Warriors: Wolfstar's Storm

Ch.8

(Cat above is Stoneclaw)

Wolfpaw shivered as a cold breeze ruffled his fur. Why is the wind cold? It's greenleaf, not leafbare. Not wanting his sleep to be disturbed again by the chilly air, Wolfpaw opened his eyes. He immediately scrambled to his paws. He was no longer in the comfort of the apprentices' den. Now, tall dark trees grew around him. A thick fog filtered across the land. The ground was hard and cold underneath his paws. The sky was red as blood and an eerie silence filled the air.

Wolfpaw looked around frantically, fear rippling through his pelt. Where am I? He began to race through the forest. He had to get out of there. Wherever 'there' was.

"Greetings, Wolfpaw." A deep mew sounded in his ear and fur brushed his flank.

Wolfpaw bristled with alarm. He glanced sideways and saw the faint outline of a cat keeping pace with him. What is going on?! Am I dreaming?

"We have been watching you." The outline shimmered beside him— a large yet lithe dark gray tom with dark blue eyes and matted fur.

"Who are you?" Wolfpaw stammered. "Who's we?"

"I was ShadowClan's deputy once." The blue-eyes tom answered. "Seasons ago. You probably weren't told of me."

Wolfpaw tilted his head to the side. From what he could recall, he hadn't heard of a dark gray, blue eyed deputy of ShadowClan. Not from the elders' stories or the warriors.

"My name is Stoneclaw." The dark gray tom mewed. His voice was smooth and dark. "Sound familiar?"

Wolfpaw shook his head. "No. Are you from StarClan?"

Stoneclaw padded forward, dodging the question. "We can help you."

"Who?" Wolfpaw asked.

"Me and my good friends, one of which has taking a particular liking to you." Stoneclaw answered, continuing into the gray forest.

Wolfpaw began following him. "Help me with what?"

"Training." Stoneclaw meowed.

"Training?" Wolfpaw inquired.

Stoneclaw halted in his tracks and whipped his head around to face Wolfpaw. "To be a warrior! You want to be a strong warrior, don't you?!"

Wolfpaw took a step back. "Yes! Do I need help?"

Stoneclaw's tail twitched. "Not necessarily. But my friends and I can make you a stronger warrior than how Stormleap will."

Wolfpaw let his gaze fall to his paws. He thought that Stormleap was making him into a strong warrior. After all Stormleap himself is one of the best in his clan. Sure the tom was strict but he was kind as well. He didn't give up on Wolfpaw.

"We can make you respected, powerful." Stoneclaw continued. "Popular like Fallowpaw."

Popular like Fallowpaw? Wolfpaw couldn't deny he always felt envious of the attention his ThunderClan friend received. Every cat talked about him; the leaders, deputies, warriors, elders. It also wasn't just at gatherings. There wasn't a day that went by when Wolfpaw didn't hear at least one cat in his own clan mention Fallowpaw. And he's not even in ShadowClan! He's a ThunderClan apprentice!

"All you have to do is listen to us and soon you'll be the one all the clans talk about." Stoneclaw's dark mew snapped Wolfpaw from his thoughts.

Wolfpaw met the tom's gaze. The one all the clans talk about? Could it really happen? Could this strange cat and his friends make Wolfpaw better than Fallow? Better than the rest of the clans?

"So," Stoneclaw mewed, his claws sliding into the cold dirt. "Will you let us help you?"

Wolfpaw smiled. Fallowpaw's not special. I'll show him.

"Yes."

*

*

Sunlight filtered into the den. Wolfpaw blinked open his eyes. He sat up and looked around. The dark trees had faded away and all that surrounded him was the bramble walls of the apprentices' den.

Most of the apprentices were already up, only Hawkpaw and Hollypaw still lay asleep in their nests. Wolfpaw gave his body a quick stretch before padding into the clearing. He spotted Stormleap outside the warriors' den, talking with Cinderfern and Finchfeather.

Is Stormleap not making a strong as I thought? Wolfpaw wondered. Is what Stoneclaw said true?

"Yes, it is" A pelt brushed by Wolfpaw, nudging him slightly.

Wolfpaw looked around. "Who?" No cat was there. Who was that? Was it Stoneclaw?

Wolfpaw turned around to back into the apprentices' den when Neetlepaw ran up to him. "Hey, Wolfpaw!" He mewed. "Rainfeather said you can visit Jaypaw if you want to."

Wolfpaw nodded and bounded off to the medicine den. Visiting Jaypaw would surely take his mind off his meeting with Stoneclaw. He slipped inside and padded over to the nest where Jaypaw was.

"Hi, Wolfpaw." She greeted. Since coming back to ShadowClan, the she cat's bubbly mood had returned. But sadly the Jaypaw was still not fit to return to her apprentice duties.

"Hi." Wolfpaw mewed. "How are you feeling?"

Jaypaw smiled. "Great. I really wish I could go back to training."

"Don't worry." Rainfeather chimmed. "It won't be too much longer until you can."

Jaypaw sighed. "I bet I'm falling behind, huh?"

"Knowing you, you'll catch up real quick." Wolfpaw meowed.

Jaypaw smiled. Wolfpaw padded over a layed down next to her. It felt good to have one of his best frinds back. And soon they'd be able to train together again. Part of him wanted to tell Jaypaw about Stoneclaw.

If he can make me a stronger warrior, surely he could help Jaypaw catch up and get stronger too.

But something told him the dark gray tom only wanted to train one cat and one cat only.

Me.