CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

A new sense of determination had dawned on the traveling cats. Flamestrike was eager to see what SkyClan was like. He was even more eager to find out what the Tribe of Rushing Water was like. From what Birdpaw had described them, they had changed over the last few seasons. They were once a peaceful group of cats who had helped the Clans during their journey to the lake. But somewhere along the lines, they had changed. Whatever their reasons for attacking SkyClan, Flamestrike knew that they couldn't tolerate their actions.

They had finally left the confinement of Twolegplace. Now they were at the grassy base of the mountains, where Birdpaw and Spruceleaf were busy chatting like they were old friends. Flamestrike wasn't surprised to find them getting along so well. Spruceleaf seemed to get along with just about everyone, and could easily relate to the situation Birdpaw was in.

"I'm just hoping that everyone made it out okay," Birdpaw sighed when he caught up with them. "I wish there was a way of knowing whether they're all safe."

Flamestrike couldn't help but share her concerns. Knowing that the entire Clan was in danger of a ruthless Tribe must be nerve-wracking. He couldn't imagine what Birdpaw must be going through at the moment. Whatever happened to them, he prayed they all survived the ordeals.

The group pressed on, despite the obvious dangers that threatened them. Not only was the Tribe a threat, but cold weather and larger predators lurked within the mountains. Flamestrike had heard Spruceleaf mention hawks before as being a menace to WindClan. But everyone was taught at a young age to take them down without hesitation.

Beneath their paws was tough, long grass that swayed in the breeze. The base of the mountains almost looked barren. Yet even here, Flamestrike could see signs of life. There were birds hopping from one spot to another as they picked at the insects on the grass. And birds were prey. Flamestrike glanced at the others, realizing just how hungry he was as he watched the birds.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt to stop and hunt for a little, he thought. Unfortunately, as he relayed this with the others, they weren't too eager to agree. Flamestrike's whiskers drooped in disappointment as Blizzardwind looked at him in amusement.

"The traveling herbs must not work as well on you," she mused thoughtfully. "I'll see if there's something stronger I can whip up."

He didn't argue, but he kept an eye on the prey, nonetheless. Eventually, the rough grass gave way to pebbles and stones. Flamestrike narrowed his eyes at the realization that their path was getting tougher and tougher. He wondered how cats were capable of traveling across such terrain.

"It gets more challenging from here," Birdpaw whispered as if she had read his mind.

Flamestrike nodded at that, knowing full well this was only the beginning of their difficult journey. Acorntail and Foxfur took the lead, while Stormshadow and Oakfire kept watch in the middle of the group. Spruceleaf and Birdpaw kept close together as Blizzardwind and Reedriver exchanged a few words.

The rich scent of the mountains were overwhelming for Flamestrike. He tried to ignore the fact that everything was all muddled together. The terrain was very different from anything he had ever seen. Jagged rocks and boulders surrounded the area. Tough grass grew under his paws as he tried to keep up with the group. Flamestrike was suddenly aware of the fact that they were very vulnerable under all this short undergrowth. His ears pricked forward for any sounds of a hawk approaching the area. If one decided to attack now, they were all in trouble.

They moved on in eerie silence. Flamestrike wasn't sure if he enjoyed the silence, but at least moving ahead meant they would reach their destination sooner. He could see the look of determination in Birdpaw's eyes when she talked about her Clan. Even in the short amount of time they had known each other, he could see how much she had grown up. Birdpaw looked like more of a warrior than a small apprentice who should have still been a kit. Her bravery was an understatement as she set out to save the Clan she cared so much about.

He shook his head at the thought as they continued climbing the mountains. The air was getting thinner and colder with every pawstep. Flamestrike could feel himself getting tired as he realized how long they had been traveling. The sun was already beginning to sink as they managed to reach an area where snow began to blanket the ground.

"Alright, it might be a good time to rest here for the night," Stormshadow meowed after noticing how exhausted everyone looked. Oakfire and Acorntail were more than willing to agree, sharing looks of wariness that seemed to surround the group. Reedriver and Foxfur weren't too thrilled with the idea of stopping, but neither of them argued. Spruceleaf led Birdpaw to a rocky overhang for protection against the fierce winds that picked up.

"Everything is just so overwhelming up here," Blizzardwind sighed once everyone was settled for the night. "This is nothing like the herbs we find in RiverClan territory."

"I know, my senses are going haywire at the moment," Flamestrike agreed with her. He hated not knowing what smells and sounds were dangerous. The worst part was, they wouldn't be here long enough for him to figure out which ones were. He always felt like he should push himself to learn new things, and this was an entirely different kind of challenge.

"Well, this is a good way to test just how skilled a warrior you really are," Oakfire meowed as if he'd read his son's mind. "Just don't let it become an obsession. I know how you get."

Flamestrike resisted the urge to roll his eyes at that. He knew Oakfire was only looking out for him. Honestly, he probably would have let it become an obsession just as Oakfire predicted. So for now, he just let it drop.

The mountains were completely different from life around the lake. Flamestrike had a feeling that this was only the beginning of their challenge. If the Tribe was as fierce as Birdpaw described, than they would all need to work together to stop them.

He often thought of what Birdpaw, Spruceleaf and Reedriver said about the prophecy. What would happen once they were all together? How would their lives be any different from what they were now? As he thought of it, he pictured the ShadowClan apprentice all those nights ago. She reminded him of the cat that the elders used to tell stories about when he was a kit. The great founder of ShadowClan, Shadow. Was there any connection between the two?

"Are you okay?" Flamestrike flinched at the sound of Reedriver's voice. He'd hardly noticed the RiverClanner's approach, and looked down at the ground in embarrassment after noticing the amusement in his eyes.

"Just thinking," he replied with a shrug.

"About what?" The silver-furred tom sat down beside him, and Flamestrike suddenly felt uncomfortable and awkward around his presence.

"Well, I was thinking about the prophecy that Spruceleaf talked about," he admitted after letting out a sigh of frustration. "I was thinking about the future we'll have, and whether it is our destiny to interfere with the Clans."

Reedriver's eyes flashed with surprise when Flamestrike said that. He had been thinking far too much about their future. He was worried about how it would affect the Clans. How they would treat them if they were aware of the prophecy.

Could I really be Thunder, reincarnated? he wondered. He found it impossible to believe. Thunder had died many, many seasons ago. If there were any traces of the ancient founder of ThunderClan within him, he would never know. Maybe it was better that way. He didn't want to know what he was capable of as a warrior from the ancient Clans.

"That's a lot to think about," Reedriver murmured after giving his response some thought. "I can see why you're so troubled."

"I just don't want my life to change just because some cat who died is alive again," he growled. His eyes narrowed with frustration at the thought. "My Clan has always held Thunder with high regards, and if they knew, I'm not sure how they would treat me."

Reedriver suddenly let out a purr, earning a look of surprise from Flamestrike. It took him a few heartbeats to realize that Reedriver was actually laughing.

"Do you really think they would treat you differently than they already do?" he asked.

"Honestly, I'm not sure," Flamestrike sighed. "I guess I'm just worrying for nothing."

"Don't let it get to you," Reedriver told him reassuringly. "You won't get any sleep if you keep worrying about something that might not even be true."

The RiverClan cat left if at that, and returned to his Clanmates to curl up. Flamestrike realized with a start that Reedriver was more like River than he would ever let on. They looked almost exactly alike from the stories that were told of the ancient leaders.

Letting out another sigh, Flamestrike decided to curl up between Birdpaw and Spruceleaf as darkness washed over them. The stars were beginning to appear across the sky, one by one. Their twinkling lights provided little comfort for Flamestrike as he tried to sleep that night. Unfortunately, sleep was not going to come to him so easily.

...

He was running through the thick undergrowth as cries surrounded him. They were the pain-filled cries of his friends, his family. Night had fallen upon the forest as he tried to reach the clearing where everyone met to share news of the past moon.

Things had not gone as planned, that night. The powerful tom pushed himself through the undergrowth until he reached the clearing. What he saw before him sent shivers of horror through him.

Cats were laying across the clearing, their bodies torn apart by claws and teeth. Blood splattered across the clearing, staining the ground. The last look on their faces were what terrified him the most. He realized that these cats had seen more horror in one night than anyone should ever witness.

He carefully made his way further down to the clearing, where he saw a young cat still breathing, but barely. His eyes widened in alarm when he caught sight of a huge gash along her neck. She wouldn't survive that night, but he had to talk to her. One last time.

"Dawn, I'm so sorry," he breathed out after reaching her side. The tortoiseshell she-cat's green eyes flashed with panic when she saw her mate. He looked as handsome as ever, but exhausted and horrified with what he saw. "I should have gotten here sooner... I should have done something!"

"Thunder, don't waste your breath," Dawn sighed when he laid down beside her. "There was nothing you could have done. He overtook us without missing a heartbeat."

"What about Sky? Wind? Or River and Shadow?" Thunder gently pressed his muzzle against her, in an attempt to stop the intense bleeding. Dawn's breathing had become more shallow with each passing heartbeat. Thunder was so afraid of losing the one cat he cared about more than anything.

"We managed to give them enough time to escape," Dawn replied, her words coming out in short, ragged rasps. "We couldn't let them die at the claws of rogues."

"Rogues weren't responsible for this attack." Thunder flinched when he heard the sound of another cat, this time an older tom who looked as if he had seen better times. He was lying not far from where Dawn once stood, tall and proud. "Shadow was the one who led the attack, by using rogues as a distraction. She thought she could take over the whole forest, just by using those rogues and destroying us."

Fear wormed it's way through Thunder at that explanation. Shadow had always been ambitious, but to lead an attack like this? It was unheard of! Yet the more he thought about it, the more he realized that it had to be true.

Dawn suddenly let out a choking cry as blood splattered from her mouth. Thunder looked at her in horror as he realized she was losing too much blood. Not even the best healing herbs could help her now. The wound was too deep and fresh for anyone to heal properly.

"I won't let her get away with this," he growled when she let out one final breath, and than stilled. "No leader should ever attack anyone during a Gathering. This won't happen again."

...

Flamestrike woke with a gasp. His heart was racing with dread, and blood roared in his ears until he recognized where he was. Beside him, Birdpaw was still fast asleep, with a look of contentment written across her face. Clearly, she didn't have the same nightmares he did.

Am I ever going to have normal dreams after this? he wondered bitterly. That dream had felt so real, almost as if it was a memory. Or maybe StarClan was warning him of something that would happen in the future. Either way, Flamestrike knew that he couldn't let the others know what had happened. He knew they wouldn't get much sleep if they were aware of the past, and the upcoming future.

AN: Just a heads up, this story does not follow the original Dawn of the Clans. I have read the series, but honestly, wanted to keep with the plot that I created.