Here's chapter seventeen! Another special chapter, still told from Tigerpaw's POV!
How did you guys like that ending? Let me know in a review!
Tigerpaw couldn't believe it. He was in shock absolute shock at Beetlestar's declaration. His mouth gaped as yowling began to sound all throughout the clearing. Clearly, he wasn't the only one completely shocked by this madness. Jaystar sat regally, his face betraying only a look of anger and hostility. Instead of launching himself at the black tom, however, Jaystar calmly turned his head to glare at Beetlestar.
"And why, might I ask, would you do such a thing?" The blue-gray leader asked with an obvious edge to his voice. Just hearing it made Tigerpaw shudder. "What in StarClan has HollowClan done to you that makes you so angry with us?"
"Oh, don't play with me!" Beetlestar howled, thrusting a paw in Jaystar's direction. Tigerpaw looked at Beetlestar, and could tell that he looked extremely tired, and... thinning? "This foxheart you call a leader is stealing our prey! And you all are doing nothing to stop it! In fact, the HollowClan warriors we found on our side of the territory even told our warriors that it was your doing, Jaystar! We found prey blood on their claws!"
The silver leader turned his head, his eyes wide in shock. To Tigerpaw, it looked like the leader was feigning innocence. "I haven't even heard of this," Jaystar exclaimed, bowing his head. He then turned to glare at all of the HollowClan cats seated in the clearing. "I will be having a thorough talk with my clan about this. And Beetlestar," he turned his blue gaze back at the black furred leader. Tigerpaw gasped at how they shone like ice. "If you still decide to go through with it, HollowClan accepts your declaration of war."
All of a sudden, the crowd shifted. Tigerpaw couldn't even believe what was going on. One moment, everyone was sitting together and chatting amiably while listening to the leader's announcements. The next, cats were hissing at each other angrily, claws threatening to fly through the air. Other cats sat dumbly, not even sure what was going on.
Tigerpaw leaped out of the way as Tigerstorm came barreling by, his fur sticking out in all directions. He went up to a Hailclan she-cat, and proceeded to bowl over her in anger. Tigerpaw's eyes widened completely in shock; was a battle seriously going to break out?
"SteamClan, head back to camp! This gathering is over!" Tigerpaw's ears perked; Wheatstar's voice tried to carry above the angry cats. Tigerpaw turned to Silverdust and licked her cheek, praying to StarClan that no cats saw amidst the turmoil. He then turned, sorrow forming a pit in the stomach as he had to leave his beloved. He swiftly followed his clanmates out of the orchard and back into their territory.
Tigerpaw shrank back between Mothpaw and Stoatpaw, his heart beating quickly. Mothpaw and Stoatpaw both looked pretty shaken up. Tigerpaw began, exasperated, "That was... I don't..."
"Kestrelwind." Wheatstar said and spun around, a fierceness in her eyes. She spotted the golden tom, who was just as frightened as everyone else. "If you feel a need to help your clan, then go. I will not stop you. But you must leave now."
Kestrelwind stepped forward, shaking his head. Tigerpaw noticed the tip of his tail was quivering in fright. "Wheatstar, I-I can't help my previous clanmates. There is no reason for me to go back... just let me stay in SteamClan. Please don't question my loyalty."
Wheatstar looked like she had something else to say. Instead, she shook her head and flicked her tail, signaling for the cats to follow.
Thoughts of all kinds buzzed around in Tigerpaw's mind. He really hoped that Mothpaw would stay. They'd become friends, and he liked their friendship. He didn't want her to be torn between her loyalties. And he didn't want their friendship to die.
He turned to Mothpaw, stopping. Stoatpaw turned back and said, quicker than Tigerpaw, "Please, Mothpaw. Don't go to HailClan. I want you to stay here. I... I enjoy our friendship." his voice was pleading. Tigerpaw watched Mothpaw's eyes widen, and she looked away.
"I-I'll stay." she whispered, turning to Tigerpaw. Her eyes were sparkling. He backed away a little to quickly, and he watched as her face fell. He knew that she probably liked him as more than a friend, but she could never be Silverdust. The two were just so... different.
"Ahem." Tigerpaw looked back at Stoatpaw, who looked annoyed. "Can you two keep going? Watching you two flirt is really getting on my nerves." the white apprentice narrowed his eyes and flicked his tail, speeding up to get to the rest of the group. Tigerpaw and Mothpaw exchanged glances, before the latter hurried ahead to catch up with the group.
I am not in love with Mothpaw! Tigerpaw screamed in his head, deciding to focus on how fast he was going to keep up with his clanmates. I think of her as a friend only. A sister, even! I can't love her. Silverdust... I can't imagine loving anyone else. Mothpaw just... she doesn't make me feel the way Silverdust makes me feel. She doesn't have Silverdust's eyes, fur, laugh... it just doesn't feel right to love Mothpaw.
Silverdust was more muscular than Mothpaw, and her fur was sleek and shiny. Her eyes shone like the crystals that were occasionally found in their cave, and her laugh sounded like birdsong. Tigerpaw loved her to the edge of HailClan territory and back up Hawk's Talon Peak.
Mothpaw... Mothpaw was rowdy. Her fur was pretty and golden, sure, but she looked weird. Her (now) lithe form did not look good with her muscular forelegs and shoulders, and her eyes were too pale or too bright. She didn't really have a sweet-sounding laugh... but she was genuine when she did laugh. She was sister material, someone to play with when you were down. He did love her... platonically.
Yes, Silverdust and Mothpaw weren't alike at all.
They reached the camp, where Wheatstar shared the news. She told the clan to be extra wary around the borders, especially the border with HailClan. "Beetlestar is as unpredicatable and dangerous as a fox," she told her clan. All of the cats around her agreed, and she continued, "He is something to be feared and to be watched over."
Once the clan meeting was over,
Tigerpaw bid goodnight to his new siblings before heading back to the apprentice's den. He bid Stoatpaw goodnight, and fell asleep right away, thinking of Silverdust.
The air around him was filled with dust. The shadowy figures of cats surrounded him, all of them locked in battle. In front of him he saw her: her pelt glistening in the dim sunlight, her eyes shining like crystals.
Silverdust.
"Tigerpaw, I don't want to fight you..." she muttered, stepping forward slowly.
"Tigerpaw!" another she-cat yowled. He spun around, only to see Mothpaw's small body get torn up by the same shadowy figures. He watched as blood filled the same spot that she once stood in, and he felt fear overcome his legs. He could not move. His heart beat faster and faster, until he decided to turn around and be faced with Silverdust.
The cat he was looking at was not Silverdust. This cat was okd looking, with fur as black as night. Yet... his pelt glistened like the stars. His eyes shone like crystals, even more so than Silverdust's.
All he said were the same four, haunting words that Tigerpaw had been hearing since he was a kit.
"Don't let him in."
The chanting began, and Tigerpaw let the familiar feeling of drowning overcome him. Except... it was different. He was watching his attacker, yet it was another shadowy form. This... being in front of him wanted him dead. He looked down at his pelt... except it wasn't his. It was Silverdust's.
Why was he having dreams about Silverdust drowning? Was it all in his head? Was he just dreaming about things that he was afraid of happening? Like, a mistake during fishing and she got trapped in the water and drowned?
Or maybe... it wasn't Silverdust at all. Maybe it was just one big coincidence that happened for no good reason and decided to happen at the worst of times.
He shook his head. It was just a dream.
His vision faded.
It was just a dream...
Another one down! Now, this is just an estimate, but I think this story is going to be thirty-or-so chapters! I'd appreciate it if anyone of you decided to stick around an md read it all!
Please read and review! I would absolutely LOVE to hear what you think!
This chapter was beta'd by SilverMidnightMoon! Huge thanks to them!