Reflected Stars

Chapter 4

Wasppaw ^

"My belly hurts!" Wasppaw complained.

Amberleaf rolled her eyes, "Stop fidgeting and let me see what's wrong!"

"I already told you what's wrong!" Wasppaw retorted, "My belly hurts!"

Amberleaf sighed in frustration, "I know that, but I need to find what's causing it!"

"Fine," The white and black apprentice huffed but stopped fidgeting.

Amberleaf ran her paws over the tom's flank, pressing down on certain spots. He didn't squirm or protest until she touched the center of his belly.

"Ow!"

"Sorry, Wasppaw." She stopped touching him and eyed him closely, "What did you eat last night?"

Wasppaw hesitated, "Um, a rabbit."

Amberleaf narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Was that rabbit fresh?"

"Uh, er y-yes."

"Really?" Amberleaf queried, "So you're telling me, that you got a stomach ache from eating fresh rabbit?"

"Y-yes."

"Wrong!" Amberleaf screeched. "Fresh-kill does not give cats belly aches. What you ate was probably crow-food! Am I right?"

Wasppaw dipped his head in defeat, "Yes, Amberleaf. The rabbit I ate was half frozen and dead, but-"

"Thought so!" Amberleaf cut him off and gave the apprentice a yarrow leaf.

"Yuck!" Wasppaw mewed, sticking his pink tongue out.

"Good! It's supposed to taste bad." The medicine cat retorted.

Waspaw heaved until stinking, yellow liquid came out of his mouth.
"Very good! Yarrow expels poison like crow-food." She exclaimed. She had Wasppaw eat a juniper berry, for chervil doesn't grow in the mountains.

"Is he okay?" A mew sounded behind them.

Amberleaf turned around, "Yes, Tigerlily, Wasppaw is fine. He just ate a little bit of crow-food, but I treated it and he'll be back to normal by sunset."

"Crow-Food?" Tigerlily shrieked. "Wasppaw! How could you be so bird-brained?"

Wasppaw dipped his head in an apology, "Sorry, Mother."

"So you should be. You know better than to eat crow-food!" Tigerlily scolded. "Now come on, you need to rest."

Wasppaw trailed after his mother.

Amberleaf sighed in relief. She looked up at the dark gray clouds skidding across the sky. They had been traveling for about three sunrises and were practically lost. Stoneteller had pointed out where to go, but the tall-pointed mountain peaks was unfamiliar terrain to the cluster of Skyclan cats.

They had not come across any eagles yet, thank Starclan, and Amberleaf took that as a blessing. She did not want to be treating puncture wounds at the moment. She and her Clanmates came upon a sheltered rock ledge where they went to rest.

"Stop treading on my tail Prinkleleap!" She heard Meadowlark mew sharply, clearly agitated.

Amberleaf stifled a small purr of amusement before sliding her kits closer to her flank and dragged into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Fernwhisper stretched her spine and inwardly winced at the thought of getting lost forever in this unforgiving terrain where the wind seemed to whine non stop.

Cherrystar beckoned her to come talk. "We must leave, this storm isn't going to hold itself in the clouds by the look of it." Fenwhisper took a quick glance at the darkening sky.

She nodded, "The storm the Tribe mentioned is getting closer by the sunrise. We better get out of here as fast as Starclan allows!"

Fernwhisper got together the senior warriors, "Okay, Cherrystar ordered that we leave before sunset." She mewed. "I need all of you to get the clan together so we can get traveling."

Plumwillow nodded and looked up at the sky, "I can do that."

"Thank you."

Plumwillow dashed off, rounding up as many cats as she could. Dewfrost dashed off to help her.

Fernwhisper turned to the other two senior warriors, "Rabbitleap and Sagenose, I need you to help Amberleaf with her supplies and kits."

"Right away," Sagenose mewed and bounded away, Rabbitleap at his tail.

Cherrystar waited while the warriors gathered the rest of Skyclan and became clustered together as the winds ruffled all there pelts in the wrong direction.

The clan leader's yowl seemed to get lost with the howling wind. "Everyone, the time has come to keep moving to find the four Clans. We will stay together, help one another, the stronger helping the weaker. We are Skyclan! We have gone through harsher troubles than any Clan cat has ever known. That is what makes us a surviving Clan." Her words seem to lift everyone's spirits including her own troubled thoughts.

Fernwhisper saw how Amberleaf's green eyes were glowing with with hope. As her kits snuggled closer to their mother, trying to escape the cold gusts.

"Is everyone ready to leave?" Cherrystar asked.

"Yes!" Her Clan declared.

"Good, then let's get moving before this storm gets worse." She mewed worriedly.

Fernwhisper padded beside Cherrystar, Amberleaf, and Reedthicket, her mate. The cold chilly breeze seemed to bore right through her pelt. She longed for warm sun and running-prey. She was starving, but she was determined that she wouldn't eat until after Amberleaf and her kits ate.

As the entire Clan trekked through the blustery wind and falling flakes that starting to flutter from the clouded sky, Fernwhisper heard a faint screech above her. Glancing up, all she saw was a world of white. She narrowed her eyes and she noticed it. A brown speck in the sky. Now what in Starclan is that? She wondered.

It commenced growing bigger and bigger, Why is a bird growing so huge like that? Wait, no it's not growing bigger it's coming closer! "Cherrystar!" She yowled in alarm, but it was too late. She could hear the large bird's pounding wings coming closer and snatched Cherrystar in its large, golden talons. Screeching in agony, Cherrystar was plucked away like prey and was being carried through the breezy sky and brought into a world unknown to any cat.