Darkfire's Heart - Book One of the DangerClan Series (WATTY'S 2016)

Chapter 13

Darkpaw's pads were rubbed rough after only a few paw-steps up the stony hill.

She turned around and called down to Flowerpool, "my paws hurt!"

Flowerpool twitched an ear. "You need dock leaf. Look for it as you head up. Do you know what it looks like?"

The dark-furred apprentice dipped her head and lapped at a sore pad, still stinging from the stones. "I've seen you use it. I'll know it when I see it."

Flowerpool nodded and continued on. Darkpaw placed her paw back on the dirt and started back up. She spotted the dock leaf about five fox-lengths from where she'd stopped. Picking the leaves between her teeth, she chewed them and dropped the juice on her pads.

Fuzzy paw leapt forward, tumbling into Darkpaw. The black apprentice reared up and flung her denmate off her back. Her deep green eyes narrowed as she jumped over Fuzzypaw and cuffed his ears from the side, pinning him down.

The brown tom shook his fur and struggled to stand up. Darkpaw grinned. "I won!" she proclaimed, leaping off him and continuing up the hill. The rocky terrain grew flatter as the cats approached a deep, fast-flowing river.

"The Moonriver!" exclaimed Whitepaw. "Wow!"

Rainpaw rolled his dark blue eyes. "You're acting like you've never seen a river before!"

"I've never seen the Moonriver before," pointed out Darkpaw, twitching her tail. "Now, what do we do?"

Tigerstripe dipped his head. "We lap up some of the water," he instructed, "then we close our eyes. Soon we'll open them and we'll be in StarClan."

"StarClan...?" echoed Whitepaw. "Isn't that where you receive your lives? Why would Rainpaw, Fuzzypaw, and Darkpaw be there?"

"Why would you?" challenged Rainpaw.

"I'm a medicine cat," the white she-cat reminded him, rolling her pale blue eyes.

Rainpaw growled. "Medicine cat apprentice," he snarled.

Flowerpool answered Whitepaw's question. "They don't witness the ceremony - no cat except the medicine cats and the to-be leader may - they only meet other cats from StarClan," she explained, leaning down to lap at the green-blue river.

Darkpaw copied Flowerpool, opening her jaws and swallowing an icy mouthful of the water. The tabby-black apprentice immediately was swept into a black, cold sleep. Is something wrong? she thought worriedly. Then she thought about what Tigerstripe had told her. 'Soon we'll open our eyes and we'll be in StarClan!'

She blinked open her eyes. Darkpaw was in a lush forest again, with starlight shimmering in the grass, leaves, and dark moonlit sky. Looking to the left, she spotted a group of shimmering cats surrounding a tall, ginger warrior and two smaller she cats. That must be the ceremony, she said silently, pulling her eyes away and glancing in front of her. Tigerstripe said not to watch it, she reminded herself, focusing on the scene in front of her. A cat sat on a tall, flat rock about five badger-lengths across from her. Dark paw padded softly toward her.

She realized who the cat was, she'd recognize that long, fluffy white pelt and recognize the sharp, piercing blue eyes anytime.

"Cloudgaze? Why have you come to see me again? Is something wrong?"

"No, Darkpaw," Cloudgaze assured her, leaping off the stone and padding toward the tabby apprentice.

Darkpaw twitched a whisker. "Then why have you come back?"

The white she-cat sighed. "Come with me."

Darkpaw padded after the StarClan warrior. Soon, the shimmering, starlit trees turned dark and slimy. The stars and moon disappeared an an eerie light filled the dark woods.

"Where are we?" meowed Darkpaw, aware that her voice was shaking.

Cloudgaze's eyes grew dark. "The Place of No Stars...or the Dark Forest."