Chapter 21
Do you all remember Storm, that kit who escaped the dying LeafClan long ago? I am tying her story to the plot now, so that questions can be answered.
This was it. Storm was no longer a kit, traveling through the open moor and mountains. Countless moons and seasons had past, and they were not friendly to the now-elderly she-cat. A long scar, now faded white and furless, trailed from below her left eye to the base of her tail, left from a fox she had fought long ago. The tips of both her ears were torn, and the gash in her side had reopened.
No matter how she tried, no one had accepted her. She found a group of cats in the mountains moons ago, but she was younger then, and too prideful to accept their ways of life. Later on, she discovered that SnowClan had also disbanded. A few straggling cats let her stay with them for a few moons, but in the leaf-bare most of them had died of green-cough or white-cough. Even her last resort, the Twolegs, let her suffer in the snow-covered fields.
Now, in the scorching heat of leaf-green, her pelt burned to the skin. Bright sunlight pelted her fur and face, blinding her. Even when she closed her eyes, she could see burning red splotches. It seemed as if the sun had set ablaze the grasslands around her. Waves of heat swirled into the air, blurring her vision. Even the smallest amount of movement she made caused her muscles to scream out in pain.
She climbed forward, reaching a small boulder in the middle of the tall grasses. Storm took a deep breath, crouching down for a moment before leaping into a lopsided flight to the top of the rock. Gasping for breath, Storm rolled onto her side to bask in the sun. Time had not been kind to the she-cat, and now that she was so old her body didn't work as well as it once did. Storm began licking her ragged pelt in long strokes, clearing away dirt and grime. It was the least she could do as she rested.
This place, after countless season of traveling, seemed oddly familiar. The grasses and rocks had a scent that had lost itself in her mind since she was apprentice-aged. Maybe it was in the wind, or left in the forests near here, a scent of her kit-hood. Finally she understood. It was LeafClan.
Storm's heart jumped with joy. Her home, her family and friends that had been killed and scattered moons and seasons ago. Could they still be here? No, it couldn't be true. Maybe it was something left here that kept it distinguished from normal grasslands, only a few cats that survived. She had to stay strong, and not let those memories catch up. But weak as she was, they came, flooding her mind.
In her mind's eye, Storm saw everything. She saw the delicate figure of Lightkit as they tried to escape through the snow together, her sister falling behind. She had tried to help, but fragile Lightkit had perished. She remembered her father, dying at the claws of SnowClan warriors moons before the mountain lion had attacked; she remembered her mother clenched in the lion's jaws. Her mind kept flashing back, until it finally rested on one morning.
(Back in time...)
"Swifkit,pass me the moss!" Lightkit whined.
"Never!" Swiftkit mewed, taunting her sister.
Lightkit raced across the nursery, charging towards her sister at full speed. At only a tail-length away, she launched herself forward, tackling her sister. Swiftkit rolled the best she could with her sister on top of her, tossing their ball of moss out of reach. Automatically, Lightkit followed the ball, leading her a ways out of the den.
"You really shouldn't tease her," Swiftkit's mother, Mistfeather, said, staring straight at Lightkit. "She isn't nearly as strong as you."
"Y-yes mother, I'll stop." Swiftkit hung her head, observing the stone floor untill her mother spoke again.
"You should go play with Larkkit and Dovekit. They are more competitive than your little sister."
Swiftkit nodded, rising onto her paws. She padded out of the nursery, a stone cave at the bottom of the camp. On the ther side of the clearing, by the medicine cat's den, she noticed Larkkit and Dovekit braking away from a heated play-battle. It looked as if Larkkit had won, but no one could be sure. Kit fights were not of any concern to anyone, and bragging rights just made winners annoying.
"Hey, can I play?" asked Swiftkit, stepping closer. She watched the two sisters exchange a glance, then speak.
"Sure, Swiftkit!" mewed Dovekit. "You can be the invading SnowClan warriors, and we can attack as LeafClan!"
"But that's not fair!" protested Swiftkit. "You have two warriors and I am only one."
"You could go get Lightkit," suggested Larkkit.
Swiftkit hesitated for a moment. As much as she loved her sister, Lightkit wasn't a warrior at heart. Everyone knew she wanted to be a medicine cat, and Lightkit hated fighting. But a play-fight wouldn't do any harm. Maybe Lightkit might learn to enjoy herself for a change, instead of following around the medicine cat, Ambertail, around all the time.
She dashed over to where Lightkit had run to when grabbing the moss ball. Not seeing her sister, Swiftkit checked the nursery, only finding the queens and Ravenkit asleep inside. She must be with Ambertail again, Swiftkit thought, dashing over to the medicine den. She slowly padded into the dark tunnel, pricking her ears up as voices echoed off the walls. The tunnel led forward, almost endless, until at last the tunnel opened into a spacious cavern.
Light dots the floor, spilling from small cracks in the walls and ceiling. Swiftkit continued, seeing the outlines of the tall medicine cat and her tiny sister. Ambertail's tail swept back and forth, flashing bright orange when touching the patches of sunlight, then black again. Lightkit was calm and poised, her light cream and white fur glowing slightly in flecks of the light. Her name did fit her, showing not even her light fur, but her optimistic personality and willingness to help.
"Now, Lightkit," Ambertail whispered, "that was enough for today. Go outside and play."
"But I want to learn more about the herbs!" Lightkit whined.
"There will be time for that when you are an apprentice," Ambertail answered. Seizing her chance, Swiftkit stepped forward, addressing her sister.
"Hey Lightkit, do you want to come play with me, Larkkit, and Dovekit?"
Both she-cats whipped around, Lightkit a little frightened. "S-sure," stuttered Lightkit. "Bye Ambertail!"
Lightkit and Swiftkit left the den, laughing as they dashed out and into the clearing. But something wasn't right. There were no cats out, milling around the clearing or sharing tongues. Everything was drowned in a silence that made the fur on the back of Swiftkit's neck rise in fear.
Through the top of the camp came the unearthly creature, a cat of a size too large to be natural. It's yellow fangs dripped saliva in long stands that touched the bottom of the clearing. Swiftkit froze in her place, not letting the lion notice her, but Lightkit was not so smart. She let out a shriek of fear.
The mountain lion turned its head, bright yellow eyes focusing on the apprentices. With a single bound, the lion made it to the bottom of the camp. "Lightkit! We need to go back to Ambertail! Now!" Swiftkit whispered to her sister. She followed the lion with her eyes, watching as it came closer. They needed to escape.
(Back in the present...)
Storm broke herself away from reliving that day. She knew how it ended. The lion came after her and her sister, who witnessed as it killed so many. Ambertail showed them through a secret tunnel that branched off from the one that led to her den, and wished them luck as they escaped. Her mother, the leader, Silverstar, and many others fought to defend their home. Few survived.
But now that scent, the one of her home, was back. They had been rebuilt. She could feel it in her heart. She was home, and she would find a way to be accepted back.
"Graymist, come quick!" Quickpaw called.
The gray she-cat appeared from the tall grasses, tail flicking back and forth. "What is it?"
"I think there is a cat over there, on that rock!"
Graymist tasted the air for a moment. "I think you are right. Go get the rest of the patrol, in case this cat attacks."
Quickpaw raced off, light on his paws, through the seemingly endless grass. His sister, Runningpaw, and himself had taken their warrior assesment earlier with their mentors. Both had done well, catching prey and battling like true warriors. But, even after doing so well, the shortage of warriors at the moment meant that they still had to patrol and hunt. With Aquakit missing, Snowfeather had taken her warrior duties back, but since she had been in the nursery for so long, had to work on training for a few sunrises.
The green tips of branches began to dot the sky above him, soon completely covering the forest floor in shade. The grass faded into the short undergrowth beneath his paws. Up ahead, in their training hollow, sat Runningpaw with her mentor, Eaglestripe, and Firestorm. A pile with several pieces of fresh-kill sat in the center of the shaded clearing, still there after the apprentices' assessment.
"All of you, come quick! Graymist and I found a cat near the border!" Quickpaw mewed. The warriors leaped to their feet, Runningpaw trailing behind as Quickpaw led them out of the clearing and back into the open field. Sunlight blazed across the scorched grass, the tips of the grass beginning to whither.
Quickpaw ran at the front of the group, eager to get back to Graymist and the mysterious cat. Today seemed almost too good to be true for the young tom. First he passed his assignment, so he could be a warrior as soon as Boulderstar and the others returned, then her found a new cat!
I wonder if she wants to become a warrior, Quickpaw thought. We could surely use a few more.
Soon, the boulder where they had found the she-cat came into view. Quickpaw slowed the patrol, padding silently closer. The others came close to Graymist, who then began to speak.
"Everyone, this is Storm. We found her over here just a few minutes ago, and she has quite an interesting story for us."
"Yes, thank you Graymist." The she-cat nodded to the deputy. "See, long ago, when I was only a kit, I lived in the original LeafClan. It may seem like forever ago now, but I saw everything from a normal day in camp to a mountain lion destroy the camp and kill so many. I was hoping that I could come back, and maybe my wisdom could help guide the Clan."
"Woah! You were in LeafClan?" shouted Runningpaw. "I thought that was a long time ago!"
"Well," Storm chuckled, "I doubt any of you were even born when it happened. See, our medicine cat, Ambertail, helped my sister, Lightkit, and I to escape. Lightkit didn't last long, but here I am now, back at last."
"Wait, didn't you have a Clan name though?" asked Quickpaw, curious about the new cat.
Storm sighed heavily. "Yes. A long time ago, before Lightkit died, I was known as Swiftkit."
"Swiftkit," Quickpaw let the name melt into his mind. "I like that name."
She laughed again, her old eyes sparkling, but still dulled with remaining memories and heart ache. "What are your names then?"
"I'm Quickpaw!" Quickpaw mewed.
"It rather fits you too," replied Storm.
Graymist introduced the others, showing Storm who was who with a flick of her tail. "These are Firestorm, Runningpaw, and Eaglestirpe."
"It is a pleasure to meet you all."
"Well," Firestorm meowed, "we have to grab our fresh kill. Graymist, we can meet you back at camp. Come on!"
Quickpaw waved his tail in good-bye to Storm, following his mentor back the way they had come. The sun had begun its decent into the mountains, finally letting the ground cool off. They soon reached the training clearing, with its tall trees shading their pile of fresh-kill.
Quickpaw grabbed two birds in his jaws, feeling a heavy weight suddenly fall onto his back. He whipped his head around, only to find that it was Firestorm, draping prey across his pelt so he wouldn't have to come back to get more. He stumbled over to the entrance, Runningpaw already leaving before him with three mice in her mouth and a squirrel on her back. Their mentors followed, each carrying prey as well. The apprentices had certainly worked hard to earn their warrior names, and tonight, the Clan would feast.
Graymist led Storm over the grassy prairie to the LeafClan camp. She was unsure what to do now, without Boulderstar there to help her. The past sunrises hadn't felt the same without him there to lead the Clan. She was doing a fine job, but Quickpaw and Runningpaw were expecting a ceremony tonight, when he wasn't there to do it. Aquakit had been missing for almost a quarter-moon, and, truth to be told, she needed a break from the stress.
She shook the thoughts away. There was something else, reasons she wanted him to come home. It wasn't just the stress, it was something else. No, this couldn't be happening. Was she really feeling this way? Graymist sighed. She knew this would happen sooner or later. She was in love.
GASP! Please review! I'll have the next chapter up soon, don't worry.