A/N oh! Yes! People like my story! I like it too, if you don't mind my saying!
6
Coalpaw poked Sorreltail sharply, hissing, "I've got to talk to you!" Sorreltail stirred drowsily, but when she saw Coalpaw she leapt up, growling, "What in Starclan-?"
"Shhh! Outside!" Coalpaw whispered urgently and crept out of the warriors' den.
Outside, Sorreltail shivered and hissed at Coalpaw for getting her up so late.
"Sorreltail!" Coalpaw wailed softly, making her eyes wide and pleading. "I have to know what's wrong with me! If you could just… maybe tell me one thing…?" Sorreltail yawned again, and apparently realizing she wouldn't get to sleep until she spilled, she growled.
"One small
thing. You were… born… at Fourtrees!" then she stalked back
into the den for a sleep. The mid-winter chill brought her to her
senses when she realized she had been out their for so long that the
moon was setting. She got up and padded slowly to Firestar's den.
He was curled up, sleeping.
She crawled into the den and curled
up beside him, seeking warmth. Whatever anyone said, in her heart,
Firestar was her father.
(((())))) "Coalpaw, wake up!" Coalpaw opened her eyes, sleepily and wondered vaguely where she was. Then she saw Firestar next to her, his green eyes searching her violet ones. She yawned, trying to wake up properly.
"Graystripe wants to see me?" she asked, stretching. Firestar licked her ear warmly.
"Nope!" Coalpaw turned to face her father with curiosity. "I've been pretty serious lately and I want to have some fun!"
"Can we put an adder on Graystripe again? That was fun!" she squeaked a little with excitement. Firestar shook her head.
"You and I are going to go to Highstones, just the two of us, without telling anybody!" Coalpaw's feeling of let down that Graystripe wouldn't scream so loudly that Leopardstar fell into the river, drowned, and lost a life, was overrun by excitement at the prospect of going to Highstones with just Firestar. She nodded and peered out of her den, to see that the camp was alive with action. Firestar told the small apprentice to stay close to her.
He padded out of his den and crept the tail length to the camp entrance. On the other side, Brightheart stood, looking at them with the scarred part of her face. For once, Coalpaw felt guiltily thankful that she was half blind, as the two cats barely made it past her undetected. They dashed across the forest, Coalpaw easily matching Firestar's strong pace.
However, he didn't look surprised that Coalpaw was so fast. They burst out of the forest and across Fourtrees, and Coalpaw reflected that this was where she had been 'born'. Then they were gone, out into the moorlands of WindClan territory. They slowed to a steady trot halfway through the stretch of moors, as the two cats tired at the same time. Firestar glanced at his daughter from time to time, and Coalpaw, who was big on family, ran closer to him, so that their opposite pelts touched. He told her quietly,
"Coalpaw, Brackenfur told me what he told you. I've been thinking," Coalpaw's heartbeat quickened. "Would you like to talk to Starclan with me in Mothermouth?" Coalpaw's breath caught in her chest. What an honor! She enthusiastically agreed, and the cats' strode on, with renewed vigor.
They reached Mothermouth at dusk and flopped onto a large, flat rock, panting. Both of them were starved, but neither of them were allowed to eat. Finally, the near-to-full moon rose, and Firestar led the way into the pile of stones. Coalpaw had never been past Fourtrees and she was amazed at the sites beyond the oaks. She felt like she had been here before, been in this cave, shared tongues with Starclan. She felt as if the air were clogging her mind and she raced on, finally coming to an opening, where cool, fresh air ruffled her fur. A glowing rock sat in the center of the cave, and Coalpaw felt positively awed. Firestar lay down beside the stone and pressed his nose to it, and Coalpaw did the same.
She felt sleep over come her and suddenly, there was a series of flashbacks!
Coalpaw wailed to Starclan. Her clan would surely die! Starclan wasn't helping her and she couldn't do it.
Coalpaw felt a warm sense of triumph as she killed a cat from her own clan, but a rustling in the bushes told her that her secret wasn't secret.
Coalpaw sank her claws into the tabbies brown fur and knew he would die, like all forest cats should.
Coalpaw chuckled cruelly as she murdered the dog that she hated.
Coalpaw woke up, startled. She felt Firestar stir beside her, but she rushed out of the cave. What? She never had done those things! How could she possibly cope with the memory of these flashbacks, if she didn't know to whom they belonged? How? There was nobody here to help…
A/N: gack! My dog just fell off that step! It was random. And it freaked the hell out of me!
