Incoming Storm

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"We are gathered here today to mourn the disappearance of one of our youngest and most aspiring clanmates."

Lightningpaw bowed his head low to the ground, not able to meet any cats' eye as Pebblestar began the ceremony in honour of his Wavepaw's disappearance. He couldn't help but feel that some cat here knew more than they were telling.

While Pebblestar continued the ceremony, Lightningpaw couldn't help but flit his mind back to when he had found evidence of Wavepaw's demise. He felt his tail drooping, wishing that he could have stopped it. Wavepaw had clearly known something bad was going to happen, but Lightningpaw, caught up in trying to find the past, had lost track of the present.

He had been padding through the forest after Heronclaw had injured him. Not wanting to speak to the she-cat, he had gone a different route, following Wavepaw's scent trail. He had wanted to ask his denmate whether he could truly trust Heronclaw.

When Lightningpaw had made his way back to the training clearing, Wavepaw was nowhere in sight, so he had made his way back to camp, through the marshy territory.

He had just begun to think of taking a faster route back to camp, when he had suddenly scented intense fear. Lightningpaw had stumbled back in terror when he came upon the incident.

There was Wavepaw's scent mixed with blood, and the unmistakable scent of mint. Tufts of Wavepaw's fur lying around made it evident that there had been a struggle, but that Wavepaw had lost in the end.

Following a particularly long trail of blood revealed nothing, and Lightningpaw had bolted back to camp to tell Pebblestar.

Now, Sparkmist, voice oddly subdued, mumbled out. "Maybe an eagle took him."

Snowflight, Wavepaw's mother, had her tail wrapped protectively around her only other kit, Splashkit. They were both shaking uncontrollably. Snowflight stared up at Sparkmist, eyes bright with terror.

"Maybe it was ThunderClan's leader, Eaglestar, who did it!" she exclaimed in panic.

Pebblestar and Darkstorm winced visibly from where they stood together, tails entwined, on a large tree stump. Darkstorm turned to Pebblestar briefly, and lifted her chin.

"The next gathering is in a couple days," she raised her voice amongst the clamour. "We can ask the other clans for information then." Darkstorm hesitated. "But, ThunderClan would be more direct if they wanted one of our cats, and there was no ThunderClan scent. Only mint."

Lightningpaw glanced at all the warriors, scanning each and every one of them for any guilt or lingering scent of mint. Internally he thought about who was most suspicious. There were no clear answers, but Lightningpaw couldn't help but mistrust Ravenfur, and Heronclaw.

"So it must have been a Wild Lander, or worse, a group of rogues!"

Lightningpaw stared up, eyes flashing as Heronclaw turned to look at all the cats, eyes bright as though she had just found the answer. Hypocrite, Lightningpaw thought. First you think Wild Landers are bee-brained, then you think they're evil geniuses.

His tail bristled. "That's unfair," he spat.

Heronclaw rounded on him. "Wild Landers are dangerous," she spat. "They all murdered my parents! They're all savages!"

"We aren't!"

"Silence!" Pebblestar's tail flicked in utter rage as Lightningpaw bickered at Heronclaw. He reared back at the ferocity in Pebblestar's mew; she had always been so calm, even friendly before.