LakeStream- Thank you! Here is an update! Ha ha, guess what? I am really bad at typing today so I had about five spelling, no make that six, never mind seven typing errors. I can usually type, but not today XD
Pikachudragon- Hee hee Yessssss. Poor Ashwhisker is getting in the way :( XD
ScipioPB- Yeah, Ashwhisker is kind of like that sometimes...
CandyHeart13- LONG REVIEW YAY! Sorry, I love long reviews. I want to read a Midsummer's Night Dream (Along with the million other books I want to read X3) and love squares exist? I feel accomplished now. Not really XD. And thank you so much for the awesome review! That is the nicest one I have ever received in a while! :D That made me so happyyyyyyyyyyy!
Stream That Flows Around Rock- Rainpetal it is! I just randomly thought of -song because of Echosong from Firestar's Quest. I will definitely consider that ending. That would be sweet :D And I LOVE long reviews, have no idea why, but I just do ;)
ZM- I GET IT YESSSSSSSSSSSSS THE MOUNTAIN MWA HA HA I GET IT!
DarkWolfScourge- Yeah, I am reading that story too. I did not intend it to be similar to that, I just thought of an idea off the top of my head (Which I do like every day and forget half of them XD) and about halfway through I realized it was sort of similar, sooooooooo yeahhhhhh oops... X3
Dawnlight25- :D Yay! Oh my gosh yes he is *grins mischievously* Poor Stormpaw. And Ashwhisker! They will both be so angryyyyyyyyyy. And poor Rainpaw too! X3
Amberflame805- INTENSENESS MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Sorry, I think I ate too many tomatoes. MWA HA HA HA HA HA... XD Thank you!
GUESS WHAT GUYS?! I AM SO EXCITED I CAN HARDLY SPELL! THIS STORY IS IN A COMMUNITY! AHHHH! IT IS CALLED GREAT WARRIOR STORIES AND I AM FREAKING OUT OH MY GOSH! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Okay I am D-O-N-E now with my freaking-out-ness. But beware... It will happen later... maybe...
Chapter 16
"Rainpaw! Stormpaw! Slow down!" Thrushpaw could hear their excited mews far ahead, quickly growing distant and signaling that they were paying no attention. He sighed, and turned to Lilypaw. "Want to catch up with them?"
She nodded, and they both dashed after them, much to the exasperation of the warriors.
"Rainpaw." Thrushpaw panted as he slowed to a halt. His sister was standing stone-still, her gaze caught on the mountains. "What are you doing?"
She didn't turn to look at him. "Do you see them?"
"See what?"
"The mountains, you mouse-brain. What else?"
"Of course I see them!"
Rainpaw turned around and fixed him with intense blue eyes. "But do you really see them?"
Thrushpaw shifted his paws, unsure what Rainpaw was talking about.
"Ooooh! I see them! I see them!" Lilypaw squealed. She was bouncing on her paws, her fluffy gray fur fluffed up. "They're so pretty! And cold! can you feel that draft?"
Stormpaw nodded. "It chills me right to the bone. The Tribe is definitely getting their fair share of leaf-bare."
Rainpaw shoved him. "Are you serious? I love the cold!"
He flicked her with his tail. "I know, I love the cold too, but sometimes I wish it was warmer."
Lilypaw sighed. "Are we going to stand around here discussing the weather or what? I want to explore!"
"So do I," Stormpaw answered, "but we have to wait for the others."
As if his words had summoned them, Thrushpaw heard a thundering of paws and caught words of, "Confounded apprentices," and, "Stupid furballs," with a touch of, "I hope they're okay! We're near the mountains so there could be rogues out. And wolves. And all sorts of danger. What if they're dead?!"
Soon they broke free of the undergrowth, two or three of them eyes huge with worry and the others bristling with annoyance. Pigeonfeather ran up to the cluster of apprentices and circled around them. "You're not dead!"
Silentshade sighed. "I told you, I told you. They would be fine."
"We didn't know that for sure!" Pigeonfeather protested.
Rushingwind pushed to the front. "What were you thinking?!" He hissed. Stormpaw backed away, eyes wide.
"I'm sorry-"
"'Sorry' catches no prey! Who knows what could have been out here, in hostile grounds and all. Just be more careful in the future."
"Just be more careful in the future,"
The words rang in Rainpaw's ears and she heaved herself up yet another ledge. "Yeah right," She muttered, reaching for the next pawhold. She felt her hind paws slip and she gripped harder to the stony surface. They had started up the mountains a while ago, and now they were about halfway up, scaling a cliff. "Not my idea of a nice climb." Rainpaw muttered again, remembering what Flowerstem had told the apprentices. "Who's up for a nice little stroll up the mountain?"
"Nice little stroll indeed."
"Rainpaw, hurry up!" Rainpaw sighed and looked up. The entire group stood, watching her. They had all chosen easier routes, and now she was the last one on the cliff face, but she had almost reached the top.
"I'm coming!" She pulled herself up, muscles aching. Soon she had reached the top.
"Let's go." Rushingwind meowed.
"Rainpaw!" She snapped out of her drowsiness and pushed herself to her paws. The stars shone brightly again in the sky, illuminating the snow around her. "Rainpaw."
She turned around, spotting Stormpaw a few tail-lengths away. He beckoned her with his tail.
Rising to her paws and gingerly padding over the snow, she asked, "What?"
Stormpaw lashed his tail anxiously. "Follow me!" Without another word, he dashed up the small hollow they were sheltering in and disappeared at the top.
Rainpaw darted out after him, careful not to disturb snow so the sleeping cats would not wake.
They loped up a slope, cutting around the edge of a small wood, and halted by a rising mound of snow and rock. Stormpaw dropped to a crouch, Rainpaw doing the same. Together they slowly crept up the mound, and Rainpaw bit back a yowl of shock.
They had arrived at the waterfall and cave, but that was not what had startled Rainpaw. Blood and fur littered the area in front of them. Churned up grass and scattered pebbles showed signs of a struggle, and dark clouds hung directly over the mountain. A log, chilling mournful yowl echoed from the cave.
Rainpaw turned to look at her friend, eyes filled with horror. "We're too late."
"The rogues attacked!" Stormpaw yowled as he and Rainpaw whisked down the hollow.
At once Rushingwind leaped to his paws, followed by Shauna and Willow. "Where are they?!"
"At the waterfall!"
Rushingwind narrowed his eyes. "You were there?"
Stormpaw paced anxiously, flicking his tail. "There's no time for that. The rogues have gone, but the Tribe is injured!"
By now all the cats were up and alert, fur bristling.
Willow nervously peered out of the hollow. "Are we going to attack?"
Shauna sighed. "I hope we aren't, not yet. We'll need more help than this."
Rushingwind bounded to the top of the hollow. "We leave to go to the Tribe at once!" He announced.
Stormpaw fluffed out his fur, dashing out after him with Rainpaw by his side. The patrol gathered around them, and as one they thundered out of the hollow and to the Tribe, Moss and Hawk in the lead.
"Thank you for coming," A light brown tabby she cat meowed. According to Flowerstem, she was called Stoneteller.
Rushingwind dipped his head. "You are welcome. It is good to see you again, Stoneteller. You were a To-be the last time I saw you."
She sighed. "Sometimes I wish I still was. It's hard to lead a Tribe in the midst of a battle."
Rainpaw backed away and spotted Moss and Hawk touching noses with their denmates. She bounded up to Stormpaw and Willow and meowed, "Let's go say hi to the To-bes."
Stormpaw nodded. "Good idea." He took the lead, Rainpaw and Willow close on his tail.
Soon they came upon a group of five, young cats chattering excitedly and casting glances at the Clan cats.
A ragged black tom jumped up. "Hey, I'm Scratch." He introduced.
"I'm Wing." meowed a light gray she-cat.
"My name is Flower, shortened, of course, and this is my sister Leap." A light brown she cat pointing her tail to a speckled white she cat.
"Wolf." A gray tom mewed cooly, twitching his ears. Rainpaw noticed that all of them bore scratches, a few of them still bleeding.
Stormpaw dipped his head. "I'm Stormpaw. This is Rainpaw, and this is Willow," He added, flicking his tail at each of them in turn.
Rainpaw lifted one tortoiseshell paw and licked it, drawing it over her ears. The fur around them was sticking up, uncomfortably ruffling around her head. The apprentices and To-bes lingered uncertainly around each other, not sure what to say now that they had been introduced. "So, how's the prey running-" Rainpaw started, but was cut off at Stoneteller's yowl.
"Everyone, sleep well tonight. We are posting two guards at each guarding place. Slope, Rush, go by the Flat-Rock. Bright and Spike, go to the Cave Entrance. Call and Flame, would you..."
Rainpaw drowned out the she-cat's meow and padded over to Flowerstem. "Where will we sleep?"
Flowerstem pointed her muzzle at a section of the cave where the wall had formed a small cleft and a few dips in the ground dotted the area. "That's where the To-bes sleep. Gather the apprentices and go over there."
Rainpaw nodded and bounded back over, calling Thrushpaw, Streampaw, Graypaw, and Lilypaw along the way. Stormpaw and Willow had already settled in the scrapes, and the other apprentices wove amongst them and curled up, softly whispering.
Rainpaw pushed past Graypaw, leaping up a ledge. Stormpaw opened his eyes the tiniest bit, shining green at her. She blinked at him, then backed behind a large rock. Rainpaw wanted to sleep alone tonight, without her Clanmates and friends. Finding a small pathway, she carefully picked her way along it until she reached the cave entrance. From where she was sitting, she could look out and see the waterfall and stars, while staying hidden behind a column of rock.
She curled up in a circle and rested her tail on her nose, listening to the roaring of the waterfall as it cascaded down the mountain before falling into sleep, deep and reassuring.
Stormpaw was padding along a ledge, overlooking the vast mountains and valleys. Tiny snowflakes sprinkled his paws, falling out of the light gray clouds that stretched as far as the eye could see. He tried to peer past two mountains that rose up together, but the distance was lost in the gray.
Suddenly light began to slowly build between the mountains, and the sun slowly rose, turning the clouds around it pink, red, and orange.
Captivated by the beautiful sunrise, Stormpaw stood still, his gaze fixated on the horizon. It was not till he felt a tap on his shoulder he turned around, and found a small silver tabby she cat standing in front of her. Her eyes shone with concern. "Wake up, Stormpaw." She mewed. "You're dreaming."
Stormpaw felt defensive. "Why do I have to wake up?"
The she cat sighed. "Your friends are in trouble."
With that, Stormpaw snapped awake, fear throbbing in his veins. He sniffed the air and listened for a fight, but sensed none.
Grumbling, he settled down again. What trouble? It's as quiet as a mouse down there.
Suddenly a shriek split the air. "Someone! Help me!"
It was Rainpaw.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I left a cliffhanger! XD If I leave cliffies, it's mostly because I'm trying to give the readers something to look forward to. Yay!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Shout out to Silverwillow of the Freljord for getting the quote right~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remember the rogues who attacked ThunderClan earlier in the story? I wonder who they are, hmm? Oh, and the trouble Rainpaw is in is not what you will expect...
Please review! ;)
