High Speed Winds

Chapter One

A cat slowly crept through the lush bushes, the shadows casting upon her scarred gray pelt and turning it dark. Lime eyes blinked from the shadows, her pupils slit. Her powerful muscles rippled in the darkness of the jungle.

The she-cat watched a bustling camp from afar, and she felt icy claws grip her heart as memories started rushing through her mind, making her head throb.

No. This is different. She forced a picture of a bloodied kit stumbling into a darkened camp out of her mind. This time, I am ready. And now, there are new cats. New clans. I've wandered far this time, the lone cat thought with a sigh, as a picture of her old camp clearing returned to her mind.

Sunlight dappled her pelt as she stepped out, and she felt the light heat her face. Scars on her eyes and body felt as if they were radiating with heat, and she closed her eyes for a moment, letting the darkness soothe her.

Sunpaw would love this weather, Hopeglow decided. A clear picture of her broad-shouldered, golden-furred apprentice burned into her mind. Though, I'm glad I didn't take him along. His paws would have fallen off by now.

And, anyways, she thought, opening her lime green eyes, the prophecy foretold for me to trek alone. She remembered the dream she had a moon ago, where she had seen her foster brother in StarClan.

His image was sharp in her mind. Pumafang's eyes were wide and fearful, and the stars in his pelt were dim with worry.

Pumafang had quickly told her, "The sun will shine when you alone go east," before he had faded away like a mist and she had woken up. She could still clearly remember him trying to yowl something to her before he was transported back to StarClan, but he had been cut off. The last she saw was his jaws open and his eyes glimmering with sorrow.

The thought of her brother made her heart ache, so she shook off the feeling and made her way forward. Hopeglow heard familiar words boom from a voice of authority, and she immediately felt a sense of nostalgia again. A warm feeling entered her chest, bubbling through her. There are apprentices earning their warrior names.

"I'm proud to present our new warrior, Opalstorm," the deep voice of what sounded like the leader of the clan bellowed for all to hear, and the cheers of the cats listening echoed throughout the jungle, somewhat parting the mist, allowing Hopeglow to see a bit better.

Squinting, she could see a she-cat with a dark grayish-purple pelt standing tall and proud upon the large rock, her firey blue eyes glimmering with pride as the crowd below chanted, "Opalstorm, Opalstorm, Opalstorm!"

Amusement entered Hopeglow's body as as remembered the chants from seasons ago. "Panicscar, Pumafang, Panicscar, Pumafang!" That was before she had changed her name when she became the medicine cat of DrizzleClan, as well as before her brother joined StarClan. Because of me, she thought with an ache of guilt. If I had been more attentive, he would be with me right now. I'm such a foxheart.

She snapped to attention when another name was bellowed from the leader. "And Scarletpelt!"

Her eyes drifted to a deep red pelted she-cat that was shaking as she stepped up in front of the leader. The crowd chanted, "Scarletpelt, Scarletpelt, Scarletpelt!" as the ceremony went on.

"And finally," the leader bellowed, his voice noticeably quieting, "Shardfang."

Hopeglow's paws prickled as her mind immediately went back to her foster brother. Pumafang. She peered through the mist, blinking both the moisture and tears from her eyes.

It took her awhile to realize that a jet black pelted tom was being presented from the rock, and she only noticed that he was there by his strange, metallic silver eyes, pupils dilated into slits as the tom stared down at the crowd below him, which seemed to slowly shrink away.

StarClan, he looks like Pumafang too. But, she thought, examining further, maybe colder. More distant, perhaps. He looks as if he may even have a few of my old traits within him.

The crowd did not start chanting. The only ones chanting were the other two who had been named warriors, who paid no attention to the crowd whatsoever. The warriors near the back of the crowd also chanted, "Shardfang, Shardfang, Shardfang!"

The tom's eyes softened.

A purr rumbled within her chest. They must be a trio of companions. Like me, Pumapaw, and Chestnutpaw, when we were apprentices. StarClan, things have changed.

The trio stood in a line, all of them side by side, as the leader announced, "Of course, as you know, you shall stand guard for the clan until dawn. There shall be no talking, and as usual, please don't fall asleep during your vigil."

The leader glanced to the cats at the back of the crowd jokingly, and a few of them returned the look.

Hopeglow's eyebrows raised, before panic struck her heart. Crouch downwind in the undergrowth, she recalled quickly, and she found herself retreating back into the shadows. I can't let them find me while they're on vigil, or else the leader may find three new warriors dead at a medicine cat's paws. Her fur bristled at the thought.

She watched with caution as the trio made their way to the entrance of the camp, preparing for a sleepless night, and for the she-cat named Opalstorm, a struggle of no talking.

I can run now, or I can stay and risk being seen. Take your pick, Hopeglow, she thought to herself, her muscles bunched up and ready to bolt.

It was too late. The three warriors had made it to the entrance of the camp, and were alert and ready to defend their clan. My choice has been made. Hopeglow crouched further so that the grass brushed against her underbelly.

The silver eyed tom snapped his head over to her bush, and glared with suspicion. His piercing gaze seemed to see right through her. Hopeglow tensed her muscles and forced herself to stay still, waiting. Eventually, he turned away, and scanned the other areas, and she relaxed her muscles.

What is wrong with me? She thought in mild fury. Being a medicine cat has made me soft, perhaps. Her mind immediately flashed back to her claws running across a DawnClan cat's throat— Eagleflight. The two clans were still continuing a war when she had received the prophecy from her StarClan brother.

Nope, I'm definitely still the same.

Hopeglow suddenly looked up, feeling a pelt against her own. Assuming it was Pumafang's, she relaxed her muscles, but when she turned, she didn't see a dark, starry pelt, but instead, a clean, white one. "What we doin'?" The large she-cat asked, looking down at Hopeglow with gleaming green eyes and a grin spread across her face.

The medicine cat hissed and unsheathed her claws. "Who are you and what do you want with me?!" Hopeglow spat, and the white she-cat winced.

"I'm Mistletoepaw." What in StarClan... she's an apprentice? Why is she that huge?! Hopeglow thought in dismay. Finish her off while she's off guard. Hopeglow automatically thought.

"Well, if you think it's okay just to appear next to someone out of the blue and think that you'll be friends instantly," Hopeglow growled, raising a paw, her claws catching the light. "Then I hope you never become a warrior. I'll make sure of that."