Waterpaw came back to SaltClan three quarter-moons since the first Gathering, when the night was draped in inky blackness; the stars glowed gold against the dark nighttime pelt of StarClan. The heavy ocean winds blew salty air throughout the SaltClan camp hollow, despite the layer of sand dunes protecting them. It was one of the nights that Greenpaw liked best – when the sea was roaring as waves crashed down on the beaches, and the stars twinkled gold streaks across the water top.
The camp was quiet when Waterpaw entered – or rather, snuck into. Most cats were asleep, all but five. Hollowclaw, Sandflame and Sharkpaw were out on a late night patrol, protecting the sleeping clan. Greenpaw would have been a part of the sleeping clan, would it have not been for Sunpaw.
They had been sleeping in the apprentice's den, nests tucked closely together, like usual. They had both been training hard the day before with Seaheart and Shellstream, working on partner fighting again. They were quite the duo, now, even though they had only trained together for a short time. They seemed to be able to read each other's minds, using signals special to them that no cat could hope to understand.
Greenpaw could tell, just by her breathing, what Sunpaw was feeling, and Sunpaw seemed to always know what Greenpaw was thinking. It made training all the easier, and brought the two she-cats all the closer.
Greenpaw would never say so, but she was extremely uncomfortable and anxious when they trained separately, or when one was out on a patrol without the other. She always felt more at ease with Sunpaw; hence why she slept like the dead when Sunpaw was snoozing next to her.
But that particular night, before Waterpaw had arrived, a rustling near her gray-and-white slumbering body woke Greenpaw up. She almost brushed it off, the loud beach waves lulling her back to a warm sleep, but all of the sudden, Sunpaw's warm pelt, her steady breathing, was missing from Greenpaw's side. Greenpaw sprang up, blinking sleep from her eyes, to see Sunpaw standing in her nest, her head and tail drooped, her breathing steady and heavy like it was in her sleep. "Sunpaw," she whispered, careful not to wake the other apprentices. Tidepaw was a quiet one, until you disturbed his sleep.
But Sunpaw didn't respond to her. She just kept standing, her body slacked and her breathing even. Greenpaw tried again. "Sunpaw!" she hissed.
But Sunpaw still wasn't responding. There was no way Sunpaw didn't hear her. What in the world was Sunpaw doing? Even more bewildered Greenpaw was, when Sunpaw slowly started shuffling out of the apprentice's den, her head and tail still drooping. Greenpaw felt a flicker of panic. What was going on?
Greenpaw considered tackling her, but quickly decided against it. Instead, she carefully steped over Riverpaw's loose tail and followed Sunpaw into the chilly nighttime breeze. Greenpaw took a moment to appreciate the swaths of twinkling stars across the midnight canvas of the sky, before shaking her head back to the present.
What in the name of StarClan was Sunpaw doing?
She made it to the center of the camp before Greenpaw realized where she was headed. She was trying to leave the camp. But why…?
Greenpaw realized she had to make a decision. She could follow Sunpaw out of the camp, and figure out where Sunpaw – who appeared to be sleeping, yet walking – thought she was headed. And risk numerous things. Getting caught in the dark night's tides being one of the worst. The next, getting caught by the warrior patrol and being in trouble with Twilightstar again.
Well, Greenpaw thought darkly. Technically it's Sunpaw getting herself in trouble. But Greenpaw shook the ridiculous thought from her head, arched her back into her hunter's stance, and tackled Sunpaw.
In retrospect, Greenpaw would realize there were several more quiet ways to attempt to wake Sunpaw. Greenpaw landed square on Sunpaw's shoulders, and the two cats tumbled, Sunpaw slackening under Greenpaw's weight instantly. Greenpaw landed on the ground with a small thud, her face right in front of Sunpaw's, their limbs tangling.
The frightened she-cat's eyes flew open, her mouth gaping with a quick inhale. A flicker of something – fear? Or was that fearsome hostility? – flashed in Sunpaw's bright yellow eyes. Greenpaw was taken aback for that moment, for she had never seen something so…frightening in Sunpaw's quiet, kind, observant eyes. But she recognized Greenpaw less than a moment later, and it faded into relaxed confusion. The confusion you felt when you were with someone you cared about, when you knew you were safe to wonder, because you and all of your fantasies were protected. "Greenpaw?" she murmured, her eyes shutting to tired slits as she blinked.
"Sunpaw!" Greenpaw hissed, disbelief coloring her mew. "What do you mean, 'Greenpaw'? What were you doing?"
Greenpaw had never admonished Sunpaw before. Sunpaw's eyes widened when she heard how serious Greenpaw was trying to be. She looked around, gazing at their tangled limbs, their position in the center of the camp. Sunpaw slowly disengaged herself from Greenpaw, pulling herself into a sitting position and giving the camp another look around.
"This hasn't happened since I was a kit," Sunpaw whimpered after she was satisfied that there were no other cats around, ducking her head. Greenpaw picked herself up, and wound her neck around Sunpaw's, instantly feeling protective. Her eyes darted to and fro across the camp, daring any awakened cat to approach them. When no cat emerged from their dens, Greenpaw settled down in front of her and whispered, "Since what happened, Sunpaw? What were you doing? You seemed asleep!"
Sunpaw nodded. "I was. When I was a kit, I used to sleepwalk."
"Sleepwalk." Greenpaw repeated, thoroughly puzzled.
Sunpaw nodded again, then lifted her head, looing into Greenpaw's eyes.
"Well, okay." Greenpaw nodded, trying to understand. She had never heard of sleepwalking before. "How do you stop it? What if you had walked right into the sea? What if a raccoon, or a minx had attacked you? What if you had been caught by the patrol?"
Sunpaw shook her head, fear glimmering in her sweet yellow eyes. "Greenpaw, none of those things worry me. They would have been almost welcomed."
"What would have been welcomed; your death?" Greenpaw mewed, shocked. "Because that's what the sea would have been! Or a minx! You could have been seriously hurt!"
"No, Greenpaw, you don't understand." Sunpaw murmured. Her tone made Greenpaw's heart clench. "Whenever I slept walk as a kit…it meant something bad was coming. Something very, very bad."
"Something bad." Greenpaw echoed stupidly. "What sort of things?"
"Death, Greenpaw." Sunpaw mewed, hopelessness radiating from her. It made Greenpaw fretfull, uncomfortable – Sunpaw was never one to fright. Greenpaw very suddenly didn't feel safe. "Death."
It was at that moment that sand fell through the camp hollow, and Waterpaw's long-foregone head poked through.
"Waterpaw?" Greenpaw hissed, taken aback by the stealthy entrance. "What is she—"
But Sunpaw bobbed her sheathed paw on the top of Greenpaw's head, drawing her down to the ground, where Sunpaw was laying as flat as she possibly could. "Hush, Greenpaw." Sunpaw whispered. "We aren't supposed to be up."
"But she isn't—" Sunpaw silenced her with another head bob. Greenpaw fell silent, squashing her body as flat as it would go, flattening her ears against her head. "It isn't that dark," she grumbled quietly. "She'll be able to –"
Unsheathed claws met the side of her face, however gently. Greenpaw stared at Sunpaw, shocked. She was an inherently non-violent cat. What in the name of StarClan was all this about?
But there was something in Sunpaw's eyes she had never seen before, until this unsettling evening – fear. Unadulterated fear.
Waterpaw kept her head low, and to the very edge of the camp, towards Pearlpelt's den. She slunk in quietly, the tip of her tail disappearing into the inky blackness of Pearlpelt's cavern across the hollow.
Greenpaw could hardly stand the questions whirling through her head. Instinctivly, she brought her body into a hunter's crouch, and padded her way over to the right side of Pearlpelt's den. If she came out unexpectedly, Greenpaw could dart past Twilightstar's den, behind the fresh-kill pile. She had all but discounted Sunpaw, her mind a haze of wonder, until Sunpaw's flank was brushing up to her side. "Don't leave me," Sunpaw murmured fretfully. Greenpaw could smell her faint fear-scent.
"It's okay," Greenpaw tried to soothe, as quietly as she could. It discomforted her, knowing Sunpaw was so shaken. But this was an investigation. She had to know why Waterpaw came so sneakily, in the dead of night. Greenpaw felt her fur bristle, and Sunpaw pressed herself closer.
Greenpaw forced her curious breathing to relax, to try and trick Sunpaw into relaxing as well. Greenpaw found this very difficult. There was so much happening in such a short period of time…so many questions…Greenpaw licked the top of Sunpaw's head before straining her ears, cocking them towards the medicine cat's den.
Both Pearleplt and Twilightstar's dens were quite deep into the Cliffside, but also narrow. With enough concentration, it was easy to eavesdrop outside either of the caves. Greenpaw learned so as a kit in the nursery.
"I couldn't come, baring the news I have before the whole clan, mam." Waterpaw whispered. Greenpaw could hear the uncertainty and confusion in her mew. "I had to speak to just you."
"Twilightstar is the leader of SaltClan, Waterpaw." Pearlpelt murmured back, understanding but firm. "Sneaking in at midnight makes you look like an enemy. Refusing to meet with Twilightstar makes you seem like a coward. I know you are neither, daughter. But Twilightstar does not."
"Midnight, mam, that's just it." Waterpaw mews seemed to beg for sanction. "I don't wish to leave RootClan. I know it, I know in my heart, that's where I'm suppose to be."
Pearlpelt was silent. For several moments, all Greenpaw could hear was Sunpaw's breathing, which was calming as Greenpaw wrapped their tails together. She could smell the desperation reeking from Waterpaw, even though she was deep within the den. Greenpaw flicked her ears, impatient and impertinent.
Finally, Pearlpelt mewed. She sounded rather tired. "So you will it, so it will be."
There was another lapse of silence. Greenpaw began feeling uneasy. So Waterpaw was leaving, just like that?
Especially when they had just accepted Silverweb into their clan? She was finally being given more leeway. Silverweb proved herself to be a thoughtful she-cat, inquisitive with strong natural instincts. An intense predator. But wasn't it so oddly convenient that they had gained a cat from the clan Waterpaw was leaving them for?
Was she truly loyal to SaltClan? Or was there more to this story?
Greenpaw began to knead the ground. She was worried now. She had to tell Twilightstar, right this moment, before Waterpaw went away.
But as she began to back up, Sunpaw pressed her head to Greenpaw's ear, and lifted her muzzle to her twitching ear. "Not yet," she mewed as softly as she could. Greenpaw's heart was pounding. Of course Sunpaw knew what she intended to do. Of course she would stop her.
Almost frustrated with Sunpaw, she felt her fur bristle again. But all Sunpaw did was whisper, "We need to get back."
They crept back to the apprentice's den with their eyes on Pearlpelt's den, in case Waterpaw came out and they needed to duck flatly against the ground - again. But she never did, and Greenpaw wondered if Pearlpelt had changed her mind and was trying to convince her daughter to stay.
As Sunpaw and Greenpaw settled back in their nests next to one another, Greenpaw laid awake, her muzzle on her paws, eyes trained on Pearlpelt's den. She knew Sunpaw was unsettled and awake next to her, quiet and unmoving but her breath erratic.
Greenpaw suddenly realized Sunpaw was probably more bothered by her sleepwalking. And then the thought jutted into Greenpaw's mind like the Highledge jutted from the cliffside – Sunpaw's prophesized death-walk! Did it have anything to do with Silverweb, with Waterpaw, with RootClan? Was death afoot SaltClan because of Clan deserters? Were they true deserters? Could Silverweb be a spy, and Waterpaw an unwilling hostage, being tortured into proclaiming her abandonment of SaltClan? With each blink, Greenpaw's mind spun wilder and wilder stories and scenarios, each scarier than the last. And death was the last thing she thought of before a blink suddenly became sleep, however unwilling.
And that night, Greenpaw dreamt of death, too.
Hope you guys are enjoying the story! I know it's a little lengthy. There are SIX chapters left until the end of BOOK ONE. Feel free to review so I can tweak the last couple chapters as needed, and so I can start BOOK TWO as satisfyingly as possible!