Feathersong hardly slept that night. She just lay there until the early hours of the dawn, listening to Azure's steady breathing. She must've drifted off eventually, however, because she awoke a little later, hearing Azure get up.
She yawned, getting to her paws.
"Oh, good morning Feathersong." Azure obviously didn't mean to wake the she-cat.
"Morning." She responded, padding out into the camp. Most of the cats were talking to each other, though a few seemed to be on dawn patrol. She couldn't see Taloncall so she assumed that he'd gone on the patrol.
She sat alone, not bothering so socialize. Instead, she thought about everyone back in camp. Obviously, none of them cared enough to go find her, or if they did they just hadn't found her yet. Feathersong hoped that they never would. After a little while, the patrol returned and indeed, Taloncall was one of them. He caught her staring at him and Feathersong looked away. She didn't want anything to do with the former deputy. In fact, she didn't want anything to do with this clan. No matter how hard she tried, Feathersong couldn't settle in. Her dreams were still full of nightmares and she just never talked to anyone. She wasn't trying to be a loner, yet that was how it seemed. Sometimes, Feathersong was lonely, though she disliked it whenever cats noticed her. Sighing softly to herself, she padded out for a walk. Trying to clear her head.
Pufffrost began to notice a new face in Skyclan camp. The face looked uncomfortable with its surroundings, but who was he to say. All he could see immediately was a beautiful tabby she-cat with stunning gold eyes. Pufffrost was a mostly white tom but he had a black mask and a very fluffy black tail and mittens. Pufffrost walked over to feathersong and introduced himself to the she-cat. Feathersong was in the medicine cats den with Azure, they were just chatting back and forth when Pufffrost interrupted.
"Hello, I'm Pufffrost" The tom mewed to feathersong as he gave a stretch. he bowed his head to Azure and looked expectantly at feathersong for her name. Although he could most likely guess her name from the new cat that came to the clan recently.
Feathersong was wary. It was different when she was in WindClan; she had been there since she was a kit but here, everything was new and slightly overwhelming.
"I'm Feathersong." She said simply, shooting an anxious glance at Azure. She knew if Pufffrost could be trusted. The medicine cat nodded, encouraging her to open up a little.
Feathersong had always struggled, socially, though she never meant to. She was fine with Dappledleaf and Emberblaze, but anyone else normally made her immediately be quiet. As if her jaws had frozen. Silvermist was the only cat that she wasn't related to, that enabled to make Feathersong talk comfortably.
Azure was alright but Feathersong didn't put her guard down and always seemed more on edge than she was with her siblings.
"Nice name." The tom meowed politely.
Feathersong wasn't sure if he was waiting for her to respond with a compliment, so she did. "I like yours as well.." She tried to mean it but the words sounded bland and as if she was forcing herself to say it. Which, in a way, she was.
"Thanks!" He didn't seem to notice that she was still on guard.
Feathersong could tell that he was wondering something. Wondering why she was here. After all, it probably wasn't every day that a new face turned up. Or maybe it was? Feathersong had no idea. Mercifully, he didn't ask.
Not much was said as they sat under silverpelt. She looked through the sky looking for one star, Frozensplotches. No matter how hard she looked, all the stars were identical. she wanted to pick one star to cherish in his memory but never did in case it was a different cat. She never wanted to disrespect their great ancestors. Although she had loved Frozensplotch, the time had distanced her. Forever she was grateful to the brown and white tom, but now her heart was on another path. A different path she never may have seen if love hadn't been so difficult. All the events of her life led her to here, under the sky beside Emberblaze. He knew the real her, not many cats had after the journey. She had become a different cat, savage and controlling, all because of her despair. Emberblaze became her control, the one thing that kept all her thoughts in order.
After awhile of flooding thoughts, Rainshine grew tired. She curled up into a ball of multicoloured fur. Emberblaze looked down at Rainshine, her fur glistened under the dim glow of silverpelt. Emberblaze sighed and curled up beside her, he rested his head on her flank and soon drifted into a starry dream. Starry mist clouded around him and soon faded. He was on a hilly moor, but it all seemed faded, he could see through the ground, it was slightly transparent. Over a hill, he saw the figure of another cat. He sensed familiarity from the she-cat. Soon he approached the figure, it was his mother...
"I don't have much time" The she-cat meowed frantically. Emberblaze only nodded, although he longed to curl up beneath her and feel her motherly warmth. Once Emberblaze noded the she-cat continued
" I have brought a prophecy for you, it was not yet spoiled by truth thorn, shadows of stone lurk in the night, an uprising of jealousy, prepare for to be overthrown by an untamed stream" And after the last word the dream faded and Emberblaze awoke to dawn, and the return of Rainshine with prey in her jaws.
Emberblaze still felt rather dazed as they shared the plump hare that Rainshine had caught. His mind was whirling and he didn't know what to think. Was it a prophecy? Was it just a dream?
His first thought was to go to Risestar and ask for the leader's opinion, though what if it was a simply, yet vivid, dream? Rainshine noticed that Emberblaze seemed deep in thought and asked if he was alright.
Emberblaze knew that he had to tell some-cat about this and he trusted the she-cat to keep it quiet.
"I have this dream last night." He started. Rainshine seemed politely interested, raising her head, seeming curious enough. So Emberblaze continued. "I saw my mother and she said some weird things. " "What did she say?"
"Uh, something about shadows, stones and something." Emberblaze paused to think. "I think I can remember it. Something like, shadows of stone lurk in the night, an uprising of jealousy, prepare for to be overthrown by an untamed stream."
"That sounds like a prophecy. You should tell Risestar." Rainshine advised.
"I think it's just a dream." Emberblaze didn't believe that he was special in any way. Only leaders or medicine cats got prophecies. Or cats that actually lead interesting lives. Emberblaze normally thought himself to be pretty normal, well normal enough to not have prophecies anyway.
Rainshine didn't pursue it, though it was obvious that she disagreed.
They walked back to the camp in almost silence, wrapped up in their own thoughts.
Rainshine too had experienced a dream, like his, except it was much earlier in the night. A she-cat addressed her, she didn't know the cat, or at least Rainshine didn't know if she did. The She-cat said the same thing Emberblaze said she had, except the she-cat just shouted it at her from a hill beyond her sprinting distance.
"Shadows of stone lurk in the night, an uprising of jealousy, prepare to be overthrown by an untamed river" The words rattled in the starry wind on the starry night of a starry moor.
Had Rainshine and Emberblaze shared the same dream, why would Rainshine ever be told a prophecy? There was nothing more to her, she found peace in life, but now danger lurked on every paw turn. A path was made, but could the two cats dodge the obstacles in time. They could, just as long as they stuck together.
"Welcome to the naming hallow dear apprentices and mentor." Nightstream's voice echoed through the hallow, the apprentices were looking in awe all around the place.
"Are you ready to be warriors?" Nightstream asked the apprentices nodded. The whole thing was serial, it felt like a dream.
The ceremony continued and Nightstream went on a whole speech of you must fight for your clan and all the other good stuff. It was a nice quick refresher of the warrior code, with a little more additions. Most of the additions were about loyalty sacrifice and consequence. Soon as it began it was over, and Taloncalls apprentices were standing vigil. Now, Taloncall was free from his five apprentices.
Daycall, Sheepstorm, Stormlight, Spotfrost and Spottedice
Feathersong was at the very edge of the ceremony, watching as they became warriors. Memories of her own ceremony took over. Dragging her from reality.
"Dappledleaf, Feathersong, Emberblaze! Dappledleaf, Feathersong, Emberblaze!" The cheers of the cats' echoed around the WindClan camp.
Feathersong immediately looked for her mother, feeling a pang in her chest when she wasn't there. When she remembered. Feathersong had murdered her.
Despite all of the joy, she felt the opposite. Dappledleaf and Emberblaze basked in the limelight where as Feathersong wanted to disappear.
She didn't deserve this.
She raced out of camp, not listening to the rest of the ceremony. Not joining in with the cries.
Puff'frost watched her go, the only one who had noticed.
Pufffrost was looking a feathersong for the whole ceremony, how her eyes sparkles and her pelt shimmered under the pale moonlight. Eventually, though the she-cat seemed to go still as she zone to her memories. After a bit, though she dashed off with tears welled up in her eyes. Pufffrost didn't wait for a tail twitch before he chased after her and then called to her up ahead.
"Hey wait up where you going"Pufffrost looked into the she-cats eyes as he chuckled.
"Nowhere " Feathersong replied then looked down at her shuffling paws.
"A cliff on the edge of Sunclan territory isn't nowhere" Pufffrost mewed Iceily, but the voice didn't seem like it belonged to him. His eyes glazed over with the power of stars skimming his eye. Feathesong looked up in shock as a ghost surfaced out of Pufffrost.
The ghost was a she-cat who looked down at Feathersong, love in her eyes she whispered something. Only Feather's song could make out the words of what the cat said before she flew up to the moon and faded back into stars. What had she said? After the she-cat floated away Feathersong collapsed. Confused emotions lined her eyes.
"Some fall brave, others fall for love wich ever is made it is never the fault of the living, instead it's the fault of the dead." The stardust cat had whispered, but who was it...
They made their way back to the camp and Emberblaze grabbed a bird of some sort, he never bothered learning their names, from the fresh-kill pile to share with Rainshine.
Neither felt hungry but Emberblaze felt almost obliged to eat since this was one of the few times when, except the dawn-patrol cats, they all got to do absolutely nothing.
Emberblaze stifled a yawn as the bird was quickly finished. He was feeling the effects from staying up most of the night and all he felt like doing was sleeping. Unusual for him, since he was known to be energetic.
"I'm off to take a nap." He informed Rainshine, padding into the den to have a rest.
Emberblaze fell asleep almost instantly, exhausted. Soon, he drifted into a nightmare, the worst one he'd had.
He was at the edge of a cliff where Feathersong always sat. She was there now, standing on the very edge, seeming to be preparing to do something.
"NO!" Emberblaze cried, racing towards his sister. But he couldn't. The more he ran, the further he got. "Feathersong!"
For a brief moment, Feathersong hesitated, locking her amber eyes with his. Then the ground gave way, Feathersong vanishing from sight.
Then Dappledleaf was there, puching him to the very edge.
"Your fault. Your fault." She chanted over and over. Emberblaze felt his paws slipping and he tumbled off the edge.
Your fault. Your fault...
He awoke with a start. Breathing a sigh of relief when he realised that it was just a dream.
Then his heart plummeted, noticing Dappledleaf standing over him.
"Follow me." She meowed, eyes partially narrowed.
Emberblaze prepared himself for what would most likely happen. Dapledleaf would abuse him, hate him and then hopefully, it would end. It sounded like nothing to most cats, but to Emberblaze, it was hell.
They headed into a sparsely wooded area, a little shelter from the biting wind.
Without warning, Dappledleaf's claws raked across his cheek.
Emberblaze recoiled. "What was that for!?"
"Feathersong is missing. I have been searching for ages and what do you do?" She paused, eyes glaring into Emberblaze's own. "You sleep!"
"I was tired." He shot back, a little quieter than he would've liked it to be.
"So was I!" There was something in Dappledleaf's eyes that Emberblaze had never seen before. he was frightened, yet he couldn't move away. Was this still a nightmare?
"I am worried, if that's what your not thinking!" He hissed.
Dappledleaf rolled her eyes. "Then act like it!"
"What should I say then? I'm sorry for-" He broke off, noticing Dappledleaf stagger a little. Her paws seemed to give way. "You alright?" "No, I'm not alright! Feathersong is missing!"
"You're working yourself to exhaustion. And when was the last time that you ate?" His anger and fear became replaced with worry.
"I'm-" Suddenly, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell to the ground.
"Dappledleaf!" Emberblaze cried. "Help!" He shouted when she noticed that she wasn't waking up. He didn't want to leave her, but he needed to get her help. "Help, please!"
He had no idea if SunClan heard him. They couldn't be too far away.
He yowled for help again before racing off. Glancing back at his sister, laying there. How had he not noticed her weakness? He blamed himself immediately as he burst into the camp.
"Guys, please help!"
Silvermist's ears pricked up. She had heard a cat call for help. She stood up, finally back to full health. Wolfshade was sleeping next to her. Silvermist stood up and gave her pelt a shake. Wolfshade groaned then rolled over. She crept quietly out of her nest. Silvermist started running, enjoying the cool night breeze and wind beneath her fur. It made her feel free and helped her relax. Silvermist kept running until her lungs started hurting.
Then something slammed into her. It was Emberblaze. His eyes were wild and crazed.
Was there a threat?
Silvermist's fur fluffed up as she unsheathed her claws.
"What happened?" She demanded.
"It's Dappledleaf!" He gasped. "She needs help! Now!"
"Show me!"
Emberblaze dipped his head to the silver and black she-cat before racing off. Silvermist followed, the cool night breeze and the wind no longer made her feel free. No matter what something was always going on, and Silvermist could never do anything about it.
Rainshine noticed the commotion heading into camp but continued on a familiar smelling path, it was a little stale, but it was still there. The scent was of her brother, Rainshine disregarded the borders. Taloncall had been missing every time she woke up... had he been gone the whole time? Yes, he had. Rainshine was kicking herself for not realizing her missing brother. She kicked the ground almost as hard as she was kicking herself. After many hills of running there was a scent marker, was this a fifth clan. The she-cat continued onward into the territory, and then there she stood at the edge of a fifth camp. So many cats went missing, some presumed dead, some long ago dead, they all were there, but why?
Was this a camp of the dead? One face she spotted, the one without a star in the sky, Frozensplotch.
There was little miss commotion herself, the runner, the missing, the broken, the gloomy, the only Feathersong.
Where was Taloncall?...
Rainshine was watching over the camp like a hawk but soon grew bored and returned home. She was excited to share her findings with the clan, and tell Silvermist how Taloncall left the clan so she could be deputy. Dappledleaf and Emberblaze mostly likely would be happy to hear that their sisters safe. She still felt like something had to be dealt with, Frozensplotch. Rainshine hunted the tom down who was walking on his own, then she corned him and blasted him with questions.
"How dare you come here, instead of back to me" Rainshine yowled louder than thunder.
"I waited endless nights under the moon looking for your star to mourn over" Rainshine yowled with despair on the edge of her tone, which was falling like a waterfall
"You never were there am I dead to you" With that she paused, and the tom replied...
"Yes," That single word stung like sparks crisp on your pelt, like walking on fire. Rainshine looked at him with hateful tears in her eyes, and then she did it...
Rainshine slashed her claw across his face, and it looked like it stung, the cut was deep but not deep enough to kill. A cut deep enough to leave a scar on him, a scar like the one he left on Rainshine's heart. This was it she was over him.
All the time, wasted, wasted on mourning when all she needed was Emberblaze. Frozensplotche sunk to the ground, Rainshine dragged him to the main trail where a later patrol would find him. Rainshine plastered spiderweb to his face and then wished him farewell, and a better life to stumble onto.
"You don't get it!" Frozensplotch rasped. Rainshine raised her claws and prepared for a killing blow, But, she held back and slinked away into the chilling night
Soon she was back in camp and saw Dappleleaf on the ground by Silvermist and Emberblaze. She raced towards Emberblaze because he was safe and familiar his scent consumed her, and she felt like afloat.
The only thing awkward was Rainshine was drenched in blood, and everyone held questions. The calico she-cat truly stood out, and her blood was a mystery waiting to be told. Rainshine dug her head into Emberblazed dark ginger fur and smile and whispered.
your the only...
"Wha-" Emberblaze started, Rainshine rocketing into him. Silvermist was looking at her blood-stained pelt but Emberblaze hardly noticed it. He was overwhelmed with surprise and affection for the she-cat, noticing this was a time when he was desperately needed.
Dappledleaf was awake and struggling to get to her paws. She looked exhausted, despite being out cold for so long. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she noticed Rainshine.
She had, like most cats, not been a fan of her hyper personality and she had always seemed so..dramatic. Somehow, she didn't mind her sister's drama as much as she minded Rainshine's.
Though she disliked the other calico, most of it now was jealousy. Now Dappledleaf was the one alone. Her best friend and sister somewhere, possibly dead. And now Emberblaze and what appeared to be his mate.
Silvermist returned, probably to Wolfshade, Dappledleaf being fine, well as fine as she could be.
Rainshine soon released him from her embrace, though neither wanted it to end.
"I have some stuff I want to tell you." She started. Emberblaze looked at her curiously. "It's about your sister."
The effect those words had on the two was instantaneous. "What!" Dppledleaf cried, scarcely able to believe it.
"Is she alright?" Emberblaze's eyes were full of hope.
"She's in a new clan somewhere."
"Lead us." Dappledleaf got up, swaying a little. Emberblaze rushed to support her.
"It's not very far. Over those hills." She nodded to some distant hills.
Emberblaze and Dappledleaf set off, hoping to see Feathersong at last.
"Feathersong!" Pufffrost looked at the silver tabby as she fell to the ground.
She lay there for a moment, confused and a little fearful of what had happened. It was obviously something rather important but why didn't Pufffrost see it? And why did it come out of him!?
She, clumsily, got to her paws, still looking slightly dazed.
"You alright? What happened?" He gazed at her, worry gleaming clear in his eyes.
"I..I'm fine." She said after a brief hesitation. "Let's go back now." She sounded reluctant, but she couldn't stay here any longer. Anyway, she was pretty much in SunClan and she dreaded to think about what would happen if anyone found her.
Little did she know, Dappledleaf and Emberblaze were on their way.
Pufffrost wasn't a chatty cat, his head was always in another place. Feathersong, she kept the tom grounded she was something for him to focus on. The way back was quite slow, not far off was the muffled cries of another warrior. With caution the pair approached a hunched over figure, a trail of blood led up to the cat. Soon it became obvious who it was, Frozensplotch but he was drenched with blood and the smell of a familiar she-cat.
Rainshine...
The other clans were becoming ruthless. just the other night Logclan cats killed a warrior and his apprentices, Shrewleap Swimpaw and Otterpaw may they rest in starclan. The odd thing was that it was by the cats who Shrewleap used to be apart of. Worry and regret had consumed Feathersong that night, were the clans really tracking down traitors? Would her clan really kill her or was this only a Shadow... er Logclan thing.
"Dad!" Pufffrost screeched running to his Frozensplotch's side. The two cats returned back to camp with Frozensplotch who was heavily wounded. Soon the sun peaked out and onto the new days light.
The cats continued on, Rainshine was shoulder to shoulder to Emberblaze. Dappledleaf though was fruitfully lagging behind. Misery had consumed the sad little she-cat while Feathersong was missing. Rainshine never liked Dappledleaf, mostly because the she-cat always had to be difficult. Rainshine could never blame Feathersong for running away, but hopefully, Dappledleaf could find a lesson to learn from all the drama.
not later on Rainshine grew tired and collapsed on the ground, she was too tired to continue walking. By the time the sun was up Rainshine was already in a deep snooze, the blood around her made her fur all crunchy. Rainshine couldn't find words to explain to EWmberblaze why she was covered in blood.