** This chapter was a breeze to write. It starts a little before where the last chapter ended. We learn a little more about the truth of DarkClan. It is told by Flickerpaw of DarkClan.**
Ch. 7 Avalanche
I was still hanging out in the tunnels when Blazeclaw came running as through a fox was on his tail. Mistystar immediately walked up to him and the two began whispering to each other.
Mistystar picked her head out of their huddle and announced our fates. "DarkClan heads to the surface tonight. Blazeclaw reports that there are other cats there that might help us."
Moonjade stepped up too. "I want everyone ready to travel now!" Cats scrambled to their aching and cracked paws. Silversong and Brightpaw had been trying to help the best they could, but they had no supplies. They were aching to reach the surface and discover new herbs.
Featherpaw went to stand beside me as we continued our march. "I can't wait to see the stars." I exclaimed to Featherpaw. "Just think, we'll hear everything we heard in our stories."
Featherpaw just shook her head. "What if it isn't everything we expected? What if it looks just like our tunnels?" She looked as though she didn't believe herself, but she didn't want all her hopes and dreams to turn out to be false.
That thought had never even occurred to me. "But it can't Featherpaw. Why would it be called the surface if it looked exactly the same."
At that moment Smokekit and Emberkit came running towards us. I wish I had half as much energy as they did. "We are playing Tunnel Run." they yelled to us. "Do you want to play too. It is a lot of fun."
My mouth hung open in shock. Blossomcloud ran after her kit. "Stop that you guys. Aren't you even the least bit sad about your father and Foxkit. I want you to calm down and at least let the rest of the Clan relax."
"But I want to play." remarked Emberkit. "We haven't had any fun since yesterday." "You are such a meanie mommy" said Smokekit backing up her sister.
"That is no excuse." scolded their mother Blossomcloud. She picked up Emberkit by the scruff and hulled her off to where Sunkit was slowly walking.
Featherpaw saw Sunkit too. "He is really taking the loss of his mother hard, isn't he?" Sunkit had always been a sickly tom, so I hope this didn't push him over the edge. We had already lost so many.
I nodded and contined to put one paw in front of the other. The grubs I had this morning seemed so far away. I don't understand how Twigstorm did it. She was nursing two kits, but she was walking in the front next to Birchfire.
Mistystar held up her tail signaling everyone to stop and be quiet. Even Tanglekit and Flame kit were quiet for a change. That is when I heard the mews of several cats drift into my ears.
"We are close." said Mistystar. "I will lead the way. I want Moonjade, Bramblestorm, and Silversong to be right behind me. Queens, kits, and elders will be in the middle. I want warriors and apprentices to spread out at the back."
There was some shuffling as some cats moved to organize themselves. I managed to push up to the front of the column. Featherpaw did the same until the two of us were directly behind the deputy.
I could see a faint gleam of light in from of us. I could make out shapes of other cats. There must have been at least thirty. They all looked so different from one another.
Mistystar stepped into the clearing and spoke with a loud voice. " I'm Mistystar. Who are the lot of you?"
I couldn't see much, but I could clearly see there was four cats in charge. I leaded a tiny bit more forward to see if I could see just a little more. Moonjade moved the slightest bit which caused me to tumble past her.
I fell out of the safety of the tunnels and into the open air. I sat up surrounded by more cats than I had ever seen. "Who is this little kit?" cried a large pale gray tom. I think I had heard him introduce himself as Harestar.
"This is Flickerpaw, one of our apprentices." I heard a collective gasp from almost every cat there. Only about eight cats in the corner didn't look surprised.
A beautiful looking light brown she-cat spoke. "I believe they are the cats we saw on Highstones. It is too much of a coincidence that we meet a cat with glowing eyes and one with a ginger pelt."
Several of the others leaders were nodding as well. A small black she-cat picked her head up towards the sky and shouted. "O' StarClan, what is the meaning of this."
That is when I looked above me. There is was, the never-ending ceiling with stars. I had finally seen the stars. My moss was nothing compared to the real things.
I couldn't stop myself from calling out. "Brightpaw, Featherpaw come out here. It is so beautiful." They scrambled out of the tunnels where we had lived our entire life. There eyes widened as they took in the deep black depths of the sky.
"This is where StarClan is." muttered Brightpaw. As a medicine cat, seeing the home of StarClan was something she didn't think would happened till she died.
To Featherpaw, it was proof of all the tales the elders had told us. She just stared at the glittering lights above us. "They were right, they were right." she muttered to herself.
One of the leaders, a white tom with a scar across his eye, spoke calmly to Mistystar. "How many cats are with you exactly?"
"Ya, how many?" piped up a brown tabby tom. He glared at us with his amber eyes.
"Will you stop making a fool of yourself Muzzleclaw." asked the small black she-cat who had first drawn my attention to the sky.
The once brave Muzzleclaw looked at the ground. "Yes, Littlestar. I will be quiet from now on." It was almost comical how the small she-cat had so much power over the muscular warrior.
The white tom asked his question again. "Mistystar, how many cats do you have with you?"
Mistystar didn't respond, but instead flicked her tail at the rest of my Clan that was still beneath the roots. They all walked out.
Silversong with her head held hight, Moonjade with her eyes scanning the gathered cats, the warriors scooted closer to the mates, the fathers and mothers tightened their grip on their kits, and the elders and apprentices just opened their eyes and took everything in.
"Why did you bring so many cats with you? We have no room to spare. You need to go back to wherever you came from." said the scarred white tom.
"We had no choice Whitestar. This is our home to. We once had land in the forest, but the heartless warriors drove us out. I'm here to claim Darkstar's territory." said Mistystar.
All the cats stared at her, DarkClan included. We had never heard about this until now. It was a dark ginger she-cat who spoke; the same one I had seen in the tunnels before the earthquake.
"Welcome DarkClan." she giggled. "I have been waiting for you to return. You arrival sent Fawnstar into a fit."
Then out of no where an elder spoke up. "SEE ROSTHORN, I TOLD YOU FAWNSTAR WAS STILL ALIVE. FLAMECLAW WILL BE SO HAPPY WHEN WE TELL HIM!"
A cream colored she-cat let out a sigh. 'Woodtail, please don't tell Flameclaw that. I don't know what this silly apprentice is talking about. I remember sitting by Fawnstar's side when she died."
"You're Maroonpaw." calmly stated Littlestar. "I remember burying you after you took you last breath. What are you doing here."
"You guys are the best." laughed Maroonpaw. " I have been sent from StarClan sillies. Why else would I be here? Cats don't just come back to life."
"But why would StarClan send a cat to this Gathering." asked a pretty light brown she-cat. "Don't they believe that we can drive out the intruders by ourselves. We haven't grown weak in our peace."
"Silly RiverClan." titled Maroonpaw. "StarClan doesn't want you to drive these cats out. Why do you think you received a dream, Meadowblossom."
Meadowblossom gasped along with all the other medicine cats. A older ginger medicine cat spoke. "Is this Clan going to live on Highstones?"
"Of course Jayfire. Does going to StarClan make you smarter, or did you all get stupider after I left. I like to believe it is the second option."
Jayfire looked shocked, but his apprentice spoke for him. "I believe we should show these cats to cats to there new territory. I'm doubt they know what anything is."
"What!" I gasped. "I don't want a new territory. I want the old tunnels back with the glowing moss. Mistystar," I pleaded. "Can we please go back underground?"
"Be quiet Flickerpaw. We have no home." snapped my leader. I reeled back in shock. Mistystar had never spoken like this to me before.
She turned around and spoke to Jayfire's apprentice. "Where is this territory you speak of, and how are we going to find it."
It wasn't the apprentice that answered, but Maroonpaw. "Each Clan will send a cat to show you the way. It is up north just a short distance."
Harestar didn't look the least out-off about not being granted the territory. It almost scared me because you think that he would at least question the others, but he didn't. "I will send my deputy, Ripplelight, to show you the way.:
The dark ginger leader nodded his head. "I will also send my deputy. Streamfrost, will you show these cats top there new territory."
Streamfrost nodded and sent this vicious smile over to us. Ravenpaw pressed himself close against me. Violetpaw let out a tiny snarl that I could barely hear. I doubt the deputy could.
Whitestar let out a sigh. "It seems that I will have to send my deputy along also. Hawkfeather will occupancy …... What is your Clan anyway."
"We are DarkClan." said Silversong.
"Well DarkClan," declared Littlestar. "I will give you Silverstorm as a guide. I trust her with my life. May you find luck and stay off ShadowClan's territory."
I started to follow the deputies when Maroonpaw pounced on my tail. "Where do you think your going. You need someone to tell you what to do. You silly cats don't know anything about the warrior code or boundary rules."
"Come on Maroonpaw. We don't really have a choice, do we?" I said sarcastically.
"Nope, of course not." with that she disappeared in a flash just like she did that day in the tunnels. It seemed so long ago, but it had only been yesterday.
"Why were you talking to that StarClan cat?" asked Brightpaw. I could detect a hint of jealously in her voice. I suddenly felt protective about the information.
"Oh, nothing important." I causally said. "She was just laughing at the predicament we got ourselves into."
"Isn't the the truth." said Featherpaw who had just walked up behind us.
"Stop dawdling." shouted Streamfrost. Her voice ran out through the column of cats. "I want to reach Highstones before the sun starts to rise. It is a long way back to ThunderClan you know."
Ravenpaw squeaked at the ThunderClan deputy. "Don't let her hurt me." whispered the frightened apprentice to me.
"Hold up!" called Ripplelight. "We are approaching the thunderpath. When I say so, I needed everyone to run as fast as they can across."
I walked up to the edge of the thunderpath. Who knows what it is, but it smelled putrid. The scent coated my throat and nose, blocking every other scent.
"Belch." said Violetpaw. "That is the most disgusting thing I ever smelt. It is even worse than when Emberkit fell into the puddle of stagnant water."
I tried to contain by laughs, but I couldn't. Every time I took inhaled, the smoky air got in my lungs. Little Tanglekit and Flamekit were having the same problem. Their little kit coughs sounded weak.
"Run!" shouted all the deputies at once. I broke out across the rough surface with my paws scrapping against the thunderpath. I didn't stop until I reached the other side.
Silverstorm lead the way from here. She bounded up the steep cliff slopes until she stood on a ledge overlooking the entire forest.
The warriors carrying the kits couldn't make it up the steep slope. "We can't make it." cried Blossomcloud; she was carrying Smokekit.
That is of course when Maroonpaw decided to show up. "You cats always need help. Good thing I'm around to provide it."
She walked up to Twigstorm and put out a paw for her to give her Tanglekit. Even with a mouthful of kit's scruff she manged to mumble out. "Get away. I not going to give Tanglekit to you."
It was Lightningblaze who stepped forward with Sunkit. He dropped the exhausted tom in front of Maroonpaw and bounded to the top of the rocks to join everyone that wasn't carrying a kit.
Maroonpaw smile at the gathered cats like she was putting on a show. She touched her noes to the unsuspecting kit. In a blinding flash of light they both disappeared.
As I blinked the spots out of my eyes, I saw a shape materialize next to me. It was Maroonpaw and Sunkit. "Daddy!" yelled Sunkit. The poor kit ran over to his father. Lightningblaze bent over and licked hie kit on his brow.
Twigstorm and Blossomcloud were eventually convinced to give their kits over to Maroonpaw. I think Emberkit and Smokekit had a new game to play, The Disappearing StarClan Cat.
With everyone up on the ledge, we continued forward. Mistystar walked in front of the deputies like she was in a trance. Her glowing eyes looked glazed over, and she did even look where she took her next step.
Bramblestorm ran up and walked beside his mate. Mistystar didn't even notice, but kept on walking. Hawkfeather shrugged her shoulders at him. "I think your leader is following the path your ancestors first took. StarClan is guiding her."
When we finally came to a stop, we were greeted with a wonderful sight. It seemed to be an abandoned camp. There was a small spring in the middle that bubbled with water. Moss clung to the sides of rocks. There seemed to be various tunnels that led underground.
"Ripplelight, Streamfrost, Hawkfeather, and Silverstorm thank you for leading us to our camp." said Moonjade. "We will be alright from now on."
With that the deputies ran on home. They skillfully leaped from one rock to another. "We will be able to do that soon." said Featherpaw.
Blossomcloud and Twigstorm put their kits down and looked around for a place for the nursery. It was Ravenpaw who ended up finding it. "G-g-g-guys. Look what I found."
His sister rushed over and together they uncovered a cave completely covered by tendrils of stringy moss. "Twigstorm, look at this cave I found!"
Twigstorm and Birchfire walked over carrying there two sleeping kits. Tanglekit let a small mew when she was placed on the ground.
Birchfire gave his apprentice some quick licks on her head. "Good job Violetpaw. You have done you Clan a good service." Violetpaw gave out a small purr.
Soon after the queens and their kits settled down for a nights sleep, Brightpaw discovered a spot for the medicine and leader's den. It was a huge hollowed out cave in the rock. A slanted slab of smooth, flat rock divided the hollow into two stories. The top could be used as Mistystar's den because their was a piece of rock she could address the Clan from.
"Silversong, its perfect." explained Brightpaw. "There are even shelves on the walls that look like they can hold herbs. It almost seems like it was used before."
Eventually dens were found for everyone. Moss was torn from walls and made into quick nests. I snuggled in next to Featherpaw, Violetpaw, Ravenpaw, and Maroonpaw. The StarClan cat insisted on staying for at least a half moon to make sure we adjusted alright. Brightpaw insisted on sleeping in the new medicine den.
I lay watching the stone ceiling as my eyes drifted shut.
** I promise the next chapter will be Amberpaw of ShadowClan. I have already started writing it, so don't worry Shimmertail. I had to include Woodtail for LarkThatSingsAtDawn. Maroonpaw is going to play a major role in DarkClan's part of the story from now on. I really liked her in this chapter, so I hope you did too. Please review!**
