Wheeeeeee thanks to everyone who reviewed, I never expected to get over 10! You get a Seapaw plushie, and the eyes even change colors to match the ocean! ) And now, some individual responses.
Rabbitstorm: Thanks so much for all your responses! And those are very good questions, you picked up on a lot of stuff I thought people wouldn't. I wish I could answer all of them, but I'd ruin the story. But I promise they'll be answered in due time
StarClan's Nightmare: Yes, StarClan and IslandClan are one and the same. I did actually contemplate having them be called "Sandisland" and "Twilightisland", but I decided against it because I already made a lot of changes to the ideas of the Clans, and also, who'd want to be a Sandisland? XD Not me!
FrostFire15: I'm sorry! I had no idea you were writing something like this. Well, you could still post your story, I wouldn't say you were copying me.
Calicopelt, Heatherpelt, Freeheart, Watersoul: Thanks so much for your support!
And now, onto the story!
GOLDENHAWK
Tawny eyes stared, unblinkingly, at the clear sky, scanning it for birds of prey. The sky was cloudless and shades of striking blue not found anywhere else on earth. The amber orbs blinked once slowly, and the cat to whom they belonged let out an impatient sigh. The cat was a handsome tabby, his pelt covered in rippling golden stripes and his chest fur a brilliant shade of white. The tabby sent a silent prayer for rain to IslandClan; they had not seen rain for a half-moon now, and the hot sun was drying up all of the places where they could gather water.
Almost a half-moon had passed since Goldenhawk had met Seapaw, and he still had mixed feeling about the promise he had made her. For starters, she was probably the most annoying cat that had ever walked on this island. She was obnoxious and self-centered, and she hadn't done anything to endear herself to him. Not to mention she was a learner from an enemy Clan, the enemy Clan. But Goldenhawk was also strangely drawn to the silver apprentice. She, too, had heard the whispers of their ancestors in the Protector's chamber, and he couldn't forget the haunted look in her ocean-blue eyes when she had described Flamefrost. Flamefrost had been Goldenhawk's trainer, and he sorely missed the golden tabby she-cat. Goldenhawk had been sure that Seapaw wasn't lying about her dream. But why had Flamefrost chosen to speak to Seapaw, an ordinary MeadowClan learner, in her dreams? Goldenhawk hoped that his next visit to the Protector, which was tomorrow night, would provide him with answers. And he foolishly had promised Seapaw to tell her what the Protector said.
Goldenhawk gazed around the CoralClan camp, where everything seemed to be peaceful. The CoralClan camp was in a slight dip in their flat territory, surrounded by tangles of thorns and brambles on every side. Not even a fox would risk running through the sharp thorns. There was a small burrow, only big enough for a cat to fit through, that the CoralClan protectors had dug, so that they would keep out foxes and birds of prey. The cats of CoralClan slept in burrows that they had dug themselves, and they covered the holes with leaves of acacia trees so that they would not get wet. In the middle of their camp, a tall, ancient rock stood, which the CoralClan cats had dubbed the Speakingrock. Twilightstar, and sometimes Cliffstorm, would leap upon the Speakingrock to address the Clan. Goldenhawk noticed the slight crack in the Speakingrock, which led to Twilightstar's den. He narrowed his eyes as he noticed Cliffstorm, his brown-and-black striped tail disappearing into the den.
Three small kits raced out a burrow near the center of the camp and almost bowled the CoralClan healing cat over. He blinked down at a little silver tabby, called Featherkit, who looked completely horrified to have run straight into him. Her brothers, Pelicankit and Littlekit, looked equally mortified, and stared at their light gray paws.
"Sorry, Goldenhawk!" Featherkit squeaked, her fluffy silver tail tucked firmly between her legs. She was the spitting image of her father, Icewhisker. Pelicankit and Littlekit looked more like Gentlebreeze, their mother, with their fur more gray than silver, and broader heads. "We were just playing chase off the MeadowClan cat!" Goldenhawk's tabby tail curled up in amusement as her brothers nodded solemnly, clearly backing up her story.
"Just be more careful next time," Goldenhawk replied, trying to hide his amusement at their fear of his anger. "You're lucky you didn't run into Planktonclaw. His joints are stiff, and you might seriously hurt him."
The three kits stared up at him with huge, serious blue eyes, and they nodded seriously, slinking back into the nursery at an extremly slow pace as though they were taking care not to tread on a single pebble. Goldenhawk watched them, amusement glimmering in his amber eyes, before turning to survey the camp again.
His golden-brown tail was held high in the air as he trotted towards the fresh-kill pile, now swelling after the sunhigh patrol. He mewed a friendly greeting to Shadowpaw, a small black learner, who dipped his head politely in turn. Whiskers twitching in thought, Goldenhawk reflected on how much Shadowpaw resembled his father, Cliffstorm. His eyes flickered over to a very small white she-cat who was sitting near the tree stump where the protectors ate with a green fish that she had taken from the fresh-kill pile. He saw that her fish remained untouched, and she stared at it with unfocused, clouded blue eyes that were the color of the clear sky. His heart twisted in pity for her, and he felt a twinge of unease see that she looked slightly thinner than usual. It was not surprising; she was, after all, the mother of Branchpaw, who, according to Twilightstar, had been brutally murdered by the paws of the MeadowClan delegate Tornadostorm in a border fight. Goldenhawk felt his ivory paws prickle with guilt; what kind of healing cat was he not to notice how depressed the CoralClan protector had become?
Goldenhawk suddenly did not feel hungry, and he trotted calmly over to Breezeclaw, who continued to stare blankly at her fish. He noticed that her normally sleek ivory pelt was ungroomed, and her eyes looked dull, as her life had ended instead of her son's.
"Breezeclaw?" He mewed hesitantly, wondering if she would welcome his intrusion on her memories. Breezeclaw blinked, and to Goldenhawk's relief, some of the life seemed to enter her eyes as she turned her blue gaze onto the CoralClan healing cat. "I was just wondering if you would like some resting herbs."
Breezeclaw's white fur bristled defensively, and she began to meow a hot reply, but she noticed the genuine concern in the healing cat's demeanor, and she relaxed, her fur flattening to her spine as she nodded, gratitude brimming in her dull eyes. Goldenhawk swiftly padded towards his den, which was located in a small hollow near the camp entrance, where a small stream trickled in through the protective thorns surrounding the camp. His hollow was large, with comfortable mossy nests for sick cats, and his own nest had been dug in the walls of the dirt hollow so he could be near the sick cats. The herbs were in the back of the hollow, neatly organized in piles on the walls of the den. He swiftly padded to the pile of , and emerged from his den to find a completely different scene unfolding.
Cats huddled in a mass around an onimously unmoving shape, their limbs stiff and eyes wide with shock. Their pelts were brushing, as if they were united in their fear, which was pungent to smell. He could almost scent their disbelief and horror, and Goldenhawk pushed his way to the front of the crowd of CoralClan cats. Overlaying all of these scents of horror and fear was the smell of freshly-spilled blood, and the CoralClan cat felt the fur along his spine prickle in horror as he stared down at the dead body of Whispersong.
Goldenhawk closed his amber eyes in pain as he pushed his muzzle to her blood-stained silver fur, tasting death as he drew close to the protector. Bittersweet regret rose in his throat like bile, and he swallowed, a hard lump in his throat. Twilightstar emerged from her den, with Cliffstorm close behind her, and let out a yowl of grief as she saw the body of her dead protector. The cats parted to let the two CoralClan cats approach the fallen silver tabby. Twilightstar's green eyes flashed with rage as she swung her head around to look at the gathered cats.
"How did this happen?" She demanded, her white tail lashing commandingly, as her Clan cringed before her vengeful anger. Sunstrike, a dark ginger tabby with rippling red stripes, limped forward. Her light green eyes were unusually bright with pain, and Goldenhawk saw such sadness in her viridian pools that he thought his heart would break by just looking at her. Whispersong, he remembered, was Sunstrike's sister. Goldenhawk's eyes flashed with anger as he saw deep, bloody clawmarks along her pelt, touched to flame by the sun, that had given her her warrior name.
"We had crossed over the border that MeadowClan had set to hunt in the Fishingpond," Sunstrike began, her voice ragged with grief. Her voice faltered, but she continued on, "We were just hunting peacefully when Heronwing, Twisterclaw and his learner, Typhoonpaw, along with that mangy Tornadostorm, ambushed us from behind. Whispersong and I were outnumbered, but I managed to take the life of Twisterclaw. I did not know she was in danger, for I was fighting off Twisterclaw and his learner. By the time they left, I was wounded badly, and they had given Whispersong a fatal wound. We tried to make it back to camp, but it was too much for her. She died near the Oceanpool."
Yowls of grief echoed across the camp, and Sunstrike sank to her paws, exhausted from the fight and her long journey home. Goldenhawk bowed his head, almost overwhelmed by grief, before realizing that he needed to tend to Sunstrike's wounds. He slipped into his den quickly, and grabbed cobwebs and marigold in his powerful jaws; he also had brought some thyme leaves, in case Sunstrike was in shock.
"Whispersong was a brave protector. I could always count on her to perform her duty to CoralClan," Twilightstar was meowing as the healing cat approached the huddle of grief-stricken cats again. Twilightstar's gray-and-white pelt gleamed under the sunlight, and her emerald eyes flickered to the silver tabby's body. Icewhisker and Sunstrike were crouched beside Whispersong, their tongues grooming the dead she-cat's fur. The CoralClan ruler added, "She was a loyal friend, and a loving sibling. Icewhisker and Sunstrike will sit vigil with her until moonhigh, and any other cat may join them. I swear by IslandClan that her death will not go unavenged. "
"I'll slay Tornadostorm for this!" Goldenhawk was shocked to see Cliffstorm's yellow eyes glittering with undisguised hatred as he hissed threats about the MeadowCland delegate. "Who does he think he is? I won't let him kill any more of our noble protectors, and that's a promise!"
A quiet murmur of agreement, but still strong, rose from the CoralClanners, although their hollow eyes still showed their grief and disbelief. They began to scatter, and Goldenhawk quietly padded up to Sunstrike, who had her nose pushed into her sister's silver fur. Goldenhawk chewed the marigold leaves into a poultice, and spat the juice onto the cobwebs. Gently, he applied pressure to a long wound along Sunstrike's left flank. She flinched and looked up at Goldenhawk with sad, beautiful eyes. Her eyes were a hazy cloud of grief, but he saw gratitude brighten the terrible dullness in her eyes. When most of the wounds had stopped bleeding, Goldenhawk pressed his nose into Whispersong's fur.
"You will be honored by IslandClan," He murmured quietly, believing with all of his heart that it was true. His head swimming with sadness, he let his golden tail droop to the ground and drag in the sand. He saw the herbs he had gotten for Breezeclaw earlier lying abandoned on the ground, and he picked them up in his mouth and trotted into the protectors' den, which was another burrow in the ground. Breezeclaw was lying in her nest, her blue eyes wide open but focusing on something Goldenhawk couldn't see. Her eyes snapped onto Goldenhawk, and he dipped his head politely, unable to say anything due to the fact that he was carrying herbs. Dropping them in a neat pile at her paws, he saw her eyes glisten with sadness as she obediently ate them, her tail-tip twitching. Not wanting to disturb her silent grief, he backed out of the den.
The sun was well descended in the orange-and-pink sky as Goldenhawk picked out a particularly plump-looking fish from the fresh-kill pile, his forgotten hunger coming back twice as strong now. The setting sun painted the sky blood-red. The thought of blood turned his thoughts back to Whispersong, and the healing cat watched as Shadowpaw joined Icewhisker and Sunstrike in their vigil for their fallen sister. Shadowpaw was the single kit of Sunstrike and Cliffstorm, and Goldenhawk saw Shadowpaw press his muzzle to his aunt's fur.
Feeling ill at ease, Goldenhawk picked up his half-eaten fish and descended into his solitary den. He did not want to watch another dead Clanmate's vigil, and, in his large burrow, he felt more alone than ever. His thoughts drifted to a certain annoying silver learner, and he felt his paws prickle with frustration at himself for promising her to tell her about what the Protector said. He could always break his promise to Seapaw, but just imagining the hurt in her ocean-blue eyes the next time they would meet was almost too much to even think of.
He settled into his mossy nest, suddenly exhausted, and curled his golden-striped tail over his dark amber eyes. Grief for Whispersong, Branchpaw, and all of the cats of CoralClan flooded over him like a tide, and for a moment he thought his gold tabby pelt could not contain it. He felt a slight tug at his paws as he realized that tonight, MeadowClan would be grieving, too, for Twisterclaw. Twisterclaw, Goldenhawk remembered, had three young kits that he had left behind as he had passed into IslandClan. Goldenhawk wondered if Seapaw would sit vigil with the small gray tabby, but he pushed the thoughts of the silver learner aside. He had duties and responsibilites to his Clan. He didn't have time to daydream about the annoying silver tabby, or her pretty blue eyes.
Exhaustion flooded his body again, and Goldenhawk closed his tawny-colored eyes that seemed to suddenly weigh more than the Speakingrock. He struggled vainly to stay awake, but several heartbeats later, sleep crashed down on him like a montrous wave in Storm season, and he let it take him under.
A/N: Not a very interesting chapter, but I had to write some filler stuff. So R&R, please, I promise the next chapter will be action-packed!