Warriors: Black Rain

Chapter 23

      Cool, light rain slid down Scarpaw's glossy pelt as she padded wistfully through the woods. She was somewhere new, not the familiar marshy forest she was used to; here, the grass was lush green, and large maple leaves crunched under-paw as she trekked on. Raising her head to the sky, she noticed the grey clouds parting to reveal the brilliant star from before, casting silvery light down upon her; the voice of the strange cat who had visited her seemed to ring off of the rain, mewing,

     "Look up, and you will find me."

      A large raindrop splashed into her eyes, and Scarpaw jumped back, alarmed, as the rain began to pelt even harder. The soil at her feet churned to mud, and she could feel herself slipping, far, far into the ground. She gasped out, yowling for help, but the pelting rain only filled her lungs with water, preventing her from making any sound. She shut her eyes, her head ready to collapse, as the mud swallowed her whole.

      Blinking water out of her eyes, Scarpaw found her muzzle pressed up against Leopardpaw's back, who's snoring almost matched the booming thunder from her dream. Rain dripped onto her head from the bramble shading above, and she made a mental note to cover it with more growth as soon as possible.

       The other apprentices were asleep, and the camp outside was dark to signal it was still night. Woodpaw rested not far from Scarpaw, curled against Maskpaw, and she sighed with relief that he was here in the den; no cat should be out in this storm.

      "Couldn't sleep?" The soft mew of Sparkpaw whispered from across the den, and Scarpaw blinked at his bright gaze. 

      "Not really; bad dream."

      "Me too," he stretched his neck around to smooth a wet spot on his back, "and this storm sure doesn't help, either."

      Leopardpaw's hind leg kicked out as she dreamed, and Scarpaw huffed with annoyance, avoiding her friend's kicks. Sparkpaw's whiskers twitched in amusement. 

      "You can come rest over here, if you'd like; my nest is big enough for two cats." Blinking, Scarpaw glanced at Leopardpaw's snoring form before warmly looking back towards the blond tom. 

      "Only if that side of the den has less leaks than over here."

      "Not really," Sparkpaw mewed, "but there's less painful company."

      Scarpaw smiled, padding carefully around Leopardpaw to settle close against Sparkpaw's pale pelt. He was warm, and his comforting pelt held her steady on one side, and she was pressed close to the bramble wall on the other. She rested her head on her paws, weariness hitting her like a sudden black wave. She could feel Sparkpaw's gaze on her as she drifted off once again, into a dreamless sleep.

      "Wonderful," Leopardpaw mumbled, casting a dark frown out into the camp. The storm was still pouring harsh rain onto the forest, and not many cats were eager to rush out to their duties. Patchnose and Sagefur were sharing a miserable mouse under an overhanging branch closest to the warriors den, Suntail had emerged from the den as well, saw the rain, and went right back inside; the apprentices were all told that today's training was going to be put on hold, and now they all sat miserably inside their den, watching the muddy camp like  young toads, anxious to hop around and begin their training.

      "At least we have time to rest," Woodpaw mewed light-heartedly, "Venomsight's battle training has been rigorous."

      "His training is always rigorous," Maskpaw growled, "and you're always complaining. I can't stand sitting in here all day; my fur's going to crawl right off."