OMG so many reviews! *spazes out* I am so thankful to all of you and I'm so happy you have enjoyed it so far. It really means a lot to me. Anyway, this is a dramatic chapter so for those of you who love drama…well, this will hopefully be good for you. ^-^ as usual, comments shall be at the end.
Thanks again!
Rowanpaw's POV
Rowanpaw could not believe he had been so stupid as to say all the things he had spat at Echokit. His heart twisted as the image of the hurt that shone on her face sprung to his mind. His once closest friend would never be able to look at him the same way because of what he did. Why did his temper always have to get the best of him? Why had he let himself hurt her so much? He couldn't come up with an answer to either.
Feeling the raw emotion that could only be guilt, Rowanpaw trudged back to the clearing where Windfur was waiting. His silver mentor looked up from her grooming as Rowanpaw appeared through the trees.
"So, did you find anything interesting?" Windfur asked brightly.
He knew he couldn't say anything about Echokit. No matter what they thought of each other at the moment, he would never betray her. "I could scent so many different things!" he answered with as much enthusiasm he could muster. "Can we visit the borders now?"
Windfur flicked him with her tail. "Not today," she purred. "We have to get back to the camp now."
Rowanpaw nodded absently, not really caring at the moment. He followed Windfur as they padded back through the forest. Birds called to one another from way up high and the sky started to change color as the sun began to set, casting a pretty glow over the woods. He lifted his face to the clouds and squinted at the vibrant coloring.
Echokit, where are you? Come home soon. I'm so sorry.
Echokit's POV
"Well?" Crowstar demanded, laying his disgusted glare on Echokit. She shrunk back, flattening her wet body to the ground. She felt Iceheart shuffle closer, as if protecting her. She had a fleeting thought as to why a RiverClan cat she didn't even know would want to guard her.
"Crowstar," Iceheart began confidently, although Echokit could detect a flash of fear in her blue eyes. "We found this kit in the river. She would've drowned had I'd not saved her."
Crowstar shifted his gaze to the Medicine Cat and Echokit looked at the warriors who flanked the leader. A huge black and white tomcat stood to the left while a tortoiseshell she-cat looked on from the right. The look in those dangerous eyes told Echokit to keep her mouth shut. She knew both cats would not hesitate to kill her.
"I will allow you to explain yourselves before I decide whether to kill you or not," Crowstar hissed. Iceheart didn't so much as blink at the threat while Sunleaf stared in horror at her leader. Echokit found herself thanking StarClan that she had a leader who cared for his Clan and a father who loved her and her brother.
"Crowstar, I was gathering herbs with Sunleaf when I saw this kit-" Iceheart nudged Echokit with her paw. "-splashing around in the river. She was drowning so I jumped in and saved her."
Crowstar growled deeply. "You saved a ThunderClan kit? They are our enemies and you saved one of their kits?"
Even with her life on the line, Echokit had to speak up. "I think we've covered that she saved me already. You don't have to keep repeating it."
The RiverClan leader flung his head around and pushed his face close to hers. His foul smelling breath washed over her and his eyes were wild and crazy. "Listen to me you worthless piece of crow food, you are going to come back to my camp, and you're not going to make another sound or try to get away because I will kill you myself. Say goodbye to your beloved forest because you aren't going to see it for a long time. Do you understand me?"
"But you can't-" Echokit protested.
"ENOUGH!"
Unsheathed claws dug into her head and flung her to the ground on a bed of reeds. Blood started to flow, falling into her eyes as she tried to focus. Pain surged through her and she had to keep herself from crying out. Suddenly, Echokit felt the sharp rasp of a tongue and realized Iceheart had begun to lick her wound.
"What are you doing?" Crowstar yowled, leaping forward and dragging the Medicine Cat away. Iceheart struggled but soon the other two warriors surrounded her. The black and white tom raked his claws down her side and the white cat shrieked in pain. She tore at Crowstar and managed to hit him in the eye. He yowled in fury and grabbed her by the scruff, shaking her violently back and forth. Echokit could only watch, helpless. She saw Sunleaf cowering to the ground, not even trying to help her friend.
As Iceheart's aiming grew feebler, Crowstar spat her to the ground, staring in disgust. The Medicine Cat's breathing was shallow as blood spilled out from her wounds, tainting the ground a dull red. Crowstar bent his brown and white head to her ear and Echokit strained to hear what he said.
"Next time you want to disobey my orders, be prepared to join the ranks of StarClan. You're lucky I'm letting you live this time. Don't let there be another."
Echokit gasped in horror. How could StarClan allow a cat so viscous to be leader? She watched Iceheart worriedly, afraid the young cat wouldn't be able to recover from an attack that bad.
"Clumpfur," Crowstar instructed harshly. The black and white cat stepped forward eagerly. "Take this ThunderClan piece of scum back to the Clan and we'll figure out what to do with it later."
"Sure thing Crowstar," the tom growled. A malicious triumph flared in his eyes as he walked towards Echokit and picked her roughly off the reeds. She let out a cry as his muzzle hit her head wound.
"Oops, my bad," Clumpfur sneered. Echokit lashed at him with tiny claws but he just looked down at her in cold amusement. She hung limply from his jaws and stared at Iceheart. The Medicine Cat's blue eyes were unfocused and cull as she gasped for air. She was missing patches of fur and blood poured from the deep claw mark down her side.
"What can I do Crowstar?" the tortoiseshell she-cat asked hopefully, looking at her leader in adoration.
Crowstar barely gave her a glance. "Make sure this sorry excuse for a cat doesn't die yet." He flicked his tail absently towards Iceheart.
The she-cat looked confused. "How do I do that?"
"How should I know?" Crowstar snarled, rounding on her. "Are you questioning my orders, Willowfeather?"
The cat, Willowfeather, looked at her paws. Her ears were slanted back in embarrassment and she dipped her head in utter respect. "N-no, never Crowstar," she stammered fearfully.
Coward! Echokit snarled silently to the submissive cat. Learn to stand up for yourself you fox-heart!
"Good. Wouldn't want you ending up like this stupid cat, now would we?" Maniac glee dripped from his voice like maple from a leaf, revealing that he would actually enjoy hurting another cat.
Crowstar padded past Clumpfur, stopping only to hiss at Echokit, "Make one sound and I promise you'll never see your Clan again."
Echokit wisely stayed mute, even though her defiant side itched to make a snide remark. Clumpfur began to follow Crowstar back to the camp when Willowfeather meowed, "What are you still doing here?"
Crowstar halted and turned back, his eyes narrowing in on a terrified Sunleaf. The golden she-cat crouched as low as she could. Crowstar walked up to her and titled his head.
"Sunleaf isn't it?" he meowed quietly.
She nodded, not looking up from her paws.
"And I take that this cat is your friend?" He motioned to where Iceheart still lay on the reeds. Sunleaf could only stare at the white she-cat in fear.
"Speak, you piece of fox dung!" Crowstar spat, his tail lashing.
"N-no, I m-mean yes…" Echokit saw her begin to tremble.
"Well? Yes or no?"
Echokit was starting to feel a bit lightheaded and woozy and her scruff hurt from Clumpfur's teeth digging into her. She wished she had never left the ThunderClan camp. She'd give anything to be back with Pinekit and Featherpool. She'd even be grateful to go back to her conversation with Rowanpaw! Anything was better than watching this cruel scene continue to unfold before her and not be able to do anything to stop it.
Sunleaf stayed silent, either unwilling or just unable to answer her leader's question.
"Not speaking huh?" Crowstar asked.
"Oh, can I kill her Crowstar?" Willowfeather burst out, desperately wanting to prove herself.
Crowstar took a long time answering. "No, not yet," he finally meowed, not taking his eyes off Sunleaf. "Maybe a few days without prey will get her to learn how to answer a simple question."
Echokit gaped at the RiverClan cats. This was horrifying! What was happening to the once noble Clan and why wasn't any cat doing anything to stop Crowstar? They were either on his side or just too cowardly to speak up.
Her gaze shifted to Iceheart who hadn't managed to get up yet, although the blood was no longer flowing. No, not all cats in this Clan are cowards. She thought hazily. She was starting to feel dizzy and the effects of the day started to bear down on her. Having almost drowned and then witnessing the disturbing horrors, she was exhausted.
Her eyes started to close and thoughts of Hawkstar and all the cats of ThunderClan came in flashes. The last cat she saw was Pinekit and she distantly wondered about how worried he would be by now. I'm not going to be making it to the nursery tonight, she apologized through the fog.
Her eyes shut and she lost consciousness.
0x0x0
Echokit blinked open her big eyes and lifted her head. She was on the edge of a forest overlooking the dark intimidating woods that were unfamiliar to her. She got unsteadily to her paws and felt her heart speed up as she realized she was surrounded by a group of cats who were staring at er intently.
"Hello Echokit," a shimmering light gray she-cat meowed from the front. Starlight shone on her white paws and her amber eyes were full of wisdom and untold secrets.
"Wh-where am I?" Echokit stammered, whipping her head around and trying to find anything that looked remotely familiar. Nothing registered. A crescent moon hung low in the sky and a cool breeze twirled her long creamy fur around.
"You are on our hunting grounds, small one," the she-cat answered.
Echokit gaped at her as realization struck. "You're StarClan cats! I'm in StarClan!" her heart thumped loudly in her chest. "I'm not dead am I?"
A mrrow of laughter came from her left side and she turned to it. A compact dark brown and white tom was sitting on his haunches staring down at her with amusement a slight trace of exasperation. "You, dead? Hardly," he rumbled. "More like just coming for a visit."
Echokit tilted her head to the side. There was something about this tom that seemed so familiar, with the sturdy build, broad face, and short fur. She swore that without the blue eyes he could almost be... "You're Crowstar's brother aren't you?" she gasped in horror, finally recalling the frightening leader.
The humor drained from his eyes and a disgusted sadness replaced it. "I am," he spat, digging his claws into the ground. "The name is Thornstrike, by the way. The cat murdered by his own brother." He said it so simply that he could've been talking about a new hunting technique. Echokit could only stare in shock.
"Moving forward," the gray she-cat interrupted the tense silence with a furious glance at Thornstrike. "We don't have much time left so pay attention."
"Pay attention to what? And who are you?" Echokit demanded, still stunned from the news she had just received. This was all moving way too fast.
"I'm Snowstar, the leader before your father," Snowstar snapped impatiently. "And you are here to receive a prophecy, so listen closely."
"But-"
"Hush!" Snowstar hissed, starting to fade slightly. "Echoes of a whisper shall flow across the stream of darkness and save the Clans from perish."
Echokit blinked. "Wait, what?" she strained to make out the shapes of the cats that were now transparent. One by one they disappeared until only Snowstar was able to be seen. "Please wait! There's so much I need to know!"
You will understand in time, young one. Snowstar's voice echoed in her mind. The path you walk is hard and you need to be strong to stay on it. Follow your heart; it will lead you right.
Echokit felt her eyes get heavy and she struggled to remain awake. "Don't go…" she murmured.
Sleep now, dear one. That was the last thing Echokit heard before she fell into a peaceful darkness.
"Wake up!"
Echokit snapped awake and tried to find her bearings. Where was her nest of moss? Why was she laying on a clump of dried reeds and why in StarClan did her nose feel smothered with the scent of herbs? A sharp prod from a paw shoved all thoughts of sleep away. She shook her head and looked around.
Stocks of herbs coated the floor and she figured she was in a Medicine den. Suddenly, she remembered Iceheart and the evil RiverClan leader. I must be in their camp! She thought with a jolt. She recalled the dream she had just left and felt an ominous shiver of fear as the words of Snowstar's prophecy flashed across her mind. What did it all mean? Her brain was too fuzzy to try and decipher the meaning of it now. Echokit looked up and found herself face to face with Iceheart.
The white Medicine Cat's eyes were dull and clouded. A long scar ran down her side and Echokit gasped as she remembered Crowstar's long claws digging into the she-cat's pelt. Iceheart looked weary.
"Iceheart!" Echokit managed to choke out. "Are you okay?" Mouse-brain, she obviously isn't!
"I'm alive, aren't I?" Iceheart answered grimly. "Now get up."
Echokit got to her paws and shook her fur out. "What's going on?"
Iceheart only blinked but the sorrow in her blue eyes told Echokit everything. Her heart dropped to her paws and she had to swallow to stifle a wail. "Has Hawkstar come looking for me yet?" she asked desperately, hoping that by some miracle her father was waiting just outside the den.
Iceheart shook her head. "No, Echokit," she meowed quietly, gently touching Echokit's white ear with her nose. "Crowstar is going to decide your fate today. I can only pray to StarClan he doesn't hurt you."
He already has hurt me, Echokit thought sadly. She wondered if she ever would see Pinekit and her father again. Images of her brother and her friends flashed before her. Her fight with Rowanpaw felt like moons ago, but she'd give anything to go back in time and do it all over again. As jolting as a flash of lightning, she realized she'd give everything up just to be able to say goodbye to her family; for death was sure to come as soon as she stepped paw out of the den.
Echokit blinked slowly, letting her grief wash over her along with a strange sort of acceptance. If she was going to join StarClan, than she'd stare death right in the face, bravely not cowardly. She felt a strange thought come to her but when she tried to grasp it, it slipped away.
Iceheart led the way out of the den and Echokit looked around. Skinny, scrawny cats were huddled in a tight group. These were not the well-fed, sleek furred cats that thrived in RiverClan! Every warrior stared at her and Iceheart as they padded to a tall bed of reeds in which Crowstar was crouched upon. Deadly silence covered the camp; a hush fell on the animals in the trees. Even the wind seemed to halt in its dancing as every eye was trained on the two cats.
Iceheart stopped just a few tail-lengths from the hill of reeds. She dipped her head in respect but Echokit caught a glimpse of the rage in her eyes. The Medicine Cat backed away but not before giving Echokit a level stare. The ThunderClan kit raised her chin and stared bravely back at the white she-cat. After a moment, Iceheart melted back into the mass of cats and Echokit was left on her own.
Crowstar looked down at Echokit, his eyes glowing with malicious triumph. "My Clan," his voice rang out clear and strong. "This kit right in front of us is the daughter of that worthless excuse for a ThunderClan leader, Hawkstar!"
Echokit's fur lifted along her spine but she forced herself to stay calm as jeers and yowls rang out. After a few moments of this, Crowstar continued. There was no mistaking the joy in his voice.
"And what better way to rip apart Hawkstar's heart and kill him from the inside out than by giving a taste of death to this kit here?"
"Nothing is better!" Willowfeather called out, several others joining her. Echokit felt icy fear course through her and her eyes wildly found Iceheart in the crowd. The white she-cat stared at the ground helplessly. Echokit knew she had no power to stop her leader. StarClan please…she prayed.
While Crowstar continued with his speech, the thought she'd tried to grasp earlier came rushing back to her. If StarClan had only just gave her that prophecy, then surely she couldn't just flat out die now could she? It seemed highly illogical and unlikely for StarClan to be so…unorganized with their priorities. At least, that's what she hoped.
A shadow loomed toward her and Echokit snapped back to reality. And the reality was Crowstar slowly making his way to her, taunting her with his harsh words and viscous jeers. The taunt muscles rippled under his short coat and his claws scraped along the ground, leaving ravines in the sandy dirt. He pushed his face close to hers and his wild eyes met hers.
"Prepare to die, kit," Crowstar snarled.
Echokit stared at him defiantly, even thought she was trembling with terror. "You'll never get away with this. Hawkstar and every warrior in ThunderClan with hunt you down and shred you."
He laughed sharply. "If they have the guts to do it, let them try." He raised his huge forepaw, sunlight glittering off ivory claws, and Echokit boldly braced herself for the blow to the head that would surely kill her.
Suddenly, a loud yowl rose from the entrance of the camp.
"ThunderClan, ATTACK!"
Dun…dun…DUN! So, that's it for now. This took me about 2 days to right because I kept getting too far ahead of myself and I would write a whole page and then be like…"Wait a minute…that character isn't introduced yet!" *facepalm* LOL here are the comments:
Wolfheart911: Yesh it IS Crowstar the evil piece of Fox-dung…grr….lol
Splasheart123: D'aww thank you! That really means a lot to hear everybody say that. I didn't know my writing was THAT good.
Kittyluv: I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Mistyflower68: I know…Rowanpaw's a bit of a meanie but he gets better. Echokit is a very naughty kit yet she handles herself pretty well I think. Oh, and thanks again for telling people about this story! Really means a lot to me.
Dakodako: *throws you cookie*
tjtaterbug: 0.0 do you…um…want another? *tentatively holds out cookie* lol
Amberflame: Thank you so much for your comment! 3