Hooray! I finally got around to making another chapter. School is busy and I've been kinda lazy about this.
Mapleleaf belongs to Ghee Buttersnaps 15, formerly Rockbelly. Brightpaw and Mothspots are Penguin598's.
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An awkward silence flattened the forests surrounding the pool of water where the group of cats settled. Blackwing fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment. Mapleleaf prodded her with his tail to stop her. Embersoul was the first to break the silence.
"We know what we're dealing with now," he mewed confidently, "I know this is my daughter we're talking about, but we need to take control of this situation we're in. How is the clan going to 'drown in its own life?' "
Breezepaw's eyes light up when she suggested her idea.
"Maybe it's not an enemy like we think it is. Maybe the clans have gotten lazy or they decide to turn into kittypets." She said. Blackwing blinked at her, contemplating what the apprentice had said. Mothspots snorted at Breezepaw.
"I doubt that. In all of the history of the clans, it has always been a tooth and claw enemy. Never has a clan been destroyed simply because things were too good."
Breezepaw started down at her paws, embarrassed.
"It was just an idea," she meowed lowly.
Mapleleaf stepped in front of the ThunderClan apprentice, brushing her shoulder lightly.
"But we can't just let go of this idea. What if she's right? Kittypet ideals are just as dangerous as Tigerstar was." Mapleleaf said confidently. Breezepaw's face was elated. Blackwing agreed with the brown tabby.
"Yes," she mewed, "we have no idea what we're up against yet. It could be anything. But, just how are we going to tell her?"
The rest of Blackwing's companions blinked at her. The uneasy silence crept up upon the group again. Breezepaw shifted uncomfortably.
"I don't want her to be confused when the prophecy needs her," the silver tabby apprentice said with concern, "I feel like I'm betraying our friendship."
"Breezepaw, be careful. If Spiderstar found out he might think you're not loyal to your clan." Blackwing warned. Breezepaw remained unchanged, however.
"He's fair. Plus, he won't ever find out." Breezepaw replied almost defiantly. Blackwing sighed under her breath.
"I don't think you understand Breezepaw-." Blackwing was stopped midsentence by Mapleleaf, who pummeled her flank lightly. Blackwing started back into his stern, green gaze. She knew the dark tabby long enough to know what he was trying to tell her even without worlds.
"Don't bother. I know you're remembering Darkfang. Breezepaw will be fine. This isn't like what happened before." Mapleleaf soothed her. His gaze softened when hurt flashed in Blackwing's reply.
"I know, I know. It's just- I don't want anyone to go through that like I did."
Mapleleaf nodded and said no more.
"Now back to business," Mothspots meowed, unmoved by the interference, "Breezepaw's friendship with Dawnpaw won't matter in the end, I think. But the real question wasn't answered."
"But how are we going to tell her?" Blackwing repeated coldly.
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"But how are we going to tell her…?"
Dawnpaw awoke to a familiar voice inside her head. She opened her eyes to find that she was in her own nest in the apprentices' den in the RiverClan camp. Sweeping her gaze around the den, she saw Shinepaw and Mistpaw curled up beside her and Thunderpaw snoring away on the opposite side of the den. The sight of her brother made Dawnpaw's heart sink.
Enough about Thunderpaw; what was the voice? Where did it come from?
Thinking hard, Dawnpaw narrowed down the possibilities of voices she recognized.
Shinepaw? No, she's been asleep all night. It couldn't be Mistpaw either for the same reason. I know for sure that was a she cat who said it too. So that rules out Thunderpaw, Hawkpaw and the other toms. But who was it?
"But how are we going to tell her…?"
Dawnpaw's ears twitched. The voice intruded her ears again. This time it was a bit harsher, colder. Instinctively, she swatted at her own ears.
"What does someone need to tell me? Is it anything at all, even?" She whispered to herself; Dawnpaw's face pressed into her mossy nest. Flopping over, Dawnpaw shut her eyes trying to fall asleep again. In desperation, the silvery apprentice stretched herself out. Accidently, her paw hit Shinepaw on the nose.
"Hey," The golden furred she cat mewed quietly, "What was that for? I need sleep too, you know."
"Sorry, Shinepaw. I couldn't sleep." Dawnpaw meowed back. Shinepaw almost sniggered.
"I thought so. Wanna go for a walk?"
Dawnpaw wondered if they would get in trouble if they went out alone or if they would be too tired for training tomorrow.
"Stop worrying." Shinepaw said, lashing her tail humorously as she seemingly read her friend's mind. Dawnpaw widened her eyes at her friend.
"Someone has to. And sure, I'd like to go for a walk. Maybe it will make me sleepier."
The two cats slipped their way out of the apprentice's den and into the clearing of the camp. All was silent, save for the gentle snoring that emanated from some of the dens. The moon had not shined that night, so the forest area was darker than normal. But Shinepaw didn't seem to care. She seemed a bit exhilarated at the darkness. Dawnpaw on the other hand, was not so much.
"I hate the dark," she whispered as she squeezed through the wall of reeds and marsh that surrounded the camp, "It makes me so uneasy." Shinepaw pushed a few plants aside to catch up with her friend.
"I think it's kind of cool. I like how things seem so different and creepy and-…"
"Shhh! Not so loud. I don't want Timberclaw finding out. I'll be in trouble for a moon!"
"Sorry."
The pair of cats silently padded through their territory, careful not to make their location known to anyone patrolling or hunting at night. Shinepaw stuck close to Dawnpaw most of the journey to avoide losing her. Soon the lake came into view and the two she cats went towards it for a drink.
Dawnpaw padded towards the lake. The slow breeze ruffled the edges of the water and the faint starlight shimmered off the surface. Dawnpaw bent down and licked up few gulps of the water. Feeling refreshed, the silvery she cat sat up to gaze at the view. Dawnpaw was genuinely amazed. Instinctively, Dawnpaw looked over beside her to say something to Shinepaw, but the golden apprentice was not with her. Heated by slight anger, Dawnpaw meowed a call to her.
"Shinepaw? Don't hide from me. I'll find you eventually." Dawnpaw called out to her denmate. But the golden she cat didn't answer. Dawnpaw scowled.
Why must we play a game like this in the middle of the night? C'mon, Shinepaw. We have training tomorrow. We don't have the energy to play at night.
Sighing, Dawnpaw stood up to look for her. She retraced her steps back deeper in RiverClan territory. Dawnpaw trotted into the lightly wooded territory her clan called "home."
The apprentice hissed as a tendril of a bramble caught on her paw. A thorn scratched at her tail and tugged at her pelt. Every time she took a step, it seemed as though the terrain grew a thicker and thicker forest. The light of the stars was no longer visible to the silvery she cat. Trees covered every inch of the sky. Frantically, Dawnpaw searched and battered her way through the vines and bushes. The forest felt like it was going to close in on Dawnpaw! Panicking, she called out to Shinepaw.
"Shinepaw! Shinepaw, where are you?!" Dawnpaw almost yowled.
But no answer came. Only darkness responded to the call.
This isn't RiverClan territory anymore. How could I have gotten lost like this?
"But how are we going to tell her…?"
Skidding to a halt, Dawnpaw stopped and listened. The voice from before was tickling her ears again. Mindlessly, the silvery she cat followed the direction of the voice. As she walked, the darkness started to fade. The path became more and more familiar with a lightly wooded clearing and a lake. The sky reappeared with not a single star lost. Dawnpaw let out a breath of relief, but then held it again when she realized she still wasn't back in her own territory. The area was unnaturally bright, little specks of shimmering material lined every tree and bush as well as the water. The rocks around the lake shone like they were large diamonds. To Dawnpaw, it looked like the stars from above her had fell down to the earth and covered the forest.
Intrigued, Dawnpaw kept traveling. The voice that plagued her ears and mind was growing louder each step she took closer to the lake. The closer the apprentice got to the shore, the clearer images around it became. Dawnpaw could detect the blurry outlines of cats siting by the lake with one cat standing in the middle of the water on the surface. Much to her surprise, the cat didn't fall into the lake.
Approaching the shore, Dawnpaw stopped and expected the water to lap at her paws, but it didn't. The silvery apprentice looked down to see that the water stayed absolutely still, even with the breeze. Puzzled, she dabbed a paw at the still lake. The water rippled and danced in the low light when she touched it. Trance-like, Dawnpaw padded on, this time into the lake! Shocked, Dawnpaw found herself standing on top of the water, with the lake ebbing and flowing around her feet with each paw step. The silvery cat walked on until the shapes of the cats gained color, then markings, then distinct voices, then faces.
Dawnpaw almost let out a gasp when she recognized the shapes of the cats standing before her.