Chapter 8: Sleep Among the Crystals
The two carefully picked their way down the tunnel that led to the crystal cave. Finally the tunnel opened out into a larger cavern, and the two apprentices stepped out of the relative dark of the tunnel into the cave.
"Wow", gasped Lynxpaw.
"You said it," Cougarpaw added, catching her breath herself at the sight as she followed the other apprentice into the cave.
The cave was lined all around with glittering crystals. In the center of the cave was one crystal larger than the rest, and behind it, a pool. Lynxpaw looked and saw that in the roof of the cave, there was a hole above the crystal pool which allowed the light of the moon to shine in.
Lynxpaw padded up to the large crystal with Cougarpaw close behind. Lynxpaw remembered that Maplestream had told her that she must touch her nose to the crystal that stood before the pool.
"I am ready when you are", she whispered.
"You go first," returned Cougarpaw.
Lynxpaw summoned up all the courage she could and stepped forward, touching her nose to the hard, cool crystal. A sudden sleepyness overtook her and she lay down with her head next to the crystal as dreams enveloped her.
… … …
Lynxpaw sat once again in the high branches of the elder tree.
"Lynxpaw", came a powerful, strangely familiar voice.
"Lynxpaw", the voice repeated. The young apprentice started, this was the same voice that had spoken to her before in her dreams.
She turned to see a powerful looking tabby tom-cat with a fluffy tail and ruffed-necked pelt, rather like her own. His pelt shimmered with the light of the stars of the night sky.
"The two are together", he continued, "but heed me well. Night shall capture Night before all is through. Take care, lest it be thrown into darkness. Four must become one or all is lost."
"Why can't you just tell me what is coming," Lynxpaw begged.
"StarClan does not permit it to be so," the tom said softly.
"Go now, our time is short," he finished. With that, StarClan's hunting grounds faded from Lynxpaw's view and she was back in the caves. "More riddles, more questions?" she sighed. Cougarpaw still lay asleep as she had been just a moment or two ago.
The tawny apprentice bolted upright. After shaking herself a bit she spoke, "Lynxpaw, I…," she hesitated, " I'm sorry I have been such a furball to you and your two friends."
"Yeah, you have been", she replied with a smirk, "But we are in this together now, remember." They followed the tunnel back to the surface.
"And here", said Cougarpaw when their paws were once more on the sandy surface below the cliffs," is where we will part ways." As they turned to go, both apprentices parted with a new, grudging respect for each other, as well as a determination to serve their clans, and of that meant that they must work together then, so be it.
"I had best get back to camp,now" thought Lynxpaw as she padded off acrossed the sand back towards the path that lead back to her clan's territory, the crashing of the waves of the greatwater and the screeching of the water birds ringing in her ears.