Incoming Storm

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Brownpaw blinked as she padded toward ThunderClan territory beside Moonshade and Ivytalon. Both cats' eyes darted around nervously scanning the bracken for enemies, but a curious resolve had settled into Brownpaw's heart.

She knew that everything was about to get very complicated and messy, but she also knew that her time in ThunderClan wouldn't last forever. Something in heart told her to keep going, to keep pushing, until she couldn't anymore.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Ivytalon mewed. "But you two will be okay, I promise."

Brownpaw glanced at the cat. Usually, when they had been in ShadowClan, Ivytalon had been a quiet warrior, often letting others take charge. Now, as she watched his raised chin and determined expression, she was reminded of how he had been alive at the time of the legendary battle between RiverClan and ThunderClan.

Thinking of that battle, Brownpaw thought she could almost scent RiverClan. On our territory? Brownpaw pressed back unease, and flattened her ears.

"Do you smell that?" She murmured, pressing herself closer to the ground, and slinking forward. The shadows would disguise her.

She saw Moonshade and Ivytalon both exchange a somewhat bewildered glance. Perhaps they weren't used to her having the courage to make her way towards a potential threat, or perhaps they couldn't pick up the scent. My nervousness did always give me heightened senses, Brownpaw reflected.

"What is it?" Ivytalon pressed himself low beside her, and ran his tail along her back.

"RiverClan. Can't you scent them?"

Moonshade spoke up, a faint growl in his voice. "We don't even share a border with them," he muttered in exasperation. "That means they passed through ThunderClan or WindClan to get here."

"Pretty desperate sounding," Ivytalon mewed under his breath.

"More like mousebrained." Moonshade scoffed.

While the two toms continued their discussion, Brownpaw picked her way around in the dense undergrowth, ears pricked and senses narrowed. The cats had to be somewhere around here. With a grunt of surprise, she saw a flash of blue grey fur.

The cat seemed pretty small, so likely an apprentice. Their paws were going stealthily in the exact direction of Moonshade and Ivytalon. With a gasp of fear, Brownpaw worried that the cat was going to surprise her clanmates.

Resolve hardened her muscles, and she narrowed her eyes at the cat. Tensing her muscles, she sprang.

For a split second, Brownpaw thought she had misjudged the leap, but then she was landing on the blue-grey cat. Instinctively, the shape tried to heave her off, but Brownpaw dug her claws into the cat.

"Moonshade!" Brownpaw screeched while the cat bucked.

Through a haze of dizzinesss, Brownpaw saw Moonshade coming towards her, only to be blocked by another cat. Brownpaw couldn't bring herself to dig her claws in further to physically harm the cat, and within another few seconds, she lost her grip.

For a split second, Brownpaw was flying midair. She saw Moonshade locked in conflict with a calico she-cat, while Ivytalon snuck up from behind. With a sudden thud, Brownpaw fell against a tree. The sudden collision sent a spurt of dizziness into her head.

Suddenly, Brownpaw saw four stars rising into the sky. One was orange-brown brown, another white, another dark brown, and another blue grey. One by one, they all split into shards, and their shards fell to the earth.

Within a moment, the vision was gone, and Brownpaw was left dazed at the foot of an oak tree. She was about to get to her paws, when suddenly the blue-grey cat was in front of her.