I've been on quite the updating streak, haven't I? Well, I'm afraid it isn't going to last much longer. So, here is the third part of the four part chapter "The Dream."
A Star in the Storm
The Dream: Part Three
"Although we've come to the end of the road, still I can't let you go.
It's unnatural. You belong to with me, I belong with you."
-- Unknown.
The effects were almost instant. "I don't feel too great…" Blazepaw groaned. He swayed to the side.
"Lay down," I said, my voice like a queen speaking to her kit. He kneeled down slowly and with great effort, his face twisted with pain as his stomach touched the hard, cold ground. Soon his eyes were glassy and half closed. It made him look tired, almost drugged.
Speckleheart raced around the corner. He was breathing heavily, panicking just as I was. "I couldn't find any juniper, but I have another idea." The little black and white tom chewed off one of the small, overhanging branches from the bush we were hiding in.
Darkpaw assisted him, helping Blazepaw to roll over on his back. Laying in that position seemed slightly less painful to him. Speckleheart grabbed the twig carefully in his teeth and forced the orange tabby's mouth opened. "Don't panic when I do this; it's going to hurt a little." He stuck the branch down Blazepaw's throat, pushing it at a slightly upward angle.
Blazepaw gagged and chocked, finally vomiting up the whole contents of his stomach. His breathing than turned hard and unsteady, as if all the energy had been zapped from him.
"Feel any better?" asked Speckleheart. Blazepaw shook his head weakly, laying back on the hard ground, still coughing and sputtering.
"We have to get him back to ThunderClan." I said. "He needs some more herbs and a nice place to sleep." Speckleheart sighed.
"More herbs aren't going to help him." He said. "Darkpaw, come with me and help me find something for pain. That's about all I can do for him."
I expected to be sad, but I was more so angry. Angry at who or what I didn't know, but I was furious. I wanted someone to blame for this so badly. Than I started to blame myself. I was a coward for not running out there and helping him in the first place.
"We need to go back to camp," I kept on staying to myself. "We need to go back." I paced around, waiting for Speckleheart and Darkpaw to come back. Than I lost patience. The mousebrained medicine cat didn't know anything! I was bringing Blazepaw home.
I gripped my teeth into his scruff, pulling with all my might. How was I going to get him over the fence? "Blazepaw, can you walk, just for a minute?" His dark, stormy amber eyes glanced up at me.
"For a while," I stood beside him and he leaned on me, almost causing me to fall to the side.
"Ok, you have to climb this fence. I know it looks impossible, but you are one of the best climbers in ThunderClan. You can make it. Just up and down, than it's a straight shot back."
I don't think that Blazepaw was acting upon his own will or common sense when he started to climb up the fence. He was listening to my commands blindly and without question, just like he had when he first met.
I scrambled up after him with great effort, claws digging into the wood. By the time I was half way up, Blazepaw was already on the ground. I jumped down and stood beside him. "Let's go."
He took a few steps before stumbling again. We both plodded along great opened field. Darkpaw suddenly appeared behind me. "Stormy, what are you doing? Blazepaw can't travel like this!" His warning fell on death ears.
"Help me," I hissed. Darkpaw jogged up next to Blazepaw. "Got any poppy seeds or something to settle his stomach?" I asked. Darkpaw shook his head.
"Speckleheart's still looking for something. He told me to go and make sure you weren't doing anything stupid. Apparently, I'm not doing such a great job." I wasn't in the mood for his 'humor.'
It wasn't long until we came to the great foggy field. It looked even larger than I remembered, and even harder to cross. Frogs croaked, and I had a sudden craving for a little food. I shook my head quickly, ridding my mind of those thoughts.
Suddenly, I hear an exasperated moan and the thump of something hitting the ground. I had been leading, so I turned around quickly, claws unsheathed. Darkpaw was standing over a mound of orange fur, his eyes wide with shock. "Stormpaw, I think he's stopped breathing!" he screamed, sounding like a scared kit.
I rushed over, placing my ear to my friend's side. He was alive and breathing, but it was ragged and his heart beat sounded like the buzzing wings of a fly.
"He have to go faster!" I hissed, taking Blazepaw's scruff in my teeth again and pulling. I couldn't do it the last time, and I surely couldn't this time.
"Stormpaw, I have to lay down… we have to stop," said Blazepaw in a small voice. He was sick and surely insane; I would be making the decisions.
"No, we're getting you back home." Darkpaw stepped between me and him.
"Stormpaw, you're going to hurt him! We have to stop and rest. There is nothing in ThunderClan that will help him."
"No, I'm taking him home!" I scream in anger. "They can help him! I am helping him! I don't see you doing anything about it! Leave him for dead, huh? " Darkpaw's hackle fur rose in defiant rage and his eyes glittered in the worst way.
"No, you're killing him!" he screamed back. That hurt. At that time, I was convinced what I was doing was right. My heart was pounding with stress and fury. Than, I snapped almost completely.
Just like the first time I had attacked Darkpaw over Blazepaw, I couldn't control myself. It didn't scare me like when I was a kit though. I embraced the power and used it against my enemy -- I mean Darkpaw.
I was larger now too and much stronger. We wrested across the marshy land, fur and claws flying, sticky mud covering our pelts.
I struck him across him nose and gave him a couple good bite on the leg. Me mirrored me; the harder I fought, the harder he did.
Finally, we pulled away from each other, using every once of our combined self control. "Stormpaw, you need to learn to control your anger! This is the second time you're attacked me!" Darkpaw hissed. "I love a fight just as much as the next cat, but we need to get going. We'll settle this soon." His tone was hostile and angry, but at least me could control himself; unlike me. I was like a mother badger when it came to protecting my friends.
Blazepaw's tail twitched about and his eyes seemed to roll around in his skull. "Did Speckleheart ever tell you anything else about his this poison?" I asked urgently as Darkpaw dragged my orange friend along. He shook his head through a mess of fur.
Finally, I smelled Clan scent markers. "Help!" I yelled. "Someone help me! My friend's hurt!" Darkpaw couldn't pull Blazepaw along anymore. He lay him down and started to pant himself.
"ThunderClan camp is too far away; they can't hear you. Plus, it's the middle of the night " He said, his tone showing that he felt that the mission was hopeless. I scented the air again, searching for that familiar smell. Blazepaw was going to die if I couldn't find some help soon! I just needed someone to help me carry him back!
Suddenly, an idea entered by head. It was crazy… just crazy enough to save my friend's life.
I raced into the marsh, my legs pumping beneath me. Darkpaw called to me, asking where I was going. I didn't answer.
I ran over the mud at lighting speed, not caring how much got spattered all over my pelt. I leapt over roots, gaining ground quickly through the dark blur that was the pine filled forest.
I stopped and scented the air for the hundredth time. There it was; ShadowClan stench. I could no longer use my eyes, it was too dark. I needed to use everything that Fogpelt had taught me and everything that Mother's side of the family had given me. Suddenly, I felt relaxed in the darkness.
Using my whiskers, my tail, my nose, and my ears ,I picked through the darkest part of the forest, towards the patrol. I could finally see a small, fluffy stone-colored cat. "Graymist!" I yelled.
The ShadowClan cat turned around and hissed at me. He could tell I was ThunderClan. He stalked up to me, bracing for attack.
"Don't you dare touch me!" I commanded. "I am the daughter of your deputy after all." He stopped completely. I don't think he knew what to do without my hateful mother ordering him around.
"Briarthorn, it's your grand-kit!" he yelled, turning tail and retreating.
Briarthorn was an old, light brown tabby cat with my mother's eyes. Her expression was sweet, just like a queen. I trusted her more than I should havesince she did save my skin back when I was a lost, confused kit.
"Little one, what's wrong? Kin or not, you shouldn't be in ShadowClan. Ever." She said firmly. I met her eyes without hesitation.
"I need your help. My friend's really hurt and I'm too small to move him back to ThunderClan! If he doesn't get back soon he's gonna die!" I started out calmly but lost my cool near the end. Briarthorn seemed pretty surprised.
"It isn't ShadowClan's duty to help those of other Clans." I jumped up and down in meowed in a kit-like manner.
"But you're my grandmother! You have to help! I don't have a mom to help me with these things!" At this point I was just preying on Briarthorn's perceived weaknesses. I needed help, and I didn't care if I had to ask like a pure-ShadowClanner and take advantage of cats.
I think it worked. Briarthorn's eyes softened just a bit and memories swam in them like silver minnows. "You're just like your mother, Stormpaw. Smart, a good leader, and very much a ShadowClan cat at heart." I wasn't sure what to say about this. (Was that even a compliment?) but I didn't care. She was going to help me.
"He's this way!" Graymist and Briarthorn raced after me, Graymist quite reluctantly.
* * * *
We charged into camp just as the first pale lights of dawn came up over the horizon. Graymist and Briarthorn tried to stay as quiet as they could as we trekked towards the medicine cat's den. Blazepaw was starting to fight Graymist's grip, acting just like a confused kit.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of another cat crashing into camp. The little black and white medicine cat flopped down on the ground, obviously exhausted. This, to my luck, seemed to awaken half the camp, starting with Grayfur.
Grayfur plopped out of the den at first, but seemed to spring from his sleep completely at he sight of Graymist carrying Blazepaw. I ran over to him before he could shout. "Grayfur, please don't say anything!" I begged. "They were just helping me get to camp. Briarthorn, the light brown cat, is my mother's mother. The other cat is Graymist."
Graymist, who had held his tongue for some time, passed Blazepaw to Briarthorn to take a closer look at the cat who shared part of his name.
They didn't look a bit alike. Grayfur was strong and fairly handsome. He was bulldoggish both looks and personality. Graymist, on the other had, was small, proud, and rather plain looking.
I didn't really want to be around for when they started clawing each other to bits; I wanted to see what the winded medicine cat had to say about Blazepaw.
I entered the threshold of the den quietly. Briarthorn was speaking to Speckleheartin a calm and respective manner. Heart beats after I came in, they both turned to me. Speckleheart gave my grandmother a curt nod, telling her it was time to leave.
"Come here," he said. "Darkpaw too." Darkpaw had been following me. We entered Speckleheart's dark den, where he seated us near the back. The entrance was narrow, so he blocked it with ease. "Do you know why I am calling you in here?" he asked. Darkpaw was actually starting to shake. Speckleheart was still speaking in his crazy, cackling voice, but somehow it was more threatening. On the other hand, Speckleheart was only the size of an apprentice. I could take him…
"Because I didn't do a very good job at keeping her out of trouble." Darkpaw answered. I scowled at him.
"That's part of the reason, yes. The main reason though is because of your disobedience. I am not blaming you for Blazepaw's accident, but I am blaming you for dragging him back to ThunderClan against my orders."
He stopped speaking and turned to me, his ivy green eyes eating away at my very core for only a moment before they softened. "I want you do go, Darkpaw." He said. Why was he looking at me when he said that to Darkpaw? This wasn't good at all…
I took a deep swallow of air, not sure what to expect. "How much trouble am I in?" I asked in a very, very small voice.
"A lot. More than I can really tell you. You're not going to get the punishment for it though; your friends, family, and all the Clan are going to pay most of the price." I wrinkled my nose, confused.
"I can understand that everyone who was involved with this is going to be in trouble, but the whole Clan?" Speckleheart nodded solemnly.
"I am a medicine cat. I don't only receive dreams and prophecies, but a simple feeling of foresight. I have had a feeling that you were going to be the root of something terrible in this Clan since the day that Frostclaw left you here." I was tempted to snort and dismiss his claim, but I paid close attention instead.
"But… all I've ever wanted to do was to be a good warrior… and a leader one day. I'm not going to do anything on purpose, right? I mean, I don't want to be remembered that way."
"No, likely not on purpose. Don't take my words too deeply, Stormpaw. I have another theory to explain my feelings, dreams, and visions."
"Can I hear it?" I asked. I wasn't sure if he was going to tell me, but it was worth a shot.
"I guess you have the right to know." He said. "Well, I got the clearest readings of the visions while I was watching all of you apprentices train. For clarification, that means Creampaw, Poppypaw, Darkpaw, Tinypaw, Blazepaw, and you of course." I still hasn't quite following. All this medicine cat stuff went straight over my head.
"What does that mean?" Speckleheart chuckled unexpectedly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"The darkness in ThunderClan that Heatherstar has become so paranoid over and that Nightkit is blamed for is coming in the form of one of the current apprentices."
"But non of my friends are evil!" I cried out, almost forgetting to keep down my tone. Speckleheart took his second deep breath of the conversation. Or was it the third?
"Rising storm. Rising as it not here yet, or just starting. It also mentions eyes. What does that make you think of? Don't tell me, just think it."
And I did. Two cats came to mind, both obviously not evil. In fact, they were the sweetest cats I knew. Blazepaw and Creampaw.
Blazepaw. The first thing I noticed about him was his eyes. I had even thought of them as stormy before this whole thing began! It wasn't him, that was for sure.
Creampaw. My sister, the brightest cat around. Her eyes were different colors. It wasn't her though, not my own flesh and blood.
"Now, Stormpaw. Think of darkness. The prophecy mentions shadows and darkness."
Darkpaw. Dark. It was in his name. He was commanding, but not evil. No way was he evil… I could trust him with my life.
"The past. What cat here has had troubles in the past?"
Me. Stormpaw. I remember nights laying alone where I would think of ways to kill my mom. I was water them down until they were so easy… so possible…
I finally pulled myself from my trace. I pushed my memories back into the deep chasm of my mind where they belonged.
"I need to go," I suddenly and nervously stated. "I want to go and see Blazepaw." I was like a robot. I wasn't really thinking, but my instincts told me to get out of there.
Speckleheart nodded his approval. "You're a smart cat, Stormpaw. Any breakthroughs with the prophecy would be lovely!" he shouted, suddenly light hearted, as I almost ran out.
Fresh air coursed through my fur. It felt so good. I gulped it down like a thirsty dog. Darkpaw took this as his signal to come back out of hiding.
"Stormy, you don't look too good… a little pale."
"I'm fine." I snapped, catching him off guard. He backed off.
"You've had a rough night. Spend some time with Blazepaw and I'll tell you the full extent of the damage later." I didn't respond.
A nice long chapter for all the loyal viewers for whom I am very, very grateful of. I would just like to briefly thank you all for sticking with this story for... thirteen chapters I think? Give or take. :) You make my writing worth it.