The Will of StarClan: CrystalClan's Beginnings

Chapter Four: The Beast of the Prarie

The three apprentices lay in the den, wriggling to keep comfortable in the heat of late newleaf. Really, it wasn't the heat eating away at their beings; it was the guilt of staying out of camp so late. Dunepaw struggled to suppress her sorrow as she rolled about, eventually seizing her movement and falling to the ground. There she lay on her side, taking a deep breath, then a hard sigh.
Redpaw spoke up, desperate to break the silence. "Th-there, there was something strange in the grass where I hid..."
"Really? What was it?" Dunepaw inquired.
"I don't know." They said. "It wasn't a cat; it's scent was rancid and different from anything else in the forest. When I spoke to Astralpaw about it, he couldn't smell anything. I'm either delusional or lucky to be alive." Redpaw whispered, fear pulsing through their body.
Dunepaw looked concerned. She'd never heard about this creature; no elder, warrior, queen or kit had spoke of it. Had it even existed? Silently, she judged Redpaw's story, trying to determine whether they were sane or not. Interrupting her intense thoughts, a voice spoke from the other side of the den, sharp as glass.
"Shut it, Redpaw! Nobody has time for your old wives tales. We aren't as gullible as kits, you mouse-brained idiot!" The voice belonged to Astralpaw. Dunepaw and Redpaw just sat there, shocked. Dunepaw began to hiss, though soft. She stopped, thinking of everything Astralpaw was going through. It was a hard time for him, she inferred.
It seemed Redpaw didn't think like her, because all they did was curl up into an oval shape, laying down on the moss beds. They might've been sobbing, but Dunepaw couldn't tell. Oftentimes she wasn't too accurate.
Eventually she gave up hopes of any happiness at the moment. She flopped down, glaring at silverpelt. It's length seemed to stretch out infinitely. Dunepaw winced, hoping StarClan would give her an omen, a sign, so she could cope with the devastation of her clan being disappointed in her. She curled up, rested her head on the moss bed, and closed her eyes, falling to sleep.
For the first time in moons, Dunepaw was surrounded by a dream. She was audibly suprised; could this mean something, anything at all? Her questions intensified as she walked through her dream, in a bioluminescent forest, just as moonhigh hit. The ferns and trees glowed shades of pink, blue, purple and green as Dunepaw walked. A path formed in front of her as she went. The path dug itself quicker than a monster from the thunderpath as it tore on by. Suddenly it stopped, at the very end a juicy vole. Dunepaw raced towards it, not caring if it could sense her; after all, it was a dream. She was bound to catch it. Just before she reached the end, a dark figure with eyes like fire pounced on the vole, before looking up to burn into Dunepaw's soul. As it did so, the once beautiful forest turned into ash, as walls of fire rose where plants and trees had rested.
Terrified, she ran the other way, her tail tucked between her legs, and her ears turned to her neck. Before she got far, a huge flame appeared in front of her, blocking the path. She turned around to face the presence. She would have to fight for her life. Slowly, it walked towards her, it's shape getting bigger as it continued. Then, it stopped, staring deep into her. Dunepaw couldn't move. She was petrified with fear. The heat and smoke around her wafted into her nose, a rank and putrid smell being produced. Then, the creature turned left, and Dunepaw woke up, fear pulsing through her.
Her chest heavy, rapidly moving to breathe, she woke. Her eyes took a minute to adjust to the light. Whatever she just went through, it was horrific. For comfort, Dunepaw, looked to where the presence had run off to at the end, only to see Mottledwhisper, in the same position the creature was. It was nothing too strange, Dunepaw reassured herself. After all, Mottledwhisper was simply heading to the medicine den, not strange for a medicine cat. To drive the drowsiness from her body, Dunepaw stretched, yawning. She looked beside her to find Astralpaw and Redpaw already awake.
"Good morning" Dunepaw yawned.
"Mhm, you too" Astralpaw responded. He seemed to be ok, now that his rage fit was over.
"I'm glad you're finally awake." Redpaw said. "Now we can just wait for Palmstar to tell us our punishment for yesterday." They stated.
The punishment! Dunepaw thought. She'd completely forgotten about the night before after getting swept up in her nightmare. She decided not to tell Astralpaw or Redpaw; they had bigger things to worry about,poor Redpaw was already scared to death of the "prairie beast", and Dunepaw didn't want to make it worse for them.
Sulking, Dunepaw sat back down, giving her ears a good lick. She looked towards the leaders den, hoping somehow, someway, Palmstar would let them off the hook, just this once.
With a flick of her ears, Palmstar was walking towards the trio. Had Dunepaw's leader soften his heart?
"For you three, I'm very disappointed." He spoke. "However, everyone makes mistakes. It's important to learn from them. For 3 days, you tend to every need of the elders.that means picking off their ticks, cleaning their beds, fetching them prey, and listening to their complaints, as well as doing something about those complaints." His words were heavy, a distinct rule, different from any other cat. Palmstar had the natural personality of a born leader. For a moment, Dunepaw was glad to have him lead CrystalClan, before she processed what he'd said.
Ew! She thought, remembering the times she picked tics off of Goathorn as a kit. Just one elder was riddled with them, everywhere! Dunepaw was even sure the parasites were inside of them. Obeying Palmstar's authority, she and the two other apprentices walked towards the elders den. Rats! She thought. She was terribly disappointed, that is, until she heard Goathorn's words echoe from her den.
"Now kits, let me tell you the story of the Monsters from the fields! Remember to be brave; you might face one in the tall grass as a warrior!"