The Renaissance - Book 2: Eclipse - Chapter 1
Okay. Of this story, I have up to Chapter 3 written. Chapter four is currently being written, and StarClan only knows when it will be out. Now, you may notice Sunblaze's lack of grieving for her mother and brother. She is stressed out enough as it with everything going on around her, and she is somewhat in denial. Eventually, it will hit her that they are gone, and it will start to show. I just wanted to clear that up.
I don't own Warriors in case you're new here.
Chapter One
As all new warriors, Sunblaze and her littermates had to sit in silent vigil the night of their naming ceremony. Their duty was to guard the camp from trespassers, or anything in general that would wish to cause harm to the Clans. Normally, this was a happy occasion—young cats jumping to a new stepping-stone in their life, but that night, there was no cause for celebration.
In the center of the ThunderClan camp, the bodies of Cinderheart and Stoneclaw lay, their matching gray pelts illuminated by the ghostly light of the moon. Lionblaze, Sorreltail and Brackenfur were the only two left sitting in the camp. Lionblaze's head was lowered in sorrow as he mourned the loss of not only his mate, but his son as well. Sorreltail and Brackenfur sat before their daughter's body. Sorreltail lay next to Cinderheart and buried her nose in her daughter's fur while Brackenfur's tail stroked his mate's back soothingly.
Sunblaze, who sat before the bramble barrier, was rigidly still. The day's events flashed before her mind like a streak of lightning. First, it was learning that Stoneclaw—Stonepaw—had been aligned with the rogues that had been killing Clan cats for the past two moons. After that, it was almost seeing Stoneclaw trying to kill Jayfeather, ThunderClan's medicine cat, and Sunblaze having no choice but to fight her own brother. She fought her brother bravely, and in the end, had no choice but to kill him. As if having to deal with the horror of killing her own brother wasn't enough, her mother, Cinderheart, had been killed by the rogue's attack on the camp.
In the tradition of her ancestors, however, Sunblaze, Hollyflight and Finchtail were required to sit in silent vigil until sunrise. Finchtail was positioned outside the camp on the other side of the bramble barrier, and Hollyflight was near the dirtplace tunnel, assigned to watch for an attack from above, and from the dirtplace tunnel itself.
Sunblaze gazed at her sister on the other side of camp sympathetically. She couldn't imagine having to sit next to the dirtplace tunnel all night. That would have to be the worst position ever, she thought.
Movement in the corner of her eye made Sunblaze look toward the apprentices' den. The familiar gray tabby pelt of Dewpaw appeared as he slipped out of the apprentices' den. Sunblaze sucked in an uneasy breath and remembered her conversation with Dewpaw earlier that day. She found it hard to believe that he found her attractive. Sunblaze tore her gaze away from the tom's lithe figure and looked at Sorreltail and Brackenfur. The golden tom was coaxing his mate to his paws. The tortoiseshell she-cat got up wearily and rested against his shoulder blade as he guided her to the fallen beach where the warriors were sheltering. One day, that'll be Dewpaw and I, Sunblaze vowed silently. She could picture her future with the younger tomcat perfectly…
Sacrifice shall be her meaning, a part of her reminded. Sunblaze pushed the thought away quickly and scolded herself for thinking of the prophecy. That line had haunted her ever since she learned of it when she was an apprentice. Who could blame her though? Why should she not worry about a prophecy that foretold what could be her death?
Sunblaze watched her father who still sat in the clearing. He said motionless, almost like a statue—he looked gray under the moonlight. Sunblaze's heart wrenched for Lionblaze. Losing Cinderheart was bad enough… but then losing Stoneclaw in the same day… I shouldn't have killed him! I should have let him run! I never should have… I should've kept my claws sheathed… This is all my fault! she thought despairingly.
"Sunblaze," a vaguely familiar voice called. Her ears pricked up instinctively. She scanned the camp, but saw no one. Lionblaze still sat motionless, and Finchtail was outside. Hollyflight and Dewpaw were too far away, besides, it was a tom's voice that called it.
Sunblaze longed to call out to see who was there, but could not break her oath of silence. She scanned the clearing once more, but saw nothing. The voice sounded like… her thoughts trailed off uneasily. He could be visiting me now… Could he?
As if on cue, a ghostly apparition appeared a few tail-lengths before her. Sunblaze gasped in shock. She stared at the shape as it began to fill out and take the shape of a cat. "Do not fear me, Sunblaze. You are kin of my kin, of my kin. You know me," he whispered. His voice was familiar, but there was a new, god-like ring to it. Sunblaze recognized the ginger tint in his otherwise transparent, silver fur. Stars were snagged in his fur, and a few rested on top of his forehead, ears and back. Some were at the base of his paws, and his green eyes even shined brightly as if there were stars in them too.
Sunblaze opened her mouth, and then closed it. She wondered if he knew that she could not speak. Firestar must have seen her distress. He raised his tail calmly and told her, "Do not speak—there is no need. Sunblaze, I come here to you with a message from StarClan: You must find Midnight," he meowed. "Sunblaze… the sun will be rising soon. I would like to tell you more, but time is running out. Speak with Bramblestar—he will understand."
She stared at him in shock as the ThunderClan leader began to fade from view. The sun was rising swiftly over the eastern horizon. Rays of sunlight were already slanting down into the camp, as one suddenly shone directly on Firestar. Without warning, the ginger tom burst into a tongue of fire and vanished, leaving only a few smoldering flames dying on the ground.
The young warrior stood there, gazing the dying flames with astonishment. Find Midnight? What does that even mean?! she thought with distress. Why does StarClan always have to be so vague?!
Cats were beginning to stir inside the warriors' den, and it wasn't long before a dew even began to emerge. Sunblaze recognized the white, shaggy fur of Cloudtail, and the soft, cream-colored pelt of Berrynose. The two tomcats pulled themselves free of the fallen beech tree and padded over to her. Berrynose was twitching his whiskers in smug amusement. "Have a nice night did you?" he inquired with a purr.
Sunblaze narrowed her eyes, but otherwise shrugged. She remembered Bramblestar telling her that she could speak at dawn, but she didn't want to risk it.
"You can speak now," Cloudtail assured her, seeing her reluctance. "I don't know why we even have that rule."
"I thought you believed in StarClan after the Great Battle?" Berrynose asked lightly.
Cloudtail shrugged. "I believe dead cats can kill me, but that's about it," he replied, before looking back at Sunblaze. "Speaking of cats that want to kill me, did those rogues give you any trouble last night?"
Sunblaze shook her head. "I didn't hear or see anything. I don't know about Finchtail, though. He's been outside all night," she meowed, and then found herself purring. "The lazy sod is probably asleep," she chuckled.
While Cloudtail and Berrynose squeezed under the bramble barrier to retrieve Finchtail, Sunblaze shot a glance at Highledge, wishing that Bramblestar, or even Squirrelflight would appear. With Firestar's message still fresh in her mind, she knew that she had to ask Bramblestar about what it meant.
These thoughts swarmed around in her head as she padded over to where Hollyflight sat near the dirtplace tunnel. Her normally friendly sister was now staring at Sunblaze with abnormally narrowed eyes. A trickle of fear rushed down Sunblaze's spin. Great StarClan! Did she me with Firestar?
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