"Are you mad?" Tangnose growled, stopping his herb gathering to look at Puddlestrike.
"Think about it!" Puddlestrike yowled, "The twolegs are here! And they took Sproutpelt and his apprentice! The sand trail was like stars, Tangnose! Stars! Sound familiar? It should cause' it represents StarClan! StarClan is leading us to the sun-drown place!"
"You're an idiot." Tangnose grumbled, shaking his head.
Puddlestrike frowned, "If being an idiot means saving my Clan then I'm the biggest moron in Clan history." She realized it wasn't the best quote, but it was something.
Tangnose rolled his eyes and went back to digging herbs out by the root, "Tell me something I don't know."
Puddlestrike bristled. Why was Tangnose always like this? She flicked her ear, thinking of a reply.
"I'm going to the half-moon meeting with you." she announced.
Tangnose whipped around, tearing the precious burnet he was collecting, "What!?" He shoved his muzzle into Puddlestrike's face, "That meeting is for medicine cats only!" he growled, the burnet falling from his jaws.
"So? If the only thing you're going to do is shut me down I see no reason why I shouldn't!" Puddlestrike mewed indignantly.
Tangnose frowned, "I can't stop you, can I?"
Puddlestrike stood straighter and shook her head, "No."
Tangnose sighed and grabbed his burnet, not even saying goodbye to the ThunderClan deputy.
Puddlestrike watched him leave. As he disappeared into the oaks she sighed and her shoulders slumped. She was just an annoyance to everyone, wasn't she? Puddlestrike frowned. Why had she been made deputy anyway? Because she had one apprentice? What had Swanstar seen in her?
"Your hopeless Puddlepaw. What am I going to do with you?"
She closed her eyes, remembering her first mentor. He had died of greencough that leaf-bare and she was given a second mentor, who wasn't any better than he was.
"I said duck! Not roll Puddlepaw! Do you want to get killed in your first battle?"
Puddlestrike felt as if someone had clawed her nose.
"No." she mewed quietly.
"No. I am Puddlestrike! Deputy of ThunderClan! Yesterday I was given a prophecy and I know what it means. I'll do anything I can to ensure my Clans' safety!" she yowled. She looked at the sky, "Do you hear me? I'm Puddlestrike!" she yelled at the clouds, hoping her mentors could hear her from StarClan.
Soon, night came and casted shadows everywhere. Puddlestrike followed Whiptail and Tangnose to the Moonpool, her tail high and chin up. But as she neared the Moonpool and saw the other cats she could feel the confidence she had gained drain slowly. She tried to tell herself she could do this, but she just felt like a fish out of water now.
Firegorse, the WindClan medicine cat, raised a brow, "What's your deputy doing here?"
Petaltail gasped, "Oh dear! Is Swanstar dead?"
"No. Swanstar is fine as ever," Tangnose rasped, pushing past the medicine cats to get to the moonpool, "Puddlestrike just had a vision and claims that she knows what it means."
"A vision?" Lavenderpool asked, "What vision?"
Puddlestrike looked at all the medicine cats; some looked intrigued and others looked annoyed by Puddlestrike's presence. She took a breath in and exhaled, "My vision started like this…" she retold her dream exactly how she had told Swanstar and Whiptail and Tangnose. She made sure not to leave out one detail so that they could know all of it.
Ducktail blinked, "That is quite the dream. I have no doubt it's from StarClan." he mused. Ducktail had been the oldest medicine cat here. Tangnose hadn't even been born when he earned his full name! Puddlestrike was glad that he believed it was a prophecy.
"Yes, but what does it mean?" Petaltail asked.
"I have a theory," Puddlestrike mewed, "I believe that this prophecy means we have to leave the lake and go to the sun-drown place. I know-"
"Leave the lake!?" Firegorse growled, "Are you mad?"
"That's what I asked." Tangnose grumbled.
"Let me explain." Puddlestrike said calmly, trying not to let them get on her nerves, "The twolegs are already here. And they took Gravelpaw and Sproutpelt. How many more cats are going to be taken by them, hm? What if some of our clanmates switch Clans because they think it's too unsafe in their own territories? The sand trail shined like stars and I followed it. I found safety at the sun-drown place and I saw cats made of water on the endless lake. They were moving like a Clan. I even saw me and Swanstar! That has to mean something, does it not?"
The medicine cats all looked at eachother. Puddlestrike felt her breath get caught in her throat. What if they didn't believe her? What if they decided it was just a strange dream? What if… what if they were right?
Lavenderpool looked at her former mentor, Ducktail, "It's a possibility. We can't rule it out. I mean, all the evidence is there and it does make sense."
"The lake has been our home for centuries!" Petaltail wailed, "How can we leave it? The twolegs are bound to lose interest and leave. We've had none in ShadowClan."
"We have had none in RiverClan either but what Puddlestrike says makes sense." Troutwing mewed.
Whiptail licked his lips, "Perhaps we should consult StarClan? They might give us a clue tonight."
"Yes! Let's do what we came here to do before the sun rises." Firegorse mewed, seeming pleased.
"Wait." a small pale tabby mewed. Puddlestrike believed his name was Flintpaw.
Firegorse looked at his apprentice with a frown, "What now?"
"What if Puddlestrike shared dreams with StarClan too tonight? It would make sense." Flintpaw suggested.
Firegorse seemed not to like the idea but he looked at Ducktail, "What do you think, Ducktail?" Firegorse asked.
Ducktail shrugged, "I see no reason why she shouldn't." he rasped, settling down next to the Moonpool.
The other medicine cats did the same. Troutwing and Whiptail made room for Puddlestrike. She settled down next to them, dipping her head in gratitude to the medicine cats.
Puddlestrike watched as the medicine cats either touched their noses to the water or lapped at it.
The ThunderClan deputy hesitated before tentatively touching her nose to the water. She lifted her head immediately. The Moonpool was cold! She could feel an icy chill run through her entire body, making her shiver. She thought her nose would sting like in the leaf-bare but the cold sensation faded away and she could feel herself feeling drowsy all of a sudden. She yawned and closed her eyes, soon finding sleep.
When she opened her eyes, she was surrounded by a lush forest. Similar to ThunderClan but more… beautiful. Puddlestrike stood up and looked around, making a full circle to see her surroundings.
"Welcome, Puddlestrike."
Puddlestrike turned around to see a muscular brown tom. He had a black spot on his muzzle along with his paws and the very tip of his tail. Though his chin was white. His dark blue eyes held kindness and his many battles cars told courageous tales. The stars shined brightly across his pelt.
It was Beaverstamp.
Puddlestrike dipped her head, "B-Beaverstamp! I didn't expect to see you."
Beaverstamp walked up to her and pressed his muzzle on her forehead, "It is good to see you again, Puddelstrike."
He removed his muzzle and Puddlestrike looked up. She blinked. She had known Beaverstamp well enough. Perhaps not totally, they weren't buds or anything, but she respected him through and through.
"Come with me." Beaverstamp meowed, turning round and heading deeper into the forest. Puddlesrike rushed after him, soon falling right besides him step for step. She looked at the beech and oak trees. Their leaves were green as ever, unlike the ones back home which were all sorts of yellow and orange and red.
Beaverstamp sniffed, "You want to leave the lake?" he asked as he jumped over a root.
Puddlestrike stepped over the tree root, "No. I don't want to. But my vision. I don't know what else it could mean!"
Beaverstamp looked behind him and smiled warmly before racing through the trees. He seemed to zoom away from Puddlestrike faster than any cat she's ever seen.
"Wait! Come back!" Puddlestrike yowled. She raced after him.
She tripped over her paws clumsily and fell down. Quickly, she regained her balance and ran after the former deputy. Her pads began to burn after a while as she zoomed past more and more trees, but Beaverstamp was still ahead of her. She saw the trees thin and become further apart until she entered a clearing. She ran to the middle and looked around.
To her left, no Beaverstamp.
To her right she could see a brown face very close to it. She squealed with shock and almost fell backwards. She looked up at Beaverstamp with a huff, "Was that necessary?"
Beaverstamp flicked his tail, "This way." he mewed, heading for the trees again.
Puddlestrike sighed with annoyance and followed him into the woods.
It was a whole new forest when she took one step in. Instead of the lush green she had seen from the outside now she saw golden leaves like back in ThunderClan territory. But this wasn't ThunderClan, she knew it. Everything seemed more different. She looked over to Beaverstamp who was looking into the trees. Puddlestrike looked where he was staring and saw a small thrush pecking at some seeds.
All of a sudden, a grey tabby burst from the bush and landed square on the killed it quickly and lifted her head with pride in her blue eyes. It took a moment before Puddlestrike realized who this cat was.
It was her!
She saw Nutstripe appear from another side, "Nice catch!" he mewed.
The other Puddlestrike nodded and headed away, "Let's catch up with the rest of the patrol. You have your mice you caught?"
Nutstripe nodded and followed after the other Puddlestrike.
"What is this?" the real Puddlestrike asked.
Beaverstamp leaned into her ear, "The future. Go to the edge of the forest. I'll be there."
"What do yo-" she turned around to face Beaverstamponly to see he had disappeared. She frowned. Couldn't he just stay in one place?
She looked around and walked one way, unsure if she was going the right way. She looked around. This forest was filled with birch and oak. So similar to back home yet so different. She looked over to her right, seeing the trees thin there and went that direction.
Birdsong filled the air and prey scent was almost everywhere. It seemed like a paradise. Not one twoleg in sight either, thank the stars. As Puddlestrike broke through the trees she stood on a cliff and gasped.
Ahead she could see the setting sun, making the sky peach colored and red. But as it sunk below the horizon slowly, she saw it was drowning in the endless water. The sun-drown place. Salty air reached her lungs and it smelled welcoming and friendly. Beaverstamp walked up besides her, "Beautiful, isn't it?"
Puddlestrike nodded, "It is." She looked at the former deputy, "So, this is the future?"
Beaverstamp nodded, "Bring the storm to the place where the sun touches the water, Puddlestrike."
"The storm?" Puddlestrike repeated, "What's the storm?"
"What you should be asking is what makes up the storm." Beaverstamp mewed.
"I-I don't understand." Puddlestrike mewed. She looked at Beaverstamp to see his starry pelt fading, "Wait, where are you going?"
But Beaverstamp didn't reply, he kept on staring at the water, smiling until he was gone.
Puddlestrike looked over at the water, feeling more helpless now that Beaverstamp was gone. The sun was setting further and blue was covering the sky. She sighed and closed her eyes. Why did you leave, Beaverstamp? What do you mean by 'what makes up the storm'? She opened her eyes, finding the shore gone and an icy glow coming from the Moonpool.
She looked over to see Firegorse and Flintpaw already awake. Same with Troutwing. Troutwing looked at Puddlestrike as she stood up, "What did you see?" she asked.
"I saw Beaverstamp. He said to 'Bring the storm to the place where the sun touches the water.' I tried asking what he meant but then told me to ask myself what makes up the storm." Puddlestrike mewed.
"Do you know what makes up the storm?" Troutwing raised her brow.
Puddlestrike shook her head, "No. I don't."
Puddlestrike sat there in silence from the rest of it and went back to camp when Tangnose and Whiptail woke,not waiting for the meeting to end. As she headed for camp she looked at the sky and at the stars.
"Why don't you make anything easy?"