The Renaissance - Book 2: Eclipse - Chapter 2

I don't own Warriors.

Chapter Two

"Was your night good apart from having to sit next to the dirtplace?" Sunblaze asked conversationally. She wanted to try and keep the conversation civil and act like nothing had happened.

Hollyflight shrugged nonchalantly, but her green eyes were still slightly narrowed. "It was fine until dawn… I thought I saw… Never mind," she mewed, looking away.

Sunblaze looked at her sister, trying to hide her worry. "What?"

Her sister looked at her almost sadly. "If I told you, Sunblaze, you wouldn't believe me," she mewed.

Sunblaze forced a grim smile. If I told you about the prophecy, would you believe me? Would you even understand? she wondered almost sadly. She feared that if she told Hollyflight about the prophecy, and about what Firestar said to her, that her sister would think that she was crazy… What if she told Dewpaw? Would Dewpaw even still care about me if I told him about the prophecy?

Turning away, she padded toward Jayfeather's den, longing to tell him about what Firestar said. She saw Squirrelflight descending Highledge and moved faster, not wanting the ginger deputy to call on her to go on a patrol. Sunblaze was able successfully sneak away and slip into Jayfeather's den. The gray medicine cat was still curled up in his nest, his sides gently rising and falling. Sunblaze thought he looked somewhat innocent with his tail wrapped up and around his nose, but the cat suddenly jerked awake.

Sunblaze jumped back with surprise. "Sunblaze?" Jayfeather asked, his ears working tirelessly, rotating around his head like radar dishes, absorbing everything he could hear.

"Yes…" she whispered softly. "I have to tell you something."

He pulled himself to his paws, his blind eyes gazing at her intently. "Well? Do you want me to read your mind to get it out of you?" he asked, his voice thick with annoyance.

She held back an amused purr at Jayfeather's sarcastic personality and took a deep breath. "This morning… when I was still sitting my vigil… Firestar came and visited me."

Jayfeather dipped his head. "Yellowfang came to me as well. She told me about Midnight."

"What does that even mean?" Sunblaze groaned.

He gazed at her curiously, and then looked somewhat smug. "I guess you weren't alive yet when she came. "Midnight is a badger."

Sunblaze stared at him for a long moment, struggling not to let her jaw drop. She had never seen a badger before, and she didn't exactly want to. Frightening nursery tales about when the badgers attacked the camp and killed Cinderpelt were very real in her mind. She certainly did not doubt their strength and ferocity. "You… You're kidding." Sunblaze whispered.

Jayfeather let out a rare purr of laughter. "No, actually. I'm not. Midnight is a badger. Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, Stormfur, Tawnypelt, Feathertail, and Crowfeather went on a journey to bring the Clans to the lake and met her on their journey. She was the one who sent the prophecy that the old forest was going to be destroyed by Twolegs and that we should come here to the lake."

"So… I have to find her?" she asked unenthusiastically.

Jayfeather nodded. "I think so."

Sunblaze groaned and shook her head. "Well… how are we even supposed to communicate with her if she's a badger?" She was not very enthusiastic about finding Midnight. What could some stupid badger have to tell me? Why would Firestar tell me to find her? What could she do?

"She can speak our language," Jayfeather replied simply. "I've met her before. She's quite intelligent. Who knows, maybe she'll be able to help you figure out the prophecy, and your destiny. That's probably why StarClan wants you to find her."

"Jayfeather!" a voice called from outside the den. A moment later, the ThunderClan leader bounded into the den, almost colliding with Sunblaze. Bramblestar skidded to a halt and took a few steps back, shaking out his pelt and lifting his head almost regally. "I need to speak with you."

"Let me guess—you had a dream about Sunblaze needing to find Midnight?" Jayfeather meowed more than asked.

Bramblestar's eyes widened for a moment, then allowed his brown tabby fur to lie flat. "I… I should have guessed that they would inform you as well…" he meowed with a glance at Sunblaze. "And you too."

Sunblaze looked at her former mentor and Clan leader with an exasperated expression. "I don't really see why I need to go to find her! Why can't I stay here with my Clan-mates?"

Her leader's face hardened slightly. "Sunblaze, I know that it's not easy having a prophecy—I've been through it, and I understand that you just want to be a normal, regular cat, but sometimes… sometimes you need to be strong and act more grown up than you really are. The life of a prophesized cat is never an easy one. You grow up having burdens so much greater than your peers'."

She let out an annoyed sigh. "Fine… where is this Midnight?"

Bramblestar's eyes clouded for a moment. "Midnight lives at the sun-drown-place."

"The what?!" Sunblaze gasped in disbelief. "Where is that?"

"West of here," Bramblestar answered. "It is a place with sand and salty water that goes on for sky-lengths and sky-lengths. She has a den there and watches the stars at night."

Sunblaze just stared at her leader for a moment as if he had grown another head. "Alright whatever, tell me when I have to leave," she muttered before whipping around and exiting the den. Annoyance prickled under her pelt making her angry with Bramblestar, Jayfeather and StarClan. Do they think that I can't do this on my own or something? Before, she would have given anything for help, but now, she just wanted it to be over quickly so she could get on with her life, or die if that's what the prophecy proclaimed.

As a result of the whole episode, she left Jayfeather's den feeling more than overwhelmed. Now, not only did she have to fulfill the prophecy, but also find a talking badger! Questions swarmed in Sunblaze's mind making her unable to think of anything else. How was she supposed to serve her Clan while she was away? Did she make her warrior vows for nothing? And how the Clan react? What would Dewpaw say? Would Bramblestar even tell them about the prophecy or just send her off by herself in the middle of the night?

If Squirrelflight had summoned her for a patrol, Sunblaze didn't hear her. She stalked toward the warriors' den with her fur quite ruffled. As she traversed the camp, she scanned the area for signs of Dewpaw, but found none. She spotted Brightheart and Sorreltail sharing a pigeon by the fresh-kill pile, and Mousewhisker and Cherrystripe were sharing tongues near the warriors' den. Sunblaze saw the she-cats belly bulging out farther than usual. She'll be joining the nursery soon, she observed as the she-cat licked her mate's cheek affectionately. Her heart suddenly ached for Dewpaw. Is it even possible for us? Could we become mates and have kits with the prophecy hanging over my head?

She entered the warriors' den to be greeted by Finchtail who sat in the nest nearest to the entrance of the fallen beech tree. His normally, bright and shining green eyes were now dull with the loss of his mother and brother. His unusually lethargic behavior made Sunblaze's thoughts cease. How could I be so worried about myself when Cinderheart and Stoneclaw are dead? They are dead and I'm only worried about my own problems! Sunblaze spotted a pair of gleaming, narrowed green eyes gazing at her from a corner. She recognized the scent as Hollyflight's, but her sister's suspicious gaze was unnatural for her normally cheerful face.

An icy fear manifested itself deep inside Sunblaze. Will Hollyflight turn against me as well? she wondered fearfully. Will they all drift away from me? Will I lose all the members of my family? Is this what the prophecy meant by "sacrifice shall be her meaning"?

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