Yah! Chapter Two… it's about time! Anyways, a bundle of thanks to my reviewers and my beta, Lady Grace of Masobelle!
Skypaw slowly opened his eyes, and then jumped in surprise. He was in a grassy clearing. A fine mist blocked most of his view as he clawed the damp grass. He heard the soft voice of another cat; he recognized it as his father, the late deputy, Ashfeather.
Skypaw uttered a cry of delight as he rushed towards his father, who was standing in the mist. He looked just like he always had, proud and regal with a hint of resentment.
"I have a message for you, Skypaw" Ashfeather said quietly. "Over River and yonder hill lie the answers to your questions"
"Wha… what" Skypaw stammered. Ashfeather just purred in amusement.
"You will understand my son" And with those final parting words, He disappeared into the fine mist.
"No!!" Skypaw cried in despair "Ashfeather, come back!!"
Skypaw woke with a jolt to the sound of Moonpaw whispering. "Come on" She said. "I need to talk to you. Get going, you lazy mousebrain."
Skypaw stumbled clumsily out of the apprentices den into the sunshine of the WindClan camp. A few cats were bustling around the small clearing, all the rest were already hunting and patrolling. Moonpaw trotted up to her mentor, Greytail, with Skypaw padding after.
"Greytail, can Skypaw and I go hunting?" She asked eagerly. Greytail looked thin and weary, and his ribs were easily visible through his thin matted fur.
"Alright" He said after a long pause, "but be back before sunhigh." His voice cried after Moonpaw ran off with Skypaw close behind.
They stopped when they reached the middle of WindClan territory. The wind was blowing violently across the moors, sending Moonpaw's fur billowing as she turned to face Skypaw.
She sighed. "I had a dream last night" she said so quietly Skypaw could barely hear her.
"Me too!" Skypaw cried loudly.
"Shhh" Moonpaw hissed. "Do you want all of WindClan involved in this?!"
"No" mumbled Skypaw, embarrassed of his outburst.
"Good. Well in my dream," she began. "My mother, Dustfur, visited me. She told me to journey over a hill and a river to find what I was looking for."
"That's what Ashfeather told me." Skypaw whispered in reply.
"Do you think we should leave?"
"I don't know. I'm so close to finishing my training."
"The Clan needs us."
"How will this effect WindClan?"
Moonpaw sighed, as if she knew no one would believe what she said. "I think the cure is what I'm looking for, so I think that what Dustfur meant when she said I would find what I was looking for,"
"But Ashfeather said I would find answers!" Skypaw whispered harshly.
"Maybe you will," She suggested casually. "Now lets find prey before Greytail chases us to ThunderClan."
Greytail doesn't have the energy to chase a mouse to camp! Skypaw thought. Suddenly movements in the brush made him yelp in surprise.
"Shhh, it's me, Darkstorm, I want to come with you!" Skypaw's jaw dropped.
"But… but why?" Skypaw asked.
Darkstorm sighed softly "I've made too many mistakes in my life." Her eyes glazed over, lost in memories. She shook her head and her eyes cleared. "I want to fix them…" Her voice trailed of into the distance. "I've done some bad things" she mewed softly. "This is my only chance to redeem myself. Please let me come Skypaw!!"
"Oh, alright you can come." He said quietly "We leave at dawn tomorrow!" He was going to find answers! But what are my questions? He wondered as he turned back to camp leaving Darkstorm alone on the moors. As he trotted slowly to the clearing the cries of dying cats made him recoil in fear. Even if we find a cure, he wondered, will we return in time?
"No luck hunting, Skypaw" His mentor Sparrowsong called out. Just like Greytail her ribs were profoundly visible, and her previously shiny and sleek fur was matted and dirty.
"No," he muttered quietly. He hadn't even been hunting; he hated lying to his mentor, or anyone for that matter.
"How about we battle train for a bit, and then try hunting again. Maybe by then the rabbits will have come out of their dens!"
"Sure," Skypaw grumbled as he slowly dragged his paws after his mentor. There's no hope for this clan, or any of the clans for that matter. Even if we find a cure, we'll all die of starvation!
"Skypaw are you listening?" The sound of Sparrowsong's voice snapped Skypaw back to reality. "Attack me!"
Skypaw pounced, but Sparrowsong knocked him down with a blow from her left paw.
"Come on Skypaw! You can do better than that!" His mentor scolded. I know, he thought. "I think you might be sick, go and rest. Maybe you'll feel better tomorrow."
I won't be here tomorrow, he thought. Nor will Darkstorm or Moonpaw. We'll be looking for something we probably won't find, and we probably won't return.
As he settled down to sleep he heard Sparrowsong, and the medicine cat, Fishfur discussing his fate.
"Do you think he's sick?" His mentor asked anxiously.
No," Fishfur replied "If anything he's tired. We all are working overtime, just give him some rest and he'll be fine."
Skypaw wondered if he'd ever see these cats again. He'd never know. Great StarClan! Help me save the clans!
Uh oh! Cliffie! I'll try to update soon. And to all those who saw this story before, someone gave like 1,000 spam reviews so I had to delete it and repost it.
Bye-
The Light In The Forest