CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

He felt a sense of pride surge through him as he returned to camp with a bundle of prey in his jaws. Earlier this morning, Hawktalon had sent him out hunting to find prey along with Feathermist and Shademask. Even Shademask, who was normally grumpy and annoyed with just about everything, was impressed with his catch. Feathermist had returned with a large squirrel while Shademask brought back a blackbird.

Flamestrike couldn't remember a better time for being a warrior. Greenleaf was in full swing. Prey was plentiful, and the Clans were at peace as far as he knew.

With a sigh of satisfaction, Flamestrike dropped his catch on the fresh-kill pile and started washing himself. Thorns snared on his pelt from when he'd chased a mouse into a bush. At least he was able to catch it with ease.

"You've done well," Oakfire purred as he and Roseclaw approached Flamestrike. He noticed with a start that Lilypool and Shrewfang were sharing tongues as well instead of tussling like they usually did. "I always knew you would become the finest warrior the Clan has ever seen."

He couldn't help but purr in agreement. His own parents were proud of him. And yet... something didn't feel right. Even though he was a warrior, Flamestrike had yet to go to a Gathering. He had asked several times to attend the Gathering, but Petalstar simply refused to let him go. Instead she had asked Lilypool and Shrewfang to go in his place.

It's like she doesn't even trust me, he thought bitterly. I've never done anything wrong.

"Thank you," he replied with a nod of appreciation. "I just wish I knew what she expects of me... sometimes it feels as if I've done everything wrong. She won't even let me lead any patrols or go to the Gatherings."

"She will in time," Roseclaw reassured him. "Petalstar just has a lot on her mind at the moment. A lot has happened over the last few days and she needs time to recover from it."

A lot has happened? Flamestrike highly doubted that. Something else was going on here. He had a feeling that she was keeping a secret from him, one he would soon find out about.

The ginger warrior decided it was time to slip out before anyone noticed him. Roseclaw and Oakfire were leaving for a border patrol, which gave him enough time to think of what had happened recently. There were rumors that WindClan scents had mingled with ShadowClan scents over the border. Petalstar was worried about that of course.

If the two Clans were planning something, it could destroy the peace that had lasted for many moons. Flamestrike was eager to prove himself in the heat of battle, but not if it meant ruining whatever was keeping the Clans from fighting.

Flamestrike padded through the forest undergrowth, avoiding any patrols that were wandering nearby. If he was caught now, they would question why he was out in the first place. For now he kept close to the shadows until finally reaching the edge of the territory, close to where the Moonpool was.

He thought of actually going there himself to seek out StarClan for advice. But that was something only medicine cats did. Rarely did warriors visit the Moonpool and get away with it. Suddenly his ears pricked forward as he felt something pull him towards the Moonpool.

What do you want? he wondered. Something kept calling him, almost as if by instinct to make him move forward with each pawstep guided carefully.

Finally Flamestrike stopped by the slope that led down to the Moonpool. His heart was racing so fast that he was sure it would have killed him. Flamestrike could only gape as he realized that maybe this wasn't real. Normally he even think of leaving camp without telling anyone. Petalstar or someone else would have noticed he was gone by now. Taking a deep breath, Flamestrike took one step forward and decided to take a risk.

Almost as if this was what StarClan had wanted, Flamestrike felt a chill sweep through him. His fur stood on end as he dropped down to the ground, and images flashed across his vision. Flamestrike was so startled by the visions that he suddenly stepped back, only to find himself staring at what looked like a white cat with strikingly dark blue eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked curiously. She looked young, maybe around seven or eight moons old. But the strangest feature she had were her long back legs. Flamestrike had never seen legs like hers. The she-cat didn't answer. Instead she finally looked at him and blinked in surprise, almost as if she wasn't expecting to see him standing in front of her. "Are you lost?"

"Yes, I am," she replied. Flamestrike's eyes widened in alarm as he found himself standing on a rocky terrain covered in snow. The she-cat was standing on the top of boulder that seemed to overlook an endless stretch of snow and ice. "My Clan was separated by the Tribe, and I've lost all the apprentices I was with."

Flamestrike found it odd that she was speaking like an adult cat. Her voice sounded older than she looked. But what she said sent shivers of alarm through him. He'd heard many stories about the Tribe of Rushing Water. Mostly they were just that - stories. But hearing the she-cat speak made him realize maybe they were more than that.

"What has the Tribe done to your Clan?" he demanded. "And what Clan are you from?" He was confused, mostly because all the Clans living by the lake were currently fine. Even Lilypool and Shrewfang had told him that the Clans were fine at the Gatherings. There was some tension between ShadowClan, WindClan and RiverClan, but that didn't seem to matter at the moment.

"I am from SkyClan," the she-cat replied. "Long ago we used to live in the forest alongside all the other Clans. But eventually our territory, my territory, was destroyed by Twolegs. We were forced to leave thanks to the other Clans, but now we are struggling to return to our rightful place alongside them." Flamestrike's eyes widened once again at the tone in her voice. She sounded much older than she looked, almost as if someone else was speaking through her. "The Tribe attacked by Clanmates during the night when there was a blizzard here on the mountains. I along with four other apprentices were lucky enough to escape, but not without consequences. I am afraid the other apprentices might have been taken as well."

The information she was spitting out was almost too much for Flamestrike. He couldn't imagine what this cat was going through right now. It didn't seem real. Yet something told him this was more than just a vision sent by StarClan.

"And what do you expect me to do?" he asked carefully. "It isn't like I could just abandon my Clanmates and rescue you." The she-cat only narrowed her eyes at that and lashed her tail irritably.

"I'm not expecting anyone to help me," she snapped in a voice so cold it sent shivers through Flamestrike. "What I went is help towards my Clan. They were taken hostage by the Tribe, and I doubt the Tribe will let them go anytime soon."

Flamestrike nodded in understanding. He knew that if it were him in this position, he would seek out whatever help he could find. This cat was clearly in need of help, no matter how much he wanted to deny it.

"I'll see what I can do," he promised after giving it some thought.

The she-cat let out a sigh of relief at that. Before he could ask anymore questions, she faded away into the light. Flamestrike found himself standing at the top of the Moonpool, blinking in surprise as he tried to comprehend what just happened.

Why do I feel as if that was more than just a dream? he wondered. StarClan was telling me something, and I need to listen.

Yet he was even more curious as to why StarClan would have chosen him of all cats to speak to of this situation. Surely Dusknose or even Petalstar would have been better choices. Dusknose had the proper training to deal with omens and visions. Petalstar was ThunderClan's leader, so she had more experience.

Flamestrike shook his head and tried to cast out the anxiety churning in his stomach. Whatever their reason, he needed to share this news with his leader. He managed to make his way back to camp before anyone noticed he was missing. And much to his surprise, he found everything was pretty much the way he had left it. Except instead of sharing tongues, Lilypool and Shrewfang were tussling with each other by the warrior's den. Oakfire and Roseclaw were sharing a thrush together, rolling their eyes at the littermates.

Taking a deep breath, Flamestrike padded over to the Highledge where Petalstar's den was under. He ignored the looks others gave him as he trudged on. They could stare all they want, this news was too important not to share.

The ginger tom paused only for a moment when he saw Hawktalon sharing a few words with Petalstar. The ThunderClan deputy looked mildly annoyed, flicking his tail every now and than as he spoke in a whisper.

"...Crossed the border at some point. I'm sure they're planning something," he heard the deputy say.

"Just make sure you send out extra patrols to keep an eye on the border," Petalstar told him, letting out a sigh of frustration. "Hopefully what you are implying is wrong. The last thing we need is a battle, especially if what I suspect will happen from it is true." Flamestrike stared at his leader in disbelief as Hawktalon nodded in agreement, than turned around to see the young warrior staring at them blankly. "Flamestrike, I hope nothing is wrong, again," Petalstar meowed after noticing him as well.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Flamestrike stepped inside and avoided Hawktalon's accusing glare.

"Look, I know that this is going to sound like the most mousebrained thing in the world but... I think we should go and visit the Tribe of Rushing Water," he explained, speaking so fast that Petalstar and Hawktalon barely understood him.

"What's this all about?" Hawktalon demanded, flexing his claws in outrage.

"Hawktalon, would mind giving us a moment alone?" Petalstar asked, her eyes flashing with concern as she noticed the two squaring each other up. Flamestrike's fur was bristling with unease as Hawktalon glared at him.

I haven't done anything wrong, you mousebrain! he thought indignantly.

Hawktalon let out a huff of frustration before leaving the den, his tail swatting Flamestrike against the cheek in the process. He shot a cold look after the deputy as he left.

"Now, why don't you tell me the truth?" Petalstar suggested once he was gone.

"Have you ever heard of a Clan called SkyClan?" Flamestrike asked after trying to calm himself down. He was still on edge after what had happened earlier. Petalstar's eyes widened in disbelief at the mention of a Clan that hardly any cat heard about.

"I have..." she paused for a moment as she tried to recall where she had heard it from. "An elder once told me of it when I was just a kit. SkyClan once lived among the other Clans, until their territory was destroyed by Twolegs. The Clans decided to banish them, because there was not enough space in the forest for them."

That wasn't entirely true, but at least she had gotten the main point. Flamestrike took a deep breath before explaining the vision he'd had at the Moonpool. Petalstar had narrowed her eyes at one point when he mentioned his little adventure, but she didn't argue with his notions. Instead she was intrigued by the fact that StarClan had chosen to speak with him of all cats.

"I was afraid something like this might happen," she sighed once he was finished explaining the story. Flamestrike narrowed his eyes at that remark. What did she mean by that? "Flamestrike, long ago before I was made leader, I had a vision of my own. I wasn't sure what it meant at the time, but I knew that it had something to do with the kits that would be born during leafbare. Five cats were standing at the top of the Great Oak, where the Gatherings are held under."

Flamestrike found himself staring at Petalstar as if she was crazy. She might as well be for suggesting that he might be one of those five cats. He wasn't anything special as far as he was concerned. Heck, with all that was happening, he was amazed she had made him a warrior at all.

"Petalstar, I highly doubt I'm one of those cats you saw," he muttered with a shake of his head. "There's just no way... I'm nothing special. You don't even trust me enough to attend Gatherings."

Petalstar flinched at that.

"Flamestrike, there is a reason why I haven't allowed you to attend Gatherings," she tried explaining, but Flamestrike didn't want to hear any of it.

"Next thing I know, you're gonna tell me that I'm some special cat sent by StarClan to save the Clans," he spat. "I don't want any of this. I want my life to stay normal, like it should be."

Before she could say anything else, Flamestrike stalked out of the den and left it at that. He was too angry with her and himself to let the conversation continue. He would help find SkyClan on his own if that was what needed to be done. One way or another, that was what needed to happen.