Chapter Eight: A Different Storm

I'm updating.

I dont own it.

Ravenwing growled as he exited the warriors den. He muscles were twitching inside him, begging for an opprutunity to spring to life. He had been in camp all day yesterday, because it had snowed thickly and the warriors were need to build a tunnel out of the camp. All he wanted now was a good run.

It was still snowing roughfully now. Few cats had dared to leave the shelter of their dens. Ravenwing hardly blamed them. He could barely see who was standing on the other side of camp.

"Graystripe!" he called to his friend. There was now anwser. "Graystripe!" he called louder again.

Graystripe turned. "Firestar?" he asked.

"No, its me Ravenwing!" Ravenwing said loudly.

"You cant find Ravenwing?" Graystripe called, his voice growing anxious.

"No!" Ravenwing sighed, dashing through the cold over to Graystripe.

"Oh." Graystripe said, shaking flakes of snow from his eyes. "Its cold."

"Yeah, I didnt notice." Ravenwing said sarcastically.

"Ravenwing!"

The toms turned. Another figure was seen exited the warriors den.

"dawningsun?" Ravenwing asked.

"Ravenwing?" Dawningsun asked, apparently not hearing him.

"DAWNINGSUN!" Ravenwing roared.

"Graystripe." Graystripe said, with a smirk.

Ravenwing batted him on the ear as Dawningsun approached. The three cats shivered as the snow picked up.

"What happened to the freshkill?" Dawningsun asked. She showed the toms a squirrel, which had been caught yesterday. Now, it was coated with snow, and frozen.

"Thats not good." Graystripe said.

"definatley not good." Ravenwing gulped. The wind picked up, howling as the snow roared on, without mercy. Ravenwing glanced at the camp exit. "I'll go hutning with Dawningsun. We need food." he said finally.

"I'll keep pushing the snow out of entrance. If this gets any worse, we could get stuck out in here." Graystripe said nervously. Ravenwing shuddered to thing of being trapped in a frozen camp. He imagined freezing like the squirrel Dawningsun had showed her.

"Alright." Graystripe said. "but be here by sunhigh. We cant risk any of our warriors getting lost in this storm."

"We'll be fine." Dawningsun purred.

Graystripe considered. "Be back by sunhigh, or I'm senidng warriors out to find you."

Ravenwing said goodbye to Graystripe and followed Dawningsun out of the frozen camp.

The storm continued without mercy. The sun seemed to have forgotten to rise. The forest was all white, and Ravenwing could scarely see Dawningsun, let alone the prey.

"We should sitck together, or we'll get lost." Ravenwing said loudly. He waited for Dawningsun to reply, expect she didnt.

"Dawningsun?" Ravenwing asked. He spun around wildly, trying to see her, or catch her scent. "Dawningsun!" he cried. Alll of the forest looked the same. The snow was thickening in his vision. He couldn't tell where he was.

"Dawningsun!" he cried one last time.

But no one heard him. The wind whoosed, and a tree branch crakcled, falling to the ground. But not before it struck an unsuspecting Ravenwing on the head.

WARRIORSROIRRAW

Dawningsun caught the scent of a rabbit and hasened to bring it down. She followed her prey, now a confident hunter. Once she took it down, she turned, expected to reutrn proudly to Ravenwing. But Ravenwing must not have realized she left his side. He was nowhere to be seen.

Dawningsun tried to stay calm, but fear was gripping her. She tried picking up Ravenwing's scent, but could detect nothing through the snow.

She looked up at the cloudy sky. She could faintly see the sun. It was sunhigh; Graystripe woul dbe getting worried. She needed to return to camp.

Ravenwing will go to camp when he realizes I'm not here. she thought.

But what if he doesnt? What if he stays out lookig for me, and freezes to death?

Dawningsun tried to shake the thought away. If she went looking for Ravenwing, and he was back at camp, the warriors would come out looking for her. If Ravenwing was lost, and she went looking, then Graystripe would tirks the lives of more warriors. She knew that Ravenwing would want her to return to camp safely.

Shaking her head, she set off in the direction she hoped the camp was. The snow filled her eyes, making them water. Small ice crystals formed around her eyes. Finally, she spotted the entrance.

Dawningsun bounded into through the tunnel, tossing her rabbit on the freshkill pile. She ran over to Firestar's den, her heart pouding, Firestar was curled inside, Graystripe beside him.

"Dawningsun, you're back." firestar said cheerfully.

"I cant find Ravenwing." she panted.

"What?" Graystripe said sharply.

Dawningsun took a deep breath. "I went off after a rabbit, and I after I caught it, Ravenwing was gone." she said. "The snow was too heavy for him to hear me, and I couldn't find his scent." she paused. "He's still out there!" she wailed desperately.

Graystripe licked her shoulder, but she backed away. Dawningsun didnt want comfort. She wanted Ravenwing home safley.

"We'll send out some warriors." Firestar said, springing to his paws.

"I'm afraid me have more pressing inssues sir."

Dawningsun turned. It was Brakenfur.

"The snows getting too thick." he said. "The entrance to camp is starting to get burried. If we dont act now, we'll get stuck in here."

firestar sighed. Then, he flicked his tail and the three warriors followed him out to the Highledge.

There was no need to call a Clan meeting. The cats had already gathered, expectiong condolense and soothing words from their leader.

"Cats of ThunderClan," he declared. "We have two pressing issues, and little time to loose. Therefor, there is no time for explanations or protests. I want my duties done instantly, without question." all warriors nodded at their leader in confusion. Firestar continued.

"The camp entrance has begun to be filled with snow." Firestar said, flicking his tail towards the rapidly filling entrance. "And in addition to that, Ravenwing is lost somewhere in the snow."

Wails of shock rippled through the awestruck Clan.

Firestar looked as though he was doing some fast thinking. "Me, Graystripe, and Dawningsun will lead a patrol out to find Ravenwing." he looked at the cats beside him, who nodded. "I also wantd Brambleclaw, Thornclaw, and Brakenfur, to find an alternate way out of camp. I dont care if it means breaking down our defensive walls; we cant get burried alive."

The warriors he addressed set off immediatley, examined the edges of the warriors den.

"Dustpelt, Cloudtail, Squirrelflight, Sandstorm, Spiderleg, and Rainwhisker, start digging out the entrance." Firestar went on.

"I want to help find Ravenwing." Cloudtail, being objective as usual.

"Cloudtail, you will get lost so easily in the snow." Firestar said, shaking his head. "The Clan needs you here."

Cloudtail sighed, but backed down.

"Everyone else, stay in camp. Apprentices can assist Bramblecla,w Brakenfur, and Thornclaw." he finished. He then flicked his tail to Dustpelt. "You are in charge of camp." he said. "We'll be back by sunhigh tomorrow."

"And if you're not?" Brkanefur asked tensley.

"We'll be back by sunhigh tomorrow." Firestar repeated. Dawningsun wondered if he was trying to convinve Brakenfur or himself.

"Lets go." Firestar sighed.

Dawningsun found it hard to keep up with the two toms. she held Firestar's tail between her teeth. Grastripe clenched her own. This was their only way to keep together without being lost completely, like Ravenwing.

"The snows letting up." Graystipre muttered, momentairly releasing his tail.

Firestar sighed. "I only hope Ravenwing is awake to notice it."

The leaders words tore at Dawningsun sharper then a fox's fang.

We're coming Ravenwing. she prayed desperately.

"Whats that?" said Graystripe suddently, gesturing towards a fallen branch. At first Dawningsun wondered what he was looknig at. Then she sat it. A lump of snow under the branch.

She darted over, dreading what she would find.

"Oh Ravenwing.." she whispered. She brushed snow off the lump, where she found some frozen tabby fur. "Ravenwing!" she cried, wishing more then anything that he would wake up.

"It looks like he's been there for hours." Firestar whispered. "He needs help immedialtey."

Graystripe nodded nervously. "Let's go."

The two toms tooke Ravenwing between them. Dawningsun's heart skipped a beat at the way his head bobbed to the side innocently.

They hurried back to camp. Now that the snow had let up, it was much easier to find their way. Dawingsun noticed the clearing where she had caught the rabbit earlier.

He was so far away. she thought.

Soon camp came within site. She was pleased to see warriors digging at the entrance, blowing the snow away.

"You're back- oh my StarClan!" Squirrelflight exclaimed, having seen Ravenwing.

"Move." Graystripe said sharply. All the warriors backed off as Ravenwing was bore into camp.

"Leafpool!" Firestar called. The tabby medicine cat hurried out and let out a small gasp as she saw Ravenwing.

"bring him here." she said quickly. They layed him down in a nest ad Leafpool examined him.

"He needs to be warmed." she said instantly. Dawningsun sat down and began to rub Ravenwing's frozen fur.

"Will he be okay?" said Graystripe hoarsely.

Leafpool looked at him swiftly.

"its too realy to say." she said quietly.

So here we are, snow for ThunderClan. This chapter is dedicated to all those folks like me in North East Pennsylvanis who finally got some snow!!! It was snowing when I wrote this. Hope you like it. Review.

Mistystream Sootfur's Loyalty.