Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took FOREVER. I got caught up in X-mas and whatever. So here it is! Chapter Three!
"What happened yesterday? What's the MoonHowl?" SpottedTail queried as CrowTail stood up.
"Ya whuh?" he asked sleepily.
"What is the MoonHowl? Everyone was talking about it," SpottedTail repeated.
"Oh yeah. It takes place at Four Stones. It's where some wolves from each clan come together and share messages and things. Then they all howl at the moon, and they get dreams and a glimpse of what life is like after death, or something. Then the leaders talk about events. It happens every full moon," CrowTail explained.
Well then what happened?" SpottedTail repeated.
"Well, it went normally. Kind of. RedMoon told them about you, then when MudClan's leader stepped forward, there was a kind of storm and MoonClan wanted them to stop," he replied. Then he padded out the den and started towards the pile of fresh prey.
"Hey, can you smell that?" he asked. SpottedTail raised his muzzle and sniffed the air. The scent of deer was waving in from the entrance. "I think the hunting patrol's caught something big!" CrowTail exclaimed, then bounded towards the smell.
"Hi StormClaw!" he greeted as the patrol moved in. They were carrying a deer.
"Save a leg for me. I need to go talk to RedMoon," the grey wolf replied, then set the deer down next to the pile. Then he headed towards the big stump that was the leader den.
CrowTail was already pestering EbonyHeart.
"Can I have some?"
"Not until you bring the elders some,"
"But I'm hungry!"
"Feed the clan first,"
SpottedTail watched in amusement as CrowTail grumbled past, carrying a big slab of meat.
"Good morning EbonyHeart," he stepped toward his mentor.
"Hello SpottedTail," she replied. "Have you heard?"
"Heard what?" he asked, confused.
"Nevermind. RedMoon will tell us in due time. Should we go out and hunt?" she pushed away the matter. SpottedTail nodded and followed her up the slope.
* * * * *
SpottedTail and EbonyHeart returned with fat rabbits in each mouth. The camp was eerily quiet. When he looked around, he noticed a small shape in the center of the camp, and he edged closer to take a look. It was a wolf, a bit older but smaller than he was. It's white fur was bleached with red, and it's head, front legs, tail and most of the skin from the muzzle were missing.
"What happened?" he asked. A white and brown female whipped around to jump on him.
"He was my son! He was killed! Something got him!" she whined.
Bewildered, SpottedTail looked at EbonyHeart.
"My patrol found WhiteTail next to a tree stump near Four Stones," she answered his unspoken question. He nodded solemnly. Then he heard RedMoon's bark and turned around.
"All wolves that can catch their own prey, gather here for a Clan Meeting." SpottedTail sat himself in with the crowd.
"You all know what happened today. The Dawn Patrol found WhiteTail's body in shreds at Four Stones. We must be wary, for we do not want this to happen again. No wolf did this. Be careful around Four Stones," RedMoon advised and finished on that note, then leapt off the stump.
SpottedTail looked around for CrowTail. When he assumed he had gone on a training session with his mentor, he walked to the apprentice's den and lay down. This was all happening too quickly. He had just become a member of the clan.
"SpottedTail," a voice called him and he stared at the bush. A white head popped up from underneath it. It was StarTail. She pulled the rest of her body under and sat next to him.
"WhiteTail was my brother," she murmured as she watched the sun slowly sink down. A pang of grief shook SpottedTail.
"I'm so sorry," he replied, even though he barely knew the apprentice. He glanced at the wolf beside her. She was staring down at her paws, ears flat against her head.
"Look, it's not really your fault is it?" he nudged StarTail, and she lifted her head.
"No, I suppose it's not. But I miss him already. I only have my mother left," she looked at SpottedTail, and their eyes met briefly. He suddenly felt uncomfortable, and stood up.
"Um, I've gotta go," he lied and raced away to the warrior's den to find EbonyHeart. He saw her, and asked her if they could go out training. As they were walking towards the entrance, SpottedTail saw StarTail padding over to the medi-hound den looking glum.
* * * * *
A wolf that looked like SpottedTail's older twin sat, infront of a giant tooth which joined to the ceiling, staring at the younger version.
"Who are you?" SpottedTail asked. It just carried on watching. "Am I dreaming?" he inquired.
"Why don't you do anything?" he demanded. The white spotted wolf just kept staring at him, without even blinking. Then it opened it mouth. All the light around them dimmed, so he could only see it.
"The clouds..." it replied in an unearthly voice.
"The clouds?" SpottedTail repeated, confused.
"The clouds will rain blood on the darkest day," he repeated. Then the scene faded from view, and SpottedTail was falling-
"SpottedTail!" a voice barked, and he opened his eyes. CrowTail was pawing him. "You were having a nightmare!" he guessed.
"Huh?!" SpottedTail squinted. The change from darkness to daylight hurt his eyes. He slowly realised he was lying in the apprentice den, with sunlight pouring in through the leafy walls, and it was just a dream. He staggered to his feet and shook himself.
"What were you dreami-" CrowTail began, but a shriek of delight made them turn their heads. WhiteTail had dashed outside with a crunch into a pile of white snow.
"Hey guys! It's snowing!" she called out, and SpottedTail left the den so he didn't have to answer CrowTail's question. He messed about with WhiteTail, flicking snow at her and pounced on her whenever he had the chance. A little later, some of the pups let out squeals of joy as they tumbled over each other, playing and scuffling in the snow. Then some of the Warriors began to woke up, and stepped outside to see what all the noise was about. SpottedTail suddenly felt bored, and went to see what CrowTail was doing. He was waiting outside the warrior den.
"Who are you waiting for?" he asked.
"EbonyHeart. But she's probably gone on a patrol or something. Say, wanna go hunting?" CrowTail replied. SpottedTail nodded, and they bounded up the steep slope and into the forest. All sorts of scents met in his nose. Birds and mice and other NightClan wolves and...what was that? He twitched his nose towards it. It was certainly not something normal.
"Can you smell that?" he whispered to CrowTail.
"Yes. Do you know what it is?" he replied. SpottedTail shook his head. "I think we should follow it," CrowTail evoked, and without an answer, he shot towards it. SpottedTail sighed and followed him. The thing was sure to hear it, crunching through the snow.
The scent got stronger as they approached the PineClan border. The trees were beginning to thin out. They reached the stream, and the scent changed. It led along the stream. CrowTail chased the scent. It lead them to a clearing, where there were no trees. But instead, four huge rocks, pointing in the direction of each clan. The edge of the clearing was damp and slightly red. They smelt strongly of blood. No wolf did this, SpottedTail decided. The blood-soaked ground had lines going from each rock, joining in the middle to form a circle with an X in the middle. There was a limp body lying in the middle of the X. The first question that flashed through his mind was Who did this?
While SpottedTail was staring around the strange clearing, CrowTail had slinked forward cautiously towards the body. It was about the size of a two-moon pup, with dark grey fur. CrowTail crept up to it. The pup's eyes were glazed, and it's mouth was opened, probably in last a cry to it's mother. A strong stench was coming off it. Upwalker mixed with...
"SnowClan. I-I think the Upwalkers killed this..this..." he couldn't finish the sentence. A stunned silence followed it.
"Should we report this to RedMoon?" SpottedTail asked hesitantly.
Suddenly a strangled yelp emitted from somewhere, and an Upwalker jumped up from a bush. It had a long trail of fur from underneath it's mouth, and bits of twigs and leaves stuck out from it. The fur on it's head was wild and tangled like a bramble bush. It seemed to be wearing a pelt of deer. The Upwalker was grabbing a pointed thing in it's paw. SpottedTail flattened his ears and growled. CrowTail whipped round and bared his teeth in a snarl. As soon as it saw this, the Upwalker relaxed and dropped it's pointed thingy. CrowTail relaxed too; but SpottedTail didn't. He thought that this Upwalker had come to take him away again, inside that monster.
"Calm down, boy. I can see that you're a wolf. I'm not gonna hurt you." the Upwalker opened it's mouth in a strange attempt to communicate with the wolves. To SpottedTail it sounded like 'colm down buh. Ee can sey tat yoor a wolf. Eem not gonner hurt yoo.' What was this crazed Upwalker on about?
CrowTail however, seemed to understand better. He glanced at his spotted friend, mouthing 'He says he won't hurt us,' SpottedTail sat down, but did not tear his gaze from the deer-pelted beast.
"Why can you talk like us?" the long-furred wolf replied, wondering if the Upwalker would understand.
"I am wild. Can you under stand me? I am friends," the Upwalker responded in a set of short barks. CrowTail nodded.
What's going to happen next?...
*gasp* Psycho hippy wolf man?!