Chapter 17: The Strongest Storm...
Well then, this chapter is quite exciting with alot being revealed and uncovered. And yes you find out the mystery behind Songpaw's vision. :D
DISCLAIMER!:
Neon: Okay Stormpaw you have a go!
Stormpaw: ok... NEON DOES NOT OWN WARRIORS!
Neon: (hands over ears) really? Was that necessary?
Stormpaw: ofcourse!
Neon: rolls eyes
Stormpaw yawned, stretching his long, curved claws, with a grin of satisfaction as they glinted dangerously. Casting a glance at the snoring Wolfpaw beside him, he rolled his hazel eyes, amused by his friend's snores. The mighty Wolfpaw, the cat who will kill you with his snores Stormpaw couldn't help but laugh quietly. Stormpaw's leaf fall brown eyes caught sight of the morning light streaming through the dense apprentice den roof. Dappling his coat with the pattern of leaves as the sun cast shadows through the roof of the warm den.
Shaking his head, scattering messy, long strands of fur all over his nest, he plodded out of the den, not caring if he woke his snoring friend, it would probably be a mercy to the clan to stop his snoring anyway. Stormpaw took a quick circular glance around the camp. Bramblestar and Lionblaze where nowhere to be seen, but Amberpaw, Foxpaw and Blackpaw sat in a circle soaking up the morning warming sun's touch. Swiftpaw was drowsily opening heavy eyelids with Snowpaw protectively standing guard next to her. Stormpaw with a flick of his ears realised if Swiftpaw was more conscious she would probably have something to the white tom who had become her shadow recently and would without a doubt tell him she could take care of herself.
The past moon had been quite eventful, with the crazy gathering and the rush of so many new faces, the huge training session that was in his opinion the most entertaining session in his entire apprenticeship, apart from the part when Lionblaze nearly clawed Blackpaw and Foxpaw's faces off for attacking his daughter Swiftpaw. Then the Darkclan ambush, resulting in Swiftpaw being dragged into the camp unconscious. But one of the best things Stormpaw had done this moon was gain a large group of friends. Him, Ravenpaw, Swiftpaw and Songpaw were now a strong group, and having such loyal cats by his side really did warm his heart.
Speaking of said cats Stormpaw's hazel eyes caught Songpaw lightly trotting across the camp, shifting some of the dry dust that the parched floor of the camp had been collecting recently. Her aqua orbs were bright and shone in the low light of the dawn, she proudly crossed the camp with a mouse and robin in her jaws, obviously proud that she was delivering prey to the elders, to Stormpaw that didn't seem a big deal, but Songpaw's mind was a strange place, she was a little different. Sometimes her aqua stars that were her eyes would become blank and her expression unreadable, and then she would suddenly jerk her head and act like she hadn't just completely spaced out. Also she had an obsession with birds, always taking in their ability of flight with wide, amazed eyes, entranced by their wings.
Stormpaw's belly lurched when he realised the fresh kill pile was empty, and the sun was rising higher, meaning it would soon be too hot to hunt. He scanned the camp for cats who would be willing to join him on a early hunt, he turned quickly on one paw, and bolted over to Songpaw.
He was in the middle of calling her name before she collapsed to the floor.
Stormpaw quickened his pace, practically sprinting across the thunderclan camp a cry of her name caught in his throat, once he got to her side, he glanced at her eyes, her pupils were so wide in terror you could barely see her sky blue aqua irises. She shivered, keeping her eyes locked on something that Stormpaw couldn't see. His heart was in his mouth and his blood ran cold and froze to ice when she let out a blood curdling scream.
Now he was shoving her, anything to break her out of the trance with whatever was terrifying her so much, her claws had slid out now, and she seemed unable to blink or even twitch her whiskers. Stormpaw suddenly felt the world around him cease to exist, he was only focused on Songpaw and her inner battle that she was facing, his heart raced in the mist of the panic, what is happening? Why is she like this? What in starclan's name can I do to stop her having this living nightmare?!
Stormpaw's concern grew even more when tears started forming in Songpaw's darkened eyes, her muscles twitched and she remained unmoving with the occasional scream or whimper. He stared at her face, looking for any sign of change, unable to do anything more than call her name and give her a shake to snap her out of it. Yes she had gone into her own world sometimes but she had never been this distant, or this terrified.
Stormpaw breathed a sigh he didn't know he was holding when Songpaw's pupils shrunk back down to a normal size and the light returned to them. Slowly, like she was melting from a block of ice, her limbs moved until she sat down, looking at the ground and wrapped her tail around her paws in a aid of self comfort.
"Songpaw?" Stormpaw mewed quietly, trying not to scare her.
Songpaw's light blue eyes darted up at him, she shrunk back quickly backing away from him slightly, then her pupils shrunk even more and her shoulders slumped. She seemed to had recognised him. "What happened?" Stormpaw pressed, he wasn't going to leave until she told him.
Songpaw clamped her jaw shut, simply keeping eye contact and not saying a word.
Stormpaw's frustrations rose, and he quickly gave the elders the fresh kill before leading Songpaw into the woods, hoping the quiet and the singing of the birds would sooth her. He found small clearing, and stopping in a sunny spot he sat down and stared at Songpaw, hazel eyes full of concern and interest at the same time. "What was that?"
Songpaw shuffled her paws, as if she was thinking of a way to word her torment. "Stormpaw, what I have to tell you, must not be said to any other cat. I don't want them to treat me like a freak." She held her head higher, some of her courage returning.
"I promise Songpaw." He vowed to his friend.
Satisfied with his meaningful growl Songpaw looked up at a tree, watching a sparrow hop along a thin branch.
"I keep having visions, things of the past and the future. Normally they are small, like what cats would bring back prey, or Jayfeather needing more herbs so I go and get them because I see the ones he will need in the close future. Also I once saw our birth, yours and your littermates and mine and Foxpaw's. Then I saw Jayfeather looking down on Ravenpaw with fear. And I heard something... The sightful Raven, the unseen Storm, the swiftest fire, the Wolf's heart and the endless Song are the strongest blood of fire and thunder, they must learn of the shadows that haunt them, and the ghosts in the shadows of the past, for the war of flame and shadow is coming.. and they will have to sacrifice everything... even themselves..."
Stormpaw stopped breathing for a second.. Songpaw can see in time?! "Wait.. so you can have visions of time?"
Songpaw nodded, and looked slightly cautious to see if Stormpaw would insult her gift and single her out.
"So what do those words you heard mean?" Stormpaw asked, his mind bursting with questions, he doubted he would be able to keep them all contained and had to bite his lip to not start rambling.
Songpaw shook her head. "I've had a long time to think about it... and alot of visions since. Don't you see Stormpaw? It's a prophecy, I viewed the past to the time when Jayfeather received it at your birth. And... the prophecy is about us.." she whispered.
Stormpaw leapt to his paws, leaning back away from her in outrage. "what?! That can't be true! I'm Stormpaw, an normal, average apprentice!"
Songpaw looked at him with disbelief shining in her aqua depths. "Stormpaw listen...the sightful raven, is Ravenpaw. The swiftest fire is Swiftpaw, the wolf's heart is Wolfpaw, and the endless song is me. And... the Strongest storm is.. you."
Stormpaw felt like his eyes were about to pop out of his head, he wasn't extra ordinary, he couldn't be part of a prophecy! Could he? A snap of a twig made his ear twitch in the direction of the Darkclan border, his head still swarming with confusion, questions and also excitement.
He was about to ask Songpaw for more information for his greedy mind that hungered for more knowledge, but a ear piercing yowl cut through the air, making the two apprentices freeze and share a look of horror. With the one glance Stormpaw led them through the forest to the source of the yowl. Throughout the trek their pace increased as the smell of fresh blood wafted on the air, leading them to the horrible sight.
Stormpaw stopped at the border to Darkclan. The scent of blood was as clear as the boiling sunlight, sharing a dark glance with Songpaw, he led through the bushes to the massacre.
His heart stopped.
Stormpaw's paws felt heavy and the dusty ground beneath his paws felt like it was nonexistent, Stormpaw thought he would faint at what he saw.
Before him was a body, it was a cat. Though it was hard to tell through the amount of blood the cat was covered in, a pool of scarlet grew around the body, and it had a huge gash running from his ear to his belly, pouring out with a red liquid that tasted like the monsters on the thunderpath.
The body twitched, but Stormpaw couldn't tell who the cat was, their coat was too plastered in blood. They had a huge, deep scratch on their neck, the most lethal place to make a cat bleed. Only a cat could have given the blow. They clearly intended to make the cat die.
The cat made a gurgling sound, like there was blood in his mouth, soon it cleared and he managed to spit out. "Stormpaw..S-Songpaw.. get out o-of here.. they'll kill you." He gasped, panting with the effort to talk. When neither apprentice budged he growled with more force. "I don't want to watch my grandson's son die"
Stormpaw felt his heart lurch; he recognised the brown pelt under the blood, and the brave voice that belonged to no other cat than Dustpelt.
"Well then! Looks like my fun isn't over yet! How excellent! Two more apprentices to add to my little blood bath."
Songpaw screamed when Dustpelt's attacker, who was only a pair of glinting eyes in the dark bushes leapt out aiming for Stormpaw's neck.
Stormpaw locked his eyes on the glinting thorn sharp claws that were heading for his neck with the speed of lightning as his final seconds closed in.
Nearly all my characters have faced a life threatening thing here! LOL anyway, Stormie is one of the five, but how? We know who they are now but we only know of three of the five's powers, so how are Stormpaw and Wolfpaw going to surprise us?
Also kill me if you wish for brining Dustpelt to a lethal situation, but at least he can be with Ferncloud if he dies! :D
Also, why had Dustpelt been attacked so badly and by whom?
Find out next time!
THANKYOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS IMPORTANTLY
Jayleaf1 for your continued support, you're epic xx
Oci Oceana for finding my second book and yet again helping me by reviewing and supporting me xx
Creativecookie9 just cause your an epic friend :D (and you're a bum) xx
Kindheart who lived up to her name by giving me a wonderful and lovely review that really touched me, seriously that was sooooo nice of you! :D xx
And Wyldclaw who left TONS of reviews all on the same day! Thank you! Xx
Till next time my epic people!
Best wishes
Neon xxx
