she stammered and then silently cursed herself for acting so flustered. Talonpaw had never affected her this way before so why all of sudden had she started feeling nervous around him and butterflies were bursting to life in her stomach?
She rushed away but not before catching the tom's look of disappointment and she shook her head and violently shoved her confusing emotions to the side. She would deal with sorting them out later; right now she just had to focus on surviving the night.
At long last, the WindClan cats finally arrived at the tree bridge that led to the small island. Skypaw noticed that ThunderClan was there as well and she slowed as Thornstar held up his tail for his warriors to halt. The WindClan leader dipped his head in the sign of respect.
"Greetings Lionstar," he meowed lightly as the ThunderClan warriors stopped as well.
Lionstar merely nodded at him, his dark green eyes showing no emotion except cool indifference. He tilted his head to the side and gestured to the tree. "WindClan may pass first, if you would like," he stated, his voice deep and even.
"Oh that's alright," Thornstar replied. "You may go first."
"Please, I insist," the white tom answered smoothly. Skypaw glanced at her leader and was impressed that he didn't seem as intimidated by the huge cat as she did. She remembered the tales the Elders told of Lionstar's bloodthirsty reputation and immediately blocked her mind twice as hard, just in case.
Thornstar dipped his head once more and jumped gracefully onto the tree bridge, tail waving only slightly as he began walking carefully across it. One by one, the rest of her Clanmates made it to the other side and soon it was Skypaw's turn.
She glanced at the patrol of ThunderClan cats and felt the dull humming start to grow a bit louder since there were much more cats around. She spied the orange and white pelt of Maplefur, Lionstar's deputy, who was known to be as aggressive as her leader.
"Are you going to stand there all day?"
She jumped, startled, as Lionstar's cold voice broke through her thoughts. Without thinking, she looked up and met his gaze, shivering at the blank emptiness in them. A chill crawled down her spine and she had the sudden urge to flee, and not because of the threat of her curse but because she wanted to get as far away from those creepy eyes as she could.
Leaping onto the slick bark, Skypaw waved her tail wildly for balance and dug her claw in as she hurried towards the island. One time she almost slipped and found herself staring fearfully at the churning darkness beneath her. She had always been terrified of the black water that seemed so menacing at nighttime. That fact that she couldn't swim didn't really help either.
Thankfully, though, she finally made it to the other end and slid without much grace off the trunk and followed her Clanmates through the island and towards the clearing. The volume of the humming grew increasingly louder as they emerged from the trees and Skypaw tried with all her might to focus on something, anything, to drown out the horrible buzzing in her ears.
Thornstar broke away from the WindClan group and weaved his way through the crowd of cats from all the Clans to Fourtrees, leaping lithely up the large oak that swept its branches high into the sky. Skypaw spotted the yellow tabby fur of Brightstar whose striped tail hung down as she sat elegantly on one of the thick branches.
Where's Oakstar? she thought, right before she spotted the pale tom hidden behind the foliage with only his blue eyes visible from behind the leaves.
"Come on Skypaw!" Rainpaw meowed, brushing past her sister as she made her way to where a group of other apprentices sat together. "Let's go say hello."
"Actually-"
"Skypaw," her sister warned sternly, narrowing her pretty green eyes. "You really need to start interacting with other cats more or else you'll grow old with no friends and you'll die alone."
The white and gold she-cat blinked, bewildered. Rainpaw had never been that blunt before and Skypaw couldn't help but feel indignant. Who was Rainpaw to judge her when her sister knew so little about her? Suddenly feeling brave, she lifted her chin and meowed, "It's my choice whether I want to sit with them, not yours."
Rainpaw rolled her eyes, fur starting to rise slightly. "I'm just trying to help you know."
"I know," Skypaw murmured, reaching over to touch her nose gently to her sister's ear. "But please don't."
Rainpaw looked at her with an unreadable expression. "Whatever," she finally hissed. "I don't know why I try and help you since you obviously want to be completely alone for the rest of your life." And with that, the light gray and white she-cat huffed, spun around, and with one last glare, stalked off to join the other apprentices.
Skypaw felt a rush of guilt, knowing that Rainpaw had only meant well and had been trying to help her. But she didn't have to get so angry at me, she thought in frustration. She was so confused with her sister's sudden mood swings and she had trouble keeping up with them, not knowing how much or how little it would take to make Rainpaw snap.
A loud yowl startled her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see Lionstar staring down at the large group of cats below him. The murmurs and conversations died down until all was quiet and they waited for the leader to speak. Skypaw sat anxiously towards the back, hidden slightly in the shadows and tried to ignore the humming that swarmed in her head, making it pound with a vengeance.
"ThunderClan is well and thriving despite the lack of water," he reported. "Brindlesong has recently moved to the nursery expecting kits which will only make my Clan stronger." He shot an cold, amused glance at the other leaders and continued, "And if anyone wants to attack us then you better think twice because we are not weak at all."
Is strength all he cares about? she wondered irritably as the large tom sat back down and motioned for one of the other three to go. Brightstar rose to her paws and gazed down at the clearing.
"RiverClan is doing well and our queen Shellfeather has given birth to Boulderkit," she paused to let the cats cheer before saying, "RiverClan is still strong and will fight with everything we have, if ever such a situation occurred. That is all." She hadn't looked at any of the other leaders while talking, but Skypaw had a feeling it was more directed towards Lionstar.
Oakstar immediately leapt to his paws and faced the ThunderClan leader, bristling. "ThunderClan is stealing our prey!" he snarled.
Yowls erupted from the ThunderClan cats and some jumped up, furious of the accusation. Skypaw winced as she felt the anger pound against her wall, screaming and desperately trying to get in.
"How dare you accuse us!" Maplefur spat from where she sat on the tree roots.
Duskfur, the ShadowClan deputy, rose to his paws and faced the she-cat, eyes narrowed threateningly. "It is not an accusation, it is the truth!" he growled, unsheathing his claws.
The white and orange warrior crouched and prepared to spring before Lionstar's clam voice stopped her. "Maplefur, sit down."
Skypaw's eyes squinted as she tried to block the fury that threatened to take over, slamming wall upon wall around her to protect her mind. But she could still feel the relentless pounding as the cats' anger tried to envelope her in its clutches.
"I do not understand where this is coming from, Oakstar," she heard Lionstar's voice from somewhere hazy and distant.
"My warriors found the remains of a sparrow on our side of the border. Not only did you hunt on our territory, but you had the nerve to eat on it too!"
"Did you ever think that maybe one of your warriors was hungry and stopped for a bit of hunting during a patrol or something?" Lionstar asked calmly.
Skypaw's breathing was hitched and she bowed her head as the force of the anger grew stronger, meaning that someone else's furious thoughts had joined the others. She spotted Rainpaw staring at her from where she sat and her sister's eyes were narrowed. She was just lucky she was partially hidden in the shadows and that it was dark enough so that Rainpaw couldn't see much.
"Stop!" Thornstar's powerful voice interrupted the confrontation between the two leaders that she had missed. "This is a Gathering, a time of peace. Look at the moon, StarClan is unhappy with us!"
A chorus of wails erupted from the cats as they looked up at the sky.
"The moon is covered all the way!"
"We need to stop fighting before StarClan gets even angrier!"
"It has never been fully covered before. What does it mean?"
"It means," Thornstar called out, "that this Gathering is over. WindClan is well and strong; now everyone return to their camps before our ancestors grow terribly angry with us." He jumped hastily off of the tree and scanned the clearing, lashing his tail. "WindClan, come!"
Skypaw struggled to her paws; her breathing was ragged, and stumbled her way half-blindly over to where her Clanmates were gathering in a small group. The pulsing fury was still there behind her walls, along with the confusion and unfairness that had swept through the ThunderClan and ShadowClan cats.
Thornstar barely glanced at his warriors before flicking his tail and leading the way through the island and back to the bridge. She lagged behind, heart thumping crazily, as she desperately tried to put distance between herself and the cats back in the clearing.
Finally, the WindClan cats reached the skinny tree and her Clanmates started to jump up and make their way cautiously over it to the other side. Skypaw heard the RiverClan cats' voices from behind her as they almost reached the tree.
After what felt like moons, the white and gold she-cat finally was able to leap up onto the wet rotten bark. She didn't understand why the anger was still as strong as before, since she had put a lot of distance between herself and the two Clans. In fact it almost felt as if it was…growing instead of dwindling.
Skypaw was towards the middle of the tree bridge when she suddenly felt it.
Something shoved hard against her many walls and she felt them start to give in, start to crack. She struggled to place more up but it was all in vain. There was aloud, terrifying groan as all of her protection suddenly crumbled down, leaving her vulnerable and exposed. She didn't even have time to brace herself before they swarmed around her.
Thoughts of countless cats rushed forward as one huge wave and slammed against her mind with more intensity than ever before. She gasped and shuddered as all the furious, rage-filled whispers poured into her pounding head.
How dare he accuse us!
I wanna just claw that she-cat's eyes out…
I hope it doesn't come to a fight…
StarClan protect us!
I wonder if there's any fresh-kill left.
I wish I could have clawed that ThunderClan scum's ears off.
If he wants a fight, he can have one!
Skypaw violently recoiled from the unseen thoughts and her vision grew blurry as the multiple voices slammed continuously against her mind. She felt panic and horror course through her and she glanced everywhere, trying to find someone to help her.
I wonder what's got him so worked up.
I hope I get the chance to fight him, that ShadowClan piece of fox-dung!
She was gasping for breath and was dimly aware that she was holding up the cats crossing the bridge and they were all yelling at her to move. She was going to move but first she had…she had to…she had to close….
Her vision darkened around the edges as her mind screamed in agony from the force of the brutal thoughts. She had to find a way to stop it but right before she could place any more walls up, a single, lone thought echoed repeatedly in her head.
I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!
The raw, brutal fury of it made her reel back so quickly that she slipped and lost her footing on the slick tree. She clawed desperately and tried to hold on right before the vicious thought struck again.
I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!
She had never ever heard or felt such lethal rage before and so she had no way to block it as it bounced in her mind, buzzing like a swarm of angry bees. She thought she heard yells and shouts around her but she wasn't sure. All she was focused on was trying to not let the thought consume her completely.
I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE! I WILL KILL THEM ALL!
A bright pain exploded in her head and Skypaw's eyes rolled back as the single ferocious, bloodthirsty thought took over and sent a savage shudder through her. Her muscles cramped and contracted and she suddenly felt herself falling…falling…
With a huge force of will, she mentally grasped all of her broken walls and shoved.
The sudden absence of voice in her mind sent a painful ache through her and her contracted limbs gave out from underneath her. She heard the faint cries of cats as they watched her slide off of the bridge and slam into the icy water below with a large splash.
The pulsing throbbing inside of her head was the last thing she felt before she was surrounded by water and blackness took over.
*takes deep breath* Well. That was fun to write ^0^ So in case you haven't figured it out for some reason, yes Skypaw can read minds. Now, I know you're all thinking 'oh that's so cliché', but I promise you I will not make this a cliché. Just stick with this story and I swear I will make this as original as possible. (:
