Chapter 4
BushClan / Tumbleheart
Outside the snow whirled about, kicking up in flurries as her pale green eyes watched for danger. Her paws fixed beneath her as she crouched, looking over the blue-gray and white tom that had a small whistle in his snore. Gently, she moved, looking to Icepaw, the apprentice was deep asleep, her paws twitching as she dreamed. She glanced to the entrance, waiting for the medicine cat to return. Afraid that if she left without being dismissed she could be in serious trouble.
Slowly, the howling wind died back down, the outside world was covered in white. The snow must be deep since it was taking so long for Poppyclaw to come back. Soon, she spotted the dark ginger paws of the medicine cat. He was digging through the snow to make a path to his den better. He slipped inside, shaking off excess clumps of powdery snow roughly. She relaxed, feeling better to have someone else who was awake.
"Tumbleheart, you are free to go now." the medicine cat meowed to her.
She nodded gratefully, getting up to stretch her limbs. "Thanks, I'm glad I was able to help."
"So am I." He replied, padding over to check on Bubblekit and Icepaw.
Tumbleheart watched for a moment before heading back out into the snow. Once she reached the outside world, she was stunned. The clouds covered the sky and the clearing was covered in fresh snow. She blinked owlishly, the other cats came out of the dens where they had been hiding. Their eyes wide at the aftermath of the strange storm.
"What in StarClan happened?" Foxgaze meowed, glancing around wildly.
"Must have been one of those Wild Storms." Pigeonstream answered.
"Wild Storms?" Tumbleheart echoed, confused as she approached the others. "What's that?"
"It's when the clouds release their loads and the winds pick up. They release all of it in a short, but mighty storm. Hence the name: Wild Storms." the sleek gray and white tom explained.
"Right, I doubt FearClan would know what happened." the dark ginger tabby grunted, swiping a paw in a powdery snow drift.
"They will know what it is." Morningstar meowed, pushing his way out of his den.
"How?" some cat asked, Tumbleheart wasn't sure who it was as the crowd of cats grew bigger.
"Simple, Wild Storms happen from time to time and are passed in legend among loners. They have ties with the Twoleg Place so they could have heard of it that way." The pale cream tom glanced to Pigeonstream with a knowing look.
Tumbleheart blinked, confused. What did they know that she or Foxgaze didn't? Shaking it off, she padded closer as Tangletooth came out of hiding from under a bush, his pelt streaked white with sparkling ice and frost. The deputy tried to shake it off his long dark brown pelt, but it clung like pesky cobwebs.
"Wild Storms usually only happen in greenleaf or even early leaf-fall. It's odd that they would happen now of all times. Perhaps this is an omen?" he glanced to their leader.
"I doubt it, but we would have to ask Poppyclaw to be sure." Morningstar meowed, looking to the medicine den.
"He is terribly busy." Tumbleheart informed the very pale cream tom. "Bubblekit seems to be getting sick, but so far it's only a cough. Icepaw was resting after the trek in the Wild Storm. If it is an omen, perhaps she had a vision?"
"Highly unlikely." Foxgaze snorted, "She is only an apprentice, one who didn't know where to put her paws at that!"
"Enough." Morningstar snapped, shooting a golden glare at the younger tom. "I will discuss it with Poppyclaw and if she had a dream then we will listen with open ears. Twilightsky, Jaggedcloud," the two warriors looked up at the mention of their names. "You and your apprentices can work together to dig up and warm up the prey from the snow." they nodded as he wen ton, "Pigeonstream, lead a hunting patrol to try and locate any prey."
"If I take Foxgaze and Tumbleheart who will protect the Clan?" he fretted, "The warriors and apprentices would be too busy."
"Tangletooth and I will keep watch." Morningstar assured him. "We will be stretched thin, but this is a harsh start to leafbare after the easy first moon. We have to make do with what we can until the snow melts from this Wild Storm."
"Very well, Morningstar." Pigeonstream gave in, his blue eyes flashing with concern as they located Flamepaw and Turtlepaw.
"We'll be fine." Turtlepaw promised, "We aren't kits anymore, Pigeonstream. Just hurry back with news or prey."
He nodded, turning away from his daughter and looking to Tumbleheart. "Are you ready?"
"As ready as I will have to be." she mewed confidently, "Let's get going and clear up any snow that could be blocking the entrance on both sides."
"That would be a good start." her former mentor murmured, looking to Foxgaze, "Come, we better provide for your mate and kits. I'm sure they would prefer prey freshly caught by you."
"Right." he grumbled, seeming to settle down more.
Tumbleheart pushed her way through the snow, fighting her way to the camp's entrance with the others. The snow drifts were almost as high as their shoulders, making it more dangerous for their kits and any cat with short legs, like Icepaw. A pang of worry filled her. Would the passage to the Moonstone be blocked off by all of the snow? Would Poppyclaw and Icepaw be able to travel that far especially with Bubblekit so ill?
Icepaw certainly couldn't travel by herself. FearClan has already made it known that they could kidnap cats when their alone by force. Her fur bushed out as she shuddered. There was no way she could let the young stark white apprentice go to Moonstone alone! If the snow was still an issue by half-moon she would have to insist on going along for Icepaw's safety. Her friend was vulnerable with her failing sight and would need all the help she could get.
"There, we can just make a snow-tunnel to the other side and make a break in the roof of it. That way we will know we made it out the other side." Pigeonstream explained, digging into snow carefully. "We will take turns, if your paws start to feel numb, back out and another one of us will head in while you warm your paws."
"Sounds fair enough." Foxgaze admitted, looking to Pigeonstream. "Do as much as you can, I will take it after you then Tumbleheart."
She nodded her slender head, folding her legs under her to press her pads against her chest and belly. "Sit like this when you want to warm your paws." she instructed Foxgaze.
The dark ginger tabby blinked, his dark amber eyes bright with surprise. "Good thinking."
She blinked warmly, glad to have suggested something useful. She still felt like a new warrior and it wasn't like Foxgaze was a particularly kind cat, in fact he was quite rough on the edges. So much so that it made him a difficult tom to be around, but she knew he would always put Applemist first. As long as she helped him see they were doing this for her, he would smooth down and listen to reason.
That was how the two got together after all. Applemist was a kind-hearted and sensitive cat. She thought of others first and with that gift, she helped Foxgaze see over his pride, perhaps even use it for the Clan. Whatever she had done, she tamed his anger and smoothed it over. Unlike all of them, somehow, Applemist knew the dark ginger tabby tom better than the rest of them.
"Foxgaze, you're next." Pigeonstream announced, backing out of the tunnel. "The snow must have funneled through it to fill it in, so be careful."
"I will." the young tom promised, getting to his paws and hurrying to do his job.
Tumbleheart watched as Pigeonstream pushed excess snow out of the way before Foxgaze could began digging. At last, her former mentor laid down, folding his legs beneath him with a shudder. "My paws must be half-frozen!"
"I doubt they are." Tumbleheart meowed assuringly. "Just focus on keeping them warm. I'll do my best to break through the other side so you don't have to go again."
"Thank you." Pigeonstream murmured, his blue eyes glinting in the cloudy weather. "You are as thoughtful as your mother was."
She blinked, surprised. "Oh, why thank you." she had never been told that before, confusion filled her.
It was never the first or last time she wondered. She wanted to ask Hawk so much before she left their camp. To ask StarClan if they knew who her father was. They knew everything after all, or at least that's how Leaftail, her mother, had put it. She considered asking Poppyclaw to find Leaftail in StarClan to find out who her father was. Although, if that was the case, could her father have even been a Clan cat she never met? Questions buzzed inside her, even as Foxgaze pushed snow out and out of the way, trembling from the cold.
Nodding, she took over, squeezing into the darkened space. Branches clawed through her fur, running over tangled fur as she pushed through. Once she reached the cold mass of snow, she began to dig, starting from the roof of the tunnel to work her way out better. Her paws flinched from the cold as she gritted her teeth to keep digging. It was soft and powdery, sticking to her paws and fur. It was so cold that it was almost shocking.
She paddled her paws in front of her, working out where the tunnel headed before her paw broke through and light filtered into the passage. With a gasp, she dug more and more, the snow giving way to the outside world. Once she made the hole big enough she pushed the snow towards the sky, creating a furrow for them to see the cloudy sky. Yellow bellied clouds hung low above her. The wind hardly a breeze now. Almost like the Wild Storm had never happened.
"I made it to the other side!" she called back, her paws freezing.
"We're coming." Pigeonstream called back.
Soon she could feel the thrum of careful paws heading her way. She moved more snow out of the way, trying to make a path for them. It was too soft and powdery for anything larger than a kit to be sneaking on them, she was positive of that much. Soon, the sleek furred tom appeared with Foxgaze. Seeming relieved to have a way out of camp.
However, Foxgaze had a grim expression. "What's wrong?" Tumbleheart asked.
"With the snow this high, we might not find anything more than a mouse." he answered, sounding almost cross.
"If we're lucky we can find birds." Pigeonstream meowed optimistically.
"If StarClan existed at all, they wouldn't let this happen." he snapped.
The brown and tan tabby she-cat felt her heart skip a beat. "Foxgaze! They can't do everything for us!" she gasped in horror.
"My kits will starve, if not them Applemist will because of this." he hissed.
"That is not true." Tumbleheart growled, lashing her tail. "They will survive. I just know it."
"How would you know?" he challenged, sneering, "You're not much older than an apprentice."
Offended, she looked away. "Your lucky, Foxgaze. You have a mate and two beautiful kits to worry about." she mewed tersely. "Dappledrift almost died having you, let alone you almost did as well. At least you have mother and father to see still. Would be a shame if they all starved because you were afraid to try and hunt."
Silence greeted her as she pushed through the snow, the cold suddenly not bothering her. Her mother was dead, she was all alone. All she had was Pigeonstream to look up to as a father-figure of sorts. She hardly heard his gruff mew, almost scolding behind her. It was enough to warm her heart, but not her spirit. She had no kin here, so what did she know about how worried to be about others?
"This is why you need to think before you speak, you daft furball!" Pigeonstream was meowing. "Your mother was mad to try and have you. You were her pride and joy as her last kit. You should be grateful that Tumbleheart is even trying for the whole of the Clan!"
She flattened her ears, wishing she couldn't hear them. Yet, the furrow she was creating only made their voices echo into her direction off of it's walls. She squinted her eyes, wishing that she could have her mother back. Even for one more moon. Anything to have someone to curl up to. Yet, she was alone, feeling like she didn't belong. Leaftail had taken the knowledge of her father with her. Promises to show her where he was, long gone. Was he dead or alive? Tumbleheart didn't know for sure, but she had to hope for the latter.
Leaftail, if you can hear me, please... send me a sign on who my father is. That's all I ask for. Send it to Icepaw, just so everyone knows she is meant to be a medicine cat. Anything to help us both. Tumbleheart mentally begged like a wailing kit. She had so much to learn from her mother, but now she could only hope her thoughts could be carried to StarClan to find her answers from far beyond her paws. She felt no better, but she did feel less wretched on the inside. At least her silent prayer had done something to soothe her heart.
Author Note:
Tumbleheart had been chosen.
She is going to follow her paws to try and find out who her father is!
Some of you readers would already know if you read 'Lost Secrets' but those of you who haven't it's okay. You don't have to worry about reading it to know because this story will reveal it eventually.
Also Wild Storms is the term they use for Micro-bursts, those crazy storms where weather goes wild for like an hour and then it's gone but left destruction and hail or like a small flood in it's wake. Yeah, I thought it would be nice to have it be a swift but crazy blizzard to make life hard for the cats.
Thank you for reading! - Nightsky
