Chapter 10

"Let all cats old enough to run the dunes gather here beneath the Tallbranch for a Clan Meeting!" Piperstar's voice rang out across the camp. Fawnpaw poked her head out of the apprentice's den.

It had been two days since Redstripe's disappearance. Patrols were constantly out, but still, no sign of the ginger tom. The whole situation was eerily similar to Ripplepelt's vanishing, although this one had more a bit more information behind it. They knew that Redstripe had purposefully disguised his scent in a patch of seaweed, and Monarchstorm had said he seemed distracted and distant before he left. Fawnpaw made her way over to where Lionpaw, Mantispaw, and Siltpaw were sitting.

As the cats filtered out of their dens, she leaned over to her friends. "I hope it's good news," she mewed, shoving down the bubbling doubt, "Monarchstorm's so upset, I feel bad," She glanced over at the tortoiseshell.

Monarchstorm's head was bowed, her fur messier than usual, in a way that suggested she wasn't caring for it rather than just being so active it wouldn't lie flat. Waveflower was leaning against her, grooming her pelt and murmuring in her ear.

"Beebelly's upset, too," Mantispaw said, "I mean, of course he is, how couldn't he be, but. I've never seen him like this."

Fawnpaw looked around for the golden tom. He was sitting next to Grasstail, their golden pelts the same shade, as she comforted him. She opened her mouth to reply, but was shushed by Siltpaw, who was looking up at Piperstar.

The leader was standing as straighter than any of the trees in SunkenClan territory, her brown-striped tail pointed at the sky. She surveyed the Clan with narrowed amber eyes, as if checking to see if everyone was there. Fawnpaw wondered if Clamfur had given her some kind of pep talk, because she looked nothing like the defeated molly that had slunk into her den, head and tail hanging, after Ripplepelt's disappearance. "I'm sure all of you have heard by now that Redstripe has gone missing," she yowled. Murmurs of assent spread through the Clan like ripples.

"Both Redstripe and Ripplepelt left of their own volition, it seems," she said, her amber eyes hard and creased, "Redstripe went so far as to disguise his scent in seaweed before he left. Whatever is going on, it seems like the cats that have vanished have done so on purpose."

A choked noise came from Beebelly. Grasstail gave him a few soothing licks, quiet condolences were murmured from Frostnose and Stormheart. Gullpaw had his lip curled in a snarl. Piperstar seemed to lose her resolve for a moment, her ears flattening against her skull, one paw raised uncertainly in the air, but with a flick of her tail, she swallowed thickly and went on. "From now on, no cat is permitted to leave camp on their own. Patrols will be doubled along all sides. All excursions must be cleared with Clamfur or myself."

The quiet murmurs turned to cries of annoyance. Fawnpaw glanced around, unable to pick out a specific voice until Whalefur's deep bellow came from the center of the crowd. "This is crazy!" she yowled. All heads turned to her as she stood at her full, broad-chested height, ears folded back against her head and hackes raised. "You can't keep us trapped in camp like we're war prisoners!"

A few cats called their agreement. Clamfur let out a hiss, but Piperstar quieted her with a glance, before turning her gaze on Whalefur, eyes narrowed. "I will do what I must to keep my Clan together and safe," she growled, "Don't forget that the leader's word is law."

Her gaze swept across the camp, as if daring the cats to cry against her. The few cats that had argued were conspicuously silent as her amber eyes bored into them. When her gaze settled on Whalefur, the molly, proud as she was, clawed a line in the loose sand before sitting back down, her pelt still bristling. Fawnpaw had an uncomfortable feeling trickling down her neck, like she'd witnessed something she wasn't supposed to see. DuneClan had always seemed to work as a single unit, dissenting voices few and far between, and Piperstar had always seemed open to suggestions and criticism from her Clanmates. It was disorienting to see a confrontation between the two of them.

Piperstar was silent for another moment, the Clan waiting with baited breath for her next words. "Any cat caught sneaking out of camp will face severe punishment," she called, "Before we disband, there is one more thing I need to do. Lionpaw, come forward."

After glancing around in confusion, the golden-brown got up and padded below the branch. "Lionpaw, Redstripe was your mentor, and since he is gone, you need a new one. Until his possible return, Sealface will mentor you. I trust she will continue your training, and pass down all she has learned."

The pretty spotted tabby padded forwards, looking bewildered, and touched noses with Lionpaw before stepping back into the crowd. Piperstar sighed.

"That will be all. This meeting is dismissed."

She leaped down from the Tallbranch and padded towards Clamfur. Murmuring erupted from the DuneClan cats, the four apprentices sitting in a stunned silence.

"That was…" Lionpaw started.

"Insane?!"

"I can't believe Piperstar was so…"

"Cold?"

"Stop cutting off our sentences, Mantispaw," Siltpaw mewed crossly. Mantispaw shut her mouth with a click, her expression morphing into a pout. He sighed, bowing his head, and then raised it again to look at the Tallbranch.

"Is that what… uh… Molluskstar? Was like?" Fawnpaw asked, wrapping her tail around her paws.

Siltpaw looked surprised. "You remembered her mention Molluskstar?" he asked, "I don't think I've heard anyone talk about him since the Gathering when you joined."

Fawnpaw nodded. "I mean, that night was a pretty big deal, so. I think it's seared into my memory."

Lionpaw looked down, licking his chest fur. Fawnpaw almost laughed- he was so easy to read, it was clear that he had completely forgotten who Molluskstar was. Any other day she would have teased him, but the teasing mood had left her as soon as Piperstar started acting like that.

Mantispaw began grooming a paw. "I don't remember Molluskstar that well, to be honest. He was really tall, and really dark colored- darker than most DuneClan cats. I would've thought he was SunkenClan if he wasn't so big," she said, "He seemed pretty strict, but not in a bad way. Siltpaw and I had only been apprenticed for a couple of weeks when he died."

"I feel like Piperstar might be overdoing it a little," Fawnpaw mewed, craning her head to look at the molly, "She's still pretty new, right? Y'think she's afraid cats are deserting, 'cause they don't like the way she's leading?"

"You can't just say stuff like that!" Siltpaw hissed quietly, "She's our leader. She's doing what's best for us!"

Fawnpaw folded her ears back at his reprimand. "I didn't say she wasn't, I'm just trying to figure out a reason for all of this!" she whispered back, "I don't think she knows what's going on any more than we do."

Siltpaw opened and closed his mouth, as if he didn't know how to respond. Eventually he said, "I'm going to clean out the elder's dens," and padded away. Fawnpaw watched him go, feeling guilty, and Lionpaw gave her a sidelong look.

"Well! I don't know what's gotten into him!" Mantispaw piped up, after a moment of heavy silence, "Maybe he's upset that he can't find the missing cats. Also, it's kind of weird when you question Piperstar like that."

Fawnpaw threw her head back, frustrated. "I'm just thinking out loud!"

"Well, I'm gonna go check on him, make sure he's doing okay. See you guys." Mantispaw mewed, following after her brother. Fawnpaw watched her go, a spike of annoyance flaring. Why shouldn't she question Piperstar?

"I feel like I'm the only one actually trying to figure out what's going on," she said, half to herself.

Lionpaw stretched, his pelt reddish in the dying light. "I'm sure- I'm sure Piperstar's doing everything she can," he mewed, "I know you want to figure it out, but, uh… I guess it's just, not what cats do here. You saw Whalefur."

Fawnpaw nodded, flashing back to Piperstar's succinct shutdown of the grey molly's protest. Suddenly feeling tired, she yawned.

"Well, I'm going to nap for a while," she mewed, trying to ignore the dissatisfied feeling sinking in her belly, "Maybe you should talk to Sealface?"

Lionpaw nodded. "That's a good idea. Sleep well, Fawnpaw."

Fawnpaw was just about to go back to her nest when she saw Plovercloud hurrying into Piperstar's den. The medicine cat looked frantic, his grey and white pelt disheveled, and Fawnpaw veered off course to follow him, climbing quietly up the dead tree's roots. Perhaps she'd learn something today after all.

"Did I do the right thing, Clamfur?" Piperstar's voice sounded tinny and hollow through the bark.

"You're too soft, Piperstar," the old molly replied, "You have to keep the Clan together and functional. If that means pretending you know what's going on, so be it."

It was quiet. Fawnpaw could hear shuffling, and then Piperstar's surprised mew. "Oh. Plovercloud, is there something you need?"

The medicine cat took a breath. "I've had a dream," he said. Fawnpaw sighed, unimpressed.

Piperstar's voice was sharp and urgent. "StarClan has spoken with you? I thought you received nothing from them at the last trip to Whaleskull Cavern."

"I didn't. But, Piperstar, this dream was so different than anything they've ever shared with me- it was as if i was trapped under the weight of a thousand cats, unable to move or react, and a cat that i couldn't recognize kept flashing, trying to speak to me. But I couldn't hear them."

There was a beat of silence before Clamfur spoke up. "An omen?"

"No," Plovercloud mewed, "No, I don't- it didn't feel like an omen. It felt… like StarClan couldn't speak to me for some reason. I've never felt anything like it."

Another moment of silence. Fawnpaw stood to leave. Even after living with them for almost two moons, she didn't understand how these cats could put so much stock into nightmares and dreams. She leaped off of the root, hoping that she looked inconspicuous enough that no one would question her.

"Oh, Fawnpaw," Clamfur's gruff mew came from behind her, and she froze. "Where did you come from?"

"I was…" she mewed, turning slowly to face the dilute tortoiseshell, "I, uh, was sitting over here for the announcement? Didn't you see me?"

Clamfur's yellow eyes narrowed. "No, I didn't."

Fawnpaw twitched her tail, feeling her ears begin to warm and fold backwards. "Well, I was! I guess I just blend in with everyone else, haha."

"Right." Clamfur meowed. Fawnpaw tried to give her a friendly look, but if Clamfur's reaction was anything to go by, it came out looking more like a grimace. A tense moment passed before Clamfur sat down and began grooming her paw.

"Well, quit standing around and do something useful," Clamfur snapped, "Or go to your den, you staring at me is making me uncomfortable."

Fawnpaw hopped up. "R-right! Yes, okay, right away." she said, trotting over to the apprentice's den. She curled up in her nest, feeling very small and very disappointed.

((A/N: HOO BOY did I have a lot of trouble with this one. Sorry it took me so long, aah! I was sick, and school, and aagh all of this STUFF! but it's thanksgiving now and im free (well, i still have one more day, but. i'm basically free). Also changed the Sacred StarClan place to Whaleskull Cavern, the Hollowtree just wasn't cutting it for me! I'll go back and edit the other chapters when I have time c:

Guest: aaaa thank you so much! sorry this took so long aaaa ;v;

Cloudjumper Kat: Monarchstorm will be okay! She and Waveflower are gonna get through this together :v

You got two of the names right! The other three not so much, although I do really like one of the ones you suggested and I will have to think about it.

dragonwritergirl112: they've got a mystery on their paws, we've got one on our hands, lol.

anyways! if you like it, or if you don't, let me know! I feed off of other people's opinions. Have a lovely thanksgiving to all the americans reading this and a lovely week for everyone else! :3 ))