Waging War Book 3: Blood Red Moon {COMPLETE}

Chapter 31

The sounds of battle raged through the air, the scent of blood was all that Owlpaw could smell. She was surrounded by fighting warriors, they wrestled and tore each other apart. Owlpaw was frozen in place, staring into the dead eyes of Shadowstar as he lay lifeless on the ground. Over head she heard the screech of an owl, which pulled her from her dream.

Owlpaw jolted awake in her nest, back in the medicine cat den. She looked around to make certain she was safe in the medicine cat but saw Pebblestep and Honeyfrost still sleeping. She sat up in her nest, feeling shaken up by her nightmare, even though she felt as if she should be used to it by now.

She sat up, knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep any longer. She washed her paws and smoothed down her pelt which was sticking out at odd angels and unkempt from tossing and turning in her nest all night. She looked over at her fellow medicine cats, sleeping soundly and decided to get started with her day, even if it was before dawn.

She stood up and stepped into the camp, shivering as she was hit by a wave of cold air. Leaf-bare is too long. She thought, her mind still groggy from her short sleep. She spotted Flamepetal sitting at the front of the camp, keeping watch over the Clan while everyone else slept, the moonlight reflecting off her orange pelt.

Owlpaw had been told to gather more tansy after treating a cough that Larkthorn had. It turned out to be nothing but a cold and she recovered within a few days. So far, that was the only sickness SunClan had faced but it was only a matter of time before more sickness began to spread.

As a result Owlpaw had felt more stress than she ever had in her life. She was constantly on the lookout for signs from StarClan about MountainClan's medicine cat all while feeling constant fear knowing that a war was brewing between the Clans and Dawnstar wouldn't do anything about it. She felt helpless, and worst of all she felt hopeless. It had been a moon since the death of Shadowstar and nothing had gotten better.

"You're up early." The sudden voice of Flamepetal made Owlpaw jump, she didn't realize she had just been standing in the cold staring off into nothingness.

"Oh," Owlpaw replied, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, just can't sleep."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Flamepetal looked at her for a few moments. "Everything okay?"

Owlpaw sighed. "Just a lot going on, I suppose." She replied. "I'll be alright."

"I know I'm older than you, and a we don't talk that much but you can talk about it if you want." I'd like to, but I don't know if Flamepetal could understand, but I can give her the short version. It may be nice to at least get something off my chest. Owlpaw sat down beside the warrior, resting her tail across her paws.

"I'm just really stressed about leaf-bare and the whole situation with AshClan and MoonClan." Owlpaw explained.

"I would be too as a medicine cat." Flamepetal replied. "Especially after such a long period of peace. There hasn't been a fight among the Clans since before you were born. It is scary, fighting is scary." There was a shadow of pain in Flamepetal's eyes. "You never know when you might lose someone in a fight."

She's lost someone. Owlpaw knew that both of Flamepetal's parents were dead, but she didn't know how they died. "Who did you lose in a fight? You're talking from experience."

"Both of my parents." Flamepetal looked at her paws. "First my mother, Willownose, in the battle against Thornstar. I remember telling Dawnstar how terrified I was of losing someone and in the end I lost one of the most important cats in my life." Her voice grew more unsteady as she spoke about her mother. "Then moons later, AshClan attacked us and I lost my father Bramblepelt."