"All cats old enough to catch their own prey join for a clan meeting beneath High Branch!" Her voice called with authority over the heads of the other cats. They all ran over to hear their leader speak. "Today we have five cats joining us!" She stopped to let the five pad to the front of the group. "We have Islandmist-" She was cut of by a surprised howl from an apprentice at the camp entrance. As Wonderstar looked up to see what caused it she caught her breath. It was Eagleheart! The handsome heavy-set tom strode into camp with arrogance, but seemed as if he belonged. His brown eyes met Wonderstar's and her heart pounded. She remembered the tom all to well, back when they were paws together. She had loved him, but he left and she was sure her feelings for him were gone, but looking into his brown eyes again made them flood back like an uncontrollable river.
"Make that six." He grinned with happiness. Wonderstar blinked at him widely, surprised by his calmness in the clan he left so many moons ago.
"W-w-w-we have six cats joining us today." Her voice stammered and faltered as she tried to regain her normal coolness, but she couldn't. "Islandmist is going to be our medicine cat, she will travel to Moon Rocks tonight with me so that StarClan may grant her as a full medicine cat to us. We also have Leafsun, Nightclaw, and Tigerblaze joining as warriors." She nodded to the three.
"And we have Fallenpaw, who will be an apprentice! Fallenpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life, and train to be a full warrior of ForestClan?" Wonderstar looked at the grey tabby she-cat, who only nodded seemingly unable to speak. "Than your mentor will be Nightclaw." She smiled and let the two acquaint themselves.
"Also Rubysoul had her kits! She had four healthy ones, two she-kits and two toms. Their names are Hiddenkit, Risekit, Lionkit, and Windskit!" She purred. "And Berrysun should be kitting soon as well, soon our nursery will be full!" She looked at Snowkit and Greykit, wondering how old they were...
"That is all! Clan dismissed!" She lept from high branch and padded to Islandmist.
"Are you ready to go now?" She flicked her ears at the almost medicine cat of ForestClan, who only nodded in return. Wonderstar padded to the medicine cat den and grabbed the two traveling herb bunches that Islandmist had prepared earlier. They both ate them before leaving, as they started to pad from camp Wonderstar gazed at Bumblestep, he wasn't making a good deputy lately, she didn't want to leave him in charge...she called Deepheart over instead and told her to watch the camp.
Wonderstar and Islandmist ran together for what seemed like moons, and Wonderstar's paws started to ache, but they were close. She could almost smell the coolness of the cave. With a final burst of energy she ran through the hedge that hid the wide mouthed cave. She and Islandmist came to a stop at the entrance to catch their breath, the musty stench of most caves was not here, only the scent of wind, earth, fire, and water all mixed into one enticing scent.
The padded in, their paws hitting the cool cave floor sent shivers to their spines. As they padded through they could hear the waterfall, pounding water hitting cave floor. Their paws stopped at the same time when the reached one long spike of rock coming from the roof, hanging close to the glittering pool of water.
"You lap up the water and then touch your nose to the spike." She instructed Islandmist. Who did as she was told, and froze in place the second her snout touched the spike. Wonderstar gazed at the long spike, theirs smelled like the forest, and if you looked closely it even appeared to have been carved by claw to look like moss. She touched her nose to the rock and froze, falling into a deep sleep.
She was in a misty clearing alone. Her eyes unfocused. Her mind buzzed from the cool of the air. But then her vision cleared and she made out shapes in the mist before her. She could't make out cats, but she could see eyes, the eerie eyes, she felt as an invisible warriors claws were slashing at her spine. But then a soft voice whispered in her head...
Under the pureness there are lies and deceit, fury growing in the darkest of nights until the forest is turning on itself.
Only on quick running winds may a gentle cloud come, ready to bring back the peace that all have lost.
But cannot reach its full potential until the quivering breeze lashes out like a roaring lion and stop all.
And hidden power that has laid dormant will rise and bring fiery light back to the darkness in a way too powerful to comprehend.
The Nine will come...
Images flashed before her eyes, too fast for her to see. She saw glittering claws, she smelled blood and ash. Everything was screeching at her, her ears felt as if they were bleeding and she collapesed, her eyes glued shut trying to bock it all out. Then it all stopped, her eyes opened and she was in the cave, on the floor, sweating. Islandmist was licking her paw next to her. Calm.
"It's time to go." Wonderstar stood, shaky but steady too. And she padded out. Terrified of the future to come.
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