RainClan

Chapter Two

Tonight's the half-moon? Sorrelpaw had completely forgotten since that morning, when she had faced utter humiliation twice. As all else Nightpaw had said sank in, she began to feel the first squirms of nervousness in her belly. At first, she hadn't been afraid to travel to the Starry Hollow to meet with the other medicine cats and StarClan; in fact, she had even been a little excited. But now, that excitement was washed away as a wave of doubt poured over her. What if Nightpaw's wrong? What if StarClan doesn't approve of our ever-growing relationship? Will they make me stop training to be a medicine cat? Will the force me to join FallsClan, or BeachClan, or I-islandC-c-clan? Will they punish me by banishing me from all Clans forever?

FallsClan lived around a pool with many small waterfalls pouring into it from little streams that ran through their part of the forest. Sorrelpaw didn't mind a little water, of course, but she couldn't think of having to wade through it every day just to get across camp. BeachClan lived along the pebble- and log-strewn coast, and hunted disgusting prey like mussels, crabs, and dirty seagulls. They also treated themselves to anything dead they happened to find washed up along their shores.

But IslandClan was by far the worst. They lived on a large island at least three treelengths out at sea, and swam through the frigid currents of the ocean to get to their other slice of territory, a small piece of forested shore only a treelength long. They were also the hermits of the Clans, hardly ever socializing with the other Clans and sticking to their own rocky, cliff-sided, windy island they somehow called home. No cat had ever dared attack that island, not only because it's a dangerous swim getting there, but the cliffs surrounding it were nearly impossible to climb unless you had been taught how to as an apprentice. I can't go there!

That night, Dappledrose found Sorrelpaw curled up in her nest within the roots of the fallen tree. "Wake up, Sorrelpaw. We must leave very soon. The sun's going down soon, and we must be in the Hollow by moonhigh. Sorrelpaw?" Sorrelpaw groaned and got up. "Okay. Where are our traveling herbs?"

"Oh, we won't be needing any of those."

As Sorrelpaw wondered about this, Dappledrose left the den hurriedly. "Come now, Sorrelpaw, or we'll be late!" Sorrelpaw came trotting after and the two made their way out of the camp and into the wet forest. "I've never been in the forest at night." Sorrelpaw said. "What if a… a bear eats us? Or a bobcat attacks us? Or, or…"

"Sorrelpaw, please! There is nothing to be afraid of. On this sacred night, StarClan is watching us. We're safe."

"Are you sure, Dappledrose?"

At this, Dappledrose stopped, causing Sorrelpaw to bump into her. She whipped around, looked into her apprentice's eyes, and said, "Sorrelpaw, never doubt our warrior ancestors!" She realized she was frightening her, and said more gently, "Sorrelpaw, there is absolutely nothing to worry about right now. Now stop behaving like a lost kit and follow me." Sorrelpaw obeyed, keeping her eyes on her mentor's tabby tail as not to actually become a lost kit. I'm not a kitten anymore, so stop treating me like one! Although she thought this, she didn't dare speak it aloud to her mentor, and so they continued on in silence until they came to a wide river. "We're almost there. Now all we must do is cross this river, and…" But Sorrelpaw wasn't listening. She just stared at all the water, probably as cold as ice, rushing past a foxlength ahead. "How are we going to cross that?"

"Well, if you've been listening to me, you would've known that we are going to walk across a fallen log." At least we don't have to swim. Thank StarClan. Dappledrose continued along the steep bank until they came to where the log was, or must've been a few days ago. "Um, what happened to the log? Because I'm not seeing any!"

"Don't worry, we'll just have to swim."

"Don't worry? How can I not worry? I can't swim!"

"Yes, you can. It's an instinct all cats have, even if we don't use it. Just jump into the water and your legs will do the rest."

Sorrelpaw gulped and tried to leap into the river, but her paws kept still so she half slid, half fell down the bank into the rushing torrent below. She tried doing as Dappledrose told her, to just let her legs swim her across, but they seemed frozen solid. "Help! Dappledrose, help me! Help me!" But her last plea was swept away by the thundering roar of the river. (This scene reminds me of a song I once wrote about someone drowning in a river. I think I'll post it as a review so my loyal readers can check it out!) No StarClan, no! I'm too young to join your ranks! As she thought that, she felt a pelt against her own. "Dappledrose!" Her mentor led her ashore, and she collapsed on the upper bank, coughing up water and trying to catch her breath. "Thank you! You saved my life!" She managed to say between splutters. "Well, that is what I'm supposed to do to any cat, right? You too, once your training's complete."

"I guess."

"Well, let's keep moving. We just need to walk through this small stretch of woods and we'll be there, and not a moment too soon!" With this, both she-cats got up and continued walking until they reached a small hollow covered in mosses and surrounded by ferns. Huge evergreen trees acted as a canopy above them, except for a small hole in amid all the clusters of leaves and branches. "Is this the Starry Hollow?"

"It sure is!" replied a nasal voice from the center of the hollow. Sorrelpaw jumped, not having realized that there were six other cats in the clearing with them. The speaker was an older-looking brown tabby tom with brown-green eyes. "Hi, I'm Frogcroak, and this is my apprentice, Dropletpaw!" A small silver tabby she-cat with sparkling blue eyes looked up at Sorrelpaw. "Hi," she whispered as quietly as a mouse. "Hi, I'm Sorrelpaw. Who are you guys?" She asked the other cats, her nervousness having vanished. She knew that Frogcroak and Dropletpaw were from FallsClan, as they smelled like fresh water and stone.

A pair of toms obviously from BeachClan spoke up next. "Nice to meet you, Sorrelpaw! I'm Driftsplash and he's Ospreyfeather." The grey and white tom next to him puffed up his chest, and Sorrelpaw guessed he had only just received his medicine cat name. He's acting as though he is the best medicine cat the Clans have ever seen! Driftsplash, a light brown cat with green eyes, walked up to Sorrelpaw and whispered, "Don't mind him, Sorrelpaw. He can be a bit full of himself from time to time, but he really is a good cat." Sorrelpaw could hardly believe it, but she nodded as though she agreed.

Finally, a long-haired black she-cat said, "Greetings. I am Nightshade, and this is my apprentice, Stormpaw." She motioned towards a dark grey she-cat who was probably no older than Sorrelpaw, who nodded and said, "Welcome to the Starry Hollow." Sorrelpaw nodded back, wondering why any cat would name their apprentice after a beautiful yet deadly flower. The name fit her, though.

This time, Dappledrose was the one to speak. "The moon's at its highest peak! It is time to visit StarClan." All the cats gathered in the center of the hollow, where they lay down in a patch of moonlight from the hole in the trees and instantly fell asleep. Sorrelpaw, realizing what was being done, ran up to them and lay down alongside Dappledrose. She felt herself being pulled by a sudden sleepiness, and after the long, tiresome journey she had just experienced, welcomed the feeling.

Sorrelpaw opened her eyes to the Hollow, except this Hollow was bathed in sunlight instead of darkness, and a beautiful, lush forest was spread out around them, followed by a pebbly beach and beautiful blue waters. As she gazed around, trying to spot a cat with stars in its pelt, she started at the sound of a voice behind her. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Sorrelpaw whirled around to come face-to-face with Stormpaw, the she-cat from IslandClan, and the other two apprentices, Ospreyfeather and Dropletpaw. She meant to say something along the lines of agreement, but what came out instead was "What are you cats doing here?" She became aware of the rudeness that lay in what she said and immediately apologized. "I mean, um… I just, and you…" Stormpaw silenced her by whipping her tail across Sorrelpaw's muzzle. "It's okay, I'm not easily offended. But look."

She pointed her tail at a pair of creatures walking down into the Hollow. One was a badger, and the other was a monstrous-looking thing with no hair and bulging blue eyes that could see nothing. Yet, Sorrelpaw felt they were looking at her, burning right through to her soul. "Hello, young cats of the Clans," rumbled the she-badger, startling the apprentices. First geese hiss like a cat, and now badgers talk like one? "I am Midnight. Come Rock and I have to speak with you." The bald cat, apparently called Rock, stepped forward. "Yes, hello, young cats. We have come to tell you something incredibly important." Sorrelpaw gasped, but Stormpaw remained cool. Sorrelpaw closed her mouth and tried to replicate Stormpaw. Rock spoke again, his voice sounding as ancient as he was. "Listen closely, and tell no one what you heard when you wake up:

'The mighty osprey and the powerful storm, the droplet of water, so small yet capable of causing peace-shattering ripples, and the healing sorrel stalk; all must become one to prevent all from becoming none.'

Good luck, young ones. And remember, there is a terrible danger coming from the heart of the Clan of storms, the Clan of rain. A danger that is out to destroy all cats willing to heal their Clanmates. Beware, it id closer than you think. Beware!" With that, they both vanished.

As Sorrelpaw woke up, she remembered her extreme first meeting with StarClan, and wildly looked around to locate the other apprentices. Ospreyfeather and Stormpaw were whispering to each other in the shade, while Dropletpaw was quietly yet swiftly talking to her mentor. Sorrelpaw caught some of what she was saying: "…and then, a bald cat came and said…" Before she could finish her sentence, Ospreyfeather, who apparently had also tuned into the conversation, pinned her to the ground and growled something in her ear. She whimpered, and the medicine cats leapt into action. Frogcroak and Driftsplash pulled him off the tiny she-cat while Dappledrose and Nightshade comforted her.

After that incident, all the medicine cats headed for home, the "powerful storm" and the "mighty osprey" walking toward the ocean while the "droplet of water" headed to the direction of the morning sun and the "healing sorrel stalk" trotted in the direction the warmer winds blow from.

So, we found out about the other Clans, had a special appearance made by Rock and Midnight, and got to hear a prophecy. All in almost 2,000 words (finally, a long chapter!).