Vampirepaw stretched and yawned, the vision of his dream hanging in the back of his head. The most prominent question was; why him? Why did Starclan pick him and his sister? Vampirepaw sighed, knowing this question would never be answered.
Vampirepaw knew he had to share this with someone, but what if they didn't believe him? What if they shunned him, called him a mouse-brain for even fathoming such an idea?
He thought for a minute, and then realized; if he were going to make this mission, he'd need Honeypaw and Adderpaw, but he needed them to swear they would never ever tell anyone. But, that'd be crazy. Imagine that; three apprentices gone missing for 5 moons, return with a whole clan of cats. He acknowledged the idea would be absolutely insane.
Vampirepaw blinked, realizing that he, Honeypaw and a larger gray-blue she-cat were the only apprentices left in the den. He tilted his head towards Honeypaw. "Where's Sandpaw? And Adderpaw?"
Honeypaw just shrugged; she's not much for conversation. In fact, Vampirepaw couldn't remember the last time she spoke to him. Maybe it'd been moons… or never… he shuddered.
Vampirepaw sighed, pulling himself out of his soft nest and into the sunny warmth of the clan camp. He blinked, spotting Gingerrush and walking over to zem.
"Where's Adderpaw? And Sandpaw?" He asked, wanting to find the 2 cats so he could share his plan with them and Honeypaw.
"Ah, I just sent them out for dawn patrol. What, you'd need them? I can go call them back here and send out another warrior to help." Zey smiled. Before Vampirepaw could answer, zey were out to go find the patrol. Vampirepaw watched zem go wordlessly.
Vampirepaw whipped his head around toward the medicine cat den, scrambling his way inside to grab some mouse bile; might as well do something productive while he waits. He turned, exiting the den and swiftly slipping into the elder's.
Farrowmelt, Brindlepool and Leopardflake sat in the den. Brindepool was enjoying a nice thrush with Farrowmelt, while Leopardflake let the sun soak into her gold pelt.
"Ah! Vampirepaw, you're here!" Brindlepool purred welcomingly through the thrust meat barricading her mouth. Farrowmelt stook his head up and nodded, not saying anything as he chewed.
"Finally!" Leopardflake groaned, "There's been a tick nagging me ALL DAY!" she hissed, clearly upset but teasing. Vampirepaw chuckled and then let his shoulders rest, as he began picking through the elders' pelts, dabbing any stray ticks or fleas with mouse bile to get them to let go.
By the time he was done, Gingerrush had returned with Adderpaw and Sandpaw, waving at Vampirepaw with zeir tail. "I found them, Vampirepaw!" Zey called out to Vampirepaw.
Vampirepaw nodded politely to Gingerrush and then scrambled up to Adderpaw and Sandpaw. "I need to meet you guys in the tunnel underneath the thunderpath. You guys go ahead, I need to grab Honeypaw too."
"Seriously? Dragged us all the way back here just to head back out?" Sandpaw groaned, half teasing half serious. Adderpaw just smiled and directed Sandpaw out behind him.
Vampirepaw turned, and then made his way slowly to the apprentices den, where Honeypaw was resting. As he approached the nest his sister slept in, he carefully reached out a paw and prodded her in the side twice. Honeypaw snapped awake, turning to face Vampirepaw.
"Oh. Hey, Vampirepaw. What do you need?" Honeypaw yawned, shaking her fur of any remains of sleep.
"I need you to come with me. To the tunnel… underneath the thunderpath." Vampirepaw meowed, giving her a second to wake herself up.
"Ah. Alright… Let's go before I decide to head back to sleep." Honeypaw purred, stretching out her tired limbs, before following Vampirepaw out to the exit of camp. Vampirepaw smiled at Honeypaw. Since the she-cat didn't talk much, it was nice to hear her voice once in a while.
Once the two apprentices finally reached the thunderpath tunnel, Sandpaw and Adderpaw were quietly conversing about prey in Shadowclan, and how well it's been since they expanded their hunting grounds.
"Oh! Vampirepaw!" Sandpaw meowed, sounding happy to see him. "You finally arrived! I was just about to leave, thought you were pulling a prank on us." They chuckled, but the way their expression looked made it seem like they were serious; wouldn't be surprising.
Adderpaw gave a nice nod towards Honeypaw and Vampirepaw, before speaking, "Hello, Vampirepaw! Honeypaw!" He smiled warmly. Honeypaw just nodded in response, seeming to go back to being silent.
"Ok, now, small and mighty," Sandpaw began. "Tell us what we're here for or else I'm gonna go out and hunt.
Vampirepaw sighed. "As impatient as ever, Sandpaw…" He muttered, and the taller apprentice just chuckled. "Okay, so, you guys know the large patch of territory next to four-trees? The unclaimed one next to the twoleg nests?" He meowed. The 3 other apprentices watched him for a moment in silence, and he began to think he said something dumb, but then Honeypaw began to nod, signalling they were all waiting for him to continue.
"W-well, I had a vision… or- a dream, from Starclan, last night… It was from Fangriver-" Before Vampirepaw could continue, Sandpaw errupted.
"Fangriver?! Seriously?!" Sandpaw exclaimed, their pale yellow fur spiking up. "That no good former deputy left us for moons on an adventure that he didn't tell anyone about!"
Honeypaw, Adderpaw and Vampirepaw looked at Sandpaw in shock, but Adderpaw looked more confused than shocked. "What's so special about him? If he just got up and left us for no reason, why would he send a vision to Vampirepaw? Now, hush up! Let's hear!"
Sandpaw looked surprised at the smaller tom's defense, and sat back down, their fur smoothening. Vampirepaw felt flushed at Adderpaw's words, his pelt feeling hot all of a sudden.
"Thank you, Adderpaw…" Vampirepaw murmured, before clearing his throat and continuing. "My dream was from Fangriver. He… he told me that me, Honeypaw and Adderpaw needed to find Thunderclan, a supposed missing, driven away clan, that he died trying to find…and I think that large patch of territory is this supposed Thunderclan."
"Wait, wait, wait… he asked for you, Honeypaw and Adderpaw. What does this have to do with me, for Starclan's sake!?" Sandpaw exclaimed.
Vampirepaw purred warmly. "Well, that's exactly where you come in… we need an experienced apprentice to show us how to fend off attackers and find prey easier! And, of course, we can always get a warrior, too, just incase."
Sandpaw looked confused at first, before sighing. "Of course, you'd make a mousebrain idea like that, Vampirepaw." They teased, before adding, "Fine. I guess I can come."
Vampirepaw smiled warmly, happy to hear the apprentice would be coming along. Vampirepaw quickly turned to Honeypaw and Adderpaw, before speaking; "Well, will you two be coming with us?"
"Of course I will!" Adderpaw eagerly responded, almost instantly. Vampirepaw smiled at his enthusiasm, before turning to Honeypaw, who looked anxious. Honeypaw glanced up at Vampirepaw, her leaf-y green gaze tinted by nervousness. Vampirepaw held her gaze for a second, an almost eerie silence falling upon the group.
Honeypaw opened her mouth to speak, looking around at the other 3 anxiously. "I-I… it's not like I don't want to come… I just… I'd love to go with you guys! It sounds awesome, and it'd totally be fun to go explore the world… but… I also feel like I…" Honeypaw stammered out her words, glancing around, nervous.
"I won't be mad if you don't want to come, Honeypaw. I'm sure Adderpaw and Sandpaw wouldn't either…" Vampirepaw meowed. Sandpaw nodded to show that they agreed with Vampirepaw.
"No! Vampirepaw! That's not what I'm saying…" Honeypaw squeaked out in response, barely more than a whisper. "I'm… scared. I don't want to get attacked by foxes, o-or to leave Ferntumble…"
"Oh… you're worried about… mom…?" Vampirepaw finally understood. Honeypaw doesn't want to leave mom, incase something bad happens. Vampirepaw sighed. "Listen, Honeypaw, Shadowclan would never let anything bad happen to mom. If anything, mom would kill anyone who even laid a single claw on her." Vampirepaw reassured her.
Honeypaw glanced at Vampirepaw, her gaze more calmed now. "A-Are you sure, Vampirepaw? Mom will really be f-fine without us?" Honeypaw asked, shakily. Vampirepaw smiled at her.
"100% sure, Honeypaw." Vampirepaw purred warmly, when a yawn from Sandpaw broke his attention away from his younger sister.
"Uh, hello, mousebrains? We're still here." Sandpaw meowed, batting Vampirepaw on the head lightly with their tail. "So, when are we heading out?" They questioned, Adderpaw waiting eagerly for an answer beside them.
Vampirepaw looked at the two, thinking for a moment. "How about…" He began to think. "...Moonhigh. Tonight." Vampirepaw meowed. Sandpaw and Adderpaw nodded, but Honeypaw hesitated for a second, before nodding.
"We should head back now, before Gingerrush sends out a search patrol to come find us." Adderpaw meowed. He was joking, but also, that probably is what would happen. Sandpaw waved his tail to the other apprentices, signalling for them to follow them back to camp. Honeypaw was the first to comply, seemingly happy to head back. Vampirepaw and Adderpaw scrambled after.
Moonhigh… Tonight… Vampirepaw thought, rethinking what he'd said. That means no cat will know where we've gone… or why… Vampirepaw walked, not focusing on if he was on the right track or not.
It's for the best.
Vampirepaw woke up to a sharp jab in his side. "Ow!" He yelped, before his mouth was quickly covered by a paw. Vampirepaw glanced over in the dark, just barely making out the light yellow pelt of Sandpaw.
"Shhh! Hush!" Sandpaw hissed quietly. "We're trying to be sneaky, remember?" The nonbinary apprentice reminded him. Vampirepaw had completely forgotten about the plan to leave and find Thunderclan.
Vampirepaw nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, I remember! Sorry… must've fallen asleep…" He murmured. Sandpaw rolled their eyes, before turning to the entrance.
"I'm gonna meet up with you guys outside. Go get Honeypaw and Adderpaw!" They whispered. Before Vampirepaw could object, they turned and ducked for the camp entrance, slipping out and into the forest. Vampirepaw sighed.
"Just my luck…" Vampirepaw hissed to himself, turning towards where Honeypaw slept in the apprentice's den. Vampirepaw slid past the sleeping apprentices, pausing just above Honeypaw. He gave Honeypaw a small nudge, not to startle the sleeping she-cat.
Honeypaw's green eyes flicked awake, glaring at Vampirepaw, tired. "Oh. Hey, Vampirepaw…" Honeypaw yawned and stretched.
"Hey, Honeypaw. Uh, we're about to leave soon… so-" Vampirepaw was cut off.
"OH! I completely forgot!" Honeypaw squeaked quietly. "Uh- Where are we meeting up?"
"Just outside the camp entrance. Sandpaw's waiting for you. I'll be there in a second, I need to get Adderpaw." Vampirepaw replied. Sandpaw nodded, and then walked off. Vampirepaw turned to Adderpaw, the apprentice snoring super loudly in his sleep. Vampirepaw carefully stepped around the other apprentices, and neatly jabbing Adderpaw in the side to wake up the smaller tom-cat.
Adderpaw's eyes snapped wide open, and he jumped up immediately, like he'd never been asleep. "Vampirepaw!" He blinked, his mouth opening in a gaping yawn. "You scared me!"
"Eheh, sorry, but keep it down!" Vampirepaw snapped quietly. "We're trying to not get caught, mousebrain! Now, c'mon!" Adderpaw nodded his apology, and scampered away after Vampirepaw to the camp entrance.
Vampirepaw and Adderpaw slipped out of the camp, greeted by Honeypaw and Sandpaw, sitting side by side, chatting quietly.
"Finally! Jeez, you guys are slow! Let's start heading already-" Sandpaw groaned, getting cut off by Adderpaw.
"Wait, wait, wait! How do we know where we're going just yet? Shouldn't Vampirepaw tell us first?" Adderpaw brought up. Sandpaw sighed before turning to Vampirepaw.
"Alright, Mr. Prophetic Dreams," Sandpaw teased. "Tell us. Where do we start heading first?" They asked, sandy yellow tail flicking side to side behind them.
"Uh… Well… First…" Vampirepaw started, his mind completely rushing to remember where the cats in his dream were going. He turned around a couple times, scanning the area. Sandpaw waited, watching Vampirepaw with intent amber eyes. Suddenly, everything seemed to come back to him. "Highstones! Yeah, highstones…" Vampirepaw chuckled. "I remember Fangriver said Thunderclan was spread beyond highstones…"
"Well, that settles it. Highstones, here we come!" Sandpaw chuckled. "Last one to highstones is a rotten mouse!" Then, Sandpaw took off. Vampirepaw ran after without a single word, letting out a giggle into the night as Adderpaw and Honeypaw followed after.
It felt nice to be free, to not have to be restrained in the camp. I feel so wild! So free! Like a real warrior! Vampirepaw thought, not noticing his paws running faster, so he slipped past Sandpaw and into the lead.
"I'm gonna get you!" Adderpaw meowed in a singing like teasing tone as he reared up on Sandpaw. Sandpaw smiled.
"Like Starclan you will!" Sandpaw responded, tossing themself towards Vampirepaw, quickly gaining the lead. Honeypaw was still running to keep up, her smaller frame making it harder for her to keep up but she was able to dodge tall things that Sandpaw and Vampirepaw couldn't.
"This is the best thing I've felt in a while!" Honeypaw exclaimed from the back. Vampirepaw agreed with her, and by their expressions, it looked like Sandpaw and Adderpaw agreed too.
Who knew a prophetic adventure could be so fun?
