Thanks to every reviewer! Ninety reviews, wow! I couldn't have done it without you guys.
I've reached twenty chapters too, yay. Without your support I don't know if I could have gotten this far! :)
I hope you like the next chapter! :)
Disclaimer: May StarClan grant me to rights to Warriors? Cause I don't own Warriors. :(
Berrynose opened his eyes, willing Jayfeather's sudden disappearance to be only a mistake. ThunderClan has suffered so much in so little time already!
"Come on Berrynose."
The cream warrior was looking up into the eyes of Lionblaze. His pelt was bristling slightly, but in the tom's eyes Berrynose could see exhaustion and worry. Lionblaze didn't have to say another word. Berrynose shot up and trailed after Lionblaze as they exited the now empty warriors den.
Berrynose nearly choked on air as he came into the clearing. He knew that it must by around sun-high now, but you couldn't tell by looking at the sky. Gray and black storm clouds covered the typical bright blue heavens. In the distance, Berrynose could hear the sound of thunder, though it was hard to hear because of the howling winds that twisted through ThunderClan camp. It was the worst storm Berrynose had ever seen, and he had a feeling that it wasn't over yet. This is just the beginning.
Lionblaze took off towards the medicine cat's den, trying to spring through the fierce winds. Berrynose copied his movements, discovering it was harder than thought. His back legs pressed forcefully against the ground, which was quickly becoming more and more muddy as a light rain began to descend upon the camp.
Berrynose finally made it to the medicine cat's den, gasping as he emerged from the winds. He could see that ThunderClan was in here, huddled together in the back, where it was more sheltered. A few pelts were missing among the mass though, and Berrynose suddenly felt very afraid.
The cream warrior padded up to his littermate, Hazeltail, who eyed him with relief as he approached.
"Where are Firestar, Sandstorm, Daisy, Millie, Whitewing Icepool and the kits?" Berrynose whispered, not wanting to break the almost quiet. He couldn't imagine what he would do if they were dead.
"Firestar, Sandstorm, the kits and their mothers are all on the Highledge, in Firestar's den," murmured Hazeltail, flinching slightly as a huge thunderclap echoed into the den. Berrynose didn't even recoil at the noise. Shock rippled down his spine.
"What about Icepool?"
Hazeltail, who usually had no trouble with telling the truth, seemed to struggle for an answer. Berrynose pressed his face closer to hers.
"Please, Hazeltail," he pleaded, his heart aching at the thought that Icepool was gone forever. "Where is she?"
Hazeltail looked towards the entrance of the den, eyes widening at what she saw outside. Berrynose didn't turn around.
"Dovekit was missing when Whitewing woke up this morning," Hazeltail began. She gulped, as if trying to recall everything just right. "Firestar sent out a search party after no one could find her in camp. They searched from dawn till sun-high and didn't find a trace of her. They would have kept looking if these winds hadn't started up. They had to come back when there were strikes of lightning and sounds of thunder. Icepool was one of the cats that looked fro Dovekit. She never came back."
Berrynose tried to soak everything in. Dovekit, missing, search, storm, Icepool, never came back.
"Cats were going to go back out, to search for both of them, but it was too risky. You saw how hard it was just to walk across the clearing. They would have had to fight the storm through the whole forest."
Search, storm, Icepool, fight, forest.
"Jayfeather says he hasn't had any signs from StarClan, but it's difficult to say because he's so busy with all the injured cats. Thornclaw's on the brink of death. He might join StarClan by the end of the storm.
Storm, StarClan, Icepool, forest, injured.
"I'm going after her," Berrynose hissed looking up into Hazeltail's eyes. For a moment she opened her mouth as if to protest, but something seemed to dawn on her and she merely nodded, as if she knew that Berrynose needed to do this.
"I would go now, before the storm gets any worse," Hazeltail whispered, glancing to her sides. "Don't let any cat see you leave or they'll try and stop you."
Berrynose flicked his tail to let her know that he had heard her. His heart was racing but he knew that he had to find Icepool. He wasn't going to leave her, like he had Dustpelt.
"Thanks Hazeltail."
"May StarClan go with you."
Before he rethink what he was going to do, Berrynose turned and padded towards the medicine cats den wall. He followed the ferns and stone to the entrance, where rain lashed out at him.
Berrynose twisted once more and looked into the den. His Clan never looked so weak, yet so strong at the same time. The bonds that held each cat together strengthened ThunderClan, whether the ties were through family, friendship or even love. Berrynose knew that he held a link with Icepool, and he would die before he let that link be severed.
Hazeltail swished her tail, as if waving a goodbye to her littermate. One other cat, though, was also looking towards the cream warrior.
Jayfeather's sightless blue eyes gazed towards him. Berrynose knew that the medicine cat couldn't see, but he never felt so sure that the gray tom knew where he was and what he was about to do.
The wise, young cat nodded to Berrynose before he turned back to a cat that needed his help. The medicine cat's acceptance of what Berrynose was going to do seemed to send strength pumping through the cream cat's veins.
And with Icepool's image stuck in his head, Berrynose leaped out of the medicine cat's den and into the storm.
