Book 2: City of Ice and Fire (a warriors cats and shadowhunters crossover)

Chapter 37: Wake Up to the Sound (Malec)

***Arrowheart's POV***

It was the middle of the night when the sounds of loud yowling broke him out of his dreams. He rose from his curled up position next to Patchfur. The older tom was still asleep, unperturbed by the loud noise. Looking around, he noticed none of the other cats had woken up either. Goldenclaw was snoring away in his nest, his parabatai sprawled out on his back with his fluffy chest fur on full display. Junipernose slept next to his brother Ripplefur. Vultureclaw, presumably on night shift, was nowhere to be seen. Am I the only one hearing things? Not totally certain, he

"Patchfur, wake up."

"Huh. Five more minutes." Patchfur whined, his paws wrapping around Arrowheart's dark tail.

"Patchfur please. Get up." He nudged him again, harder this time.

"Ugh. Really. And I was having such a good dream too." Golden eyes opened to stare at him blearily. Arrowheart helped his boyfriend back into his paws, his own muscles becoming more awake at the sounds of even more yowls. Patchfur did not react to them at all, his ears only twitching at the sounds of Bearfur's snores.

"We need to get outside now," He said urgently.

"And what for?" Patchfur didn't complain as they padded out of the den opening, but his tone was curious.

"I don't know. I just keep hearing someone calling out."

When they got out into the open, they were met with the usual sight at such an early hour in the morning. The sun had yet to peek over the horizon, only the fading stars were an indication night was coming to a close. Ashwhisker sat by the camp entrance along with Petalfall. They were keeping watch over camp. The storm that had brought an end to the Gathering the night before had passed at some point while they were all asleep. The prey pile was half-full with the carcasses of scrawny squirrels and a mouse that was missing a leg, and possibly a tail. This was possibly Stripepaw's doing as the young she-cat loved grabbing late night snacks.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

The yowling sound he had heard so many times had changed to a low growl. Suddenly, words were echoing in his mind. A dream he'd had of snarling cats and harsh whispers. One cat sprang into his mind. His pelt was a frosty white, matching the bitterness in his eyes, a stark scar on pale flesh. And then there was another cat, or should he say cats, in his vision. The leaders of the other Clans. They were fighting, fighting for something that wasn't the fault of one leader. Wasn't the fault of one clan.

Something inside him was speaking.

As if drawn awake for the same reasons, Sparkpaw came tumbling out of her nest. Alderpaw was with her, the two of them blinking to adjust their eyes to the darkness of camp. Sparkpaw's ginger pelt was bushed out like she'd heard something that had spooked her. Perhaps she was hearing the same yowls he was.

And then a vision took hold in his mind as white hot pain raced into his skull. A burning circle sat on the sides of their necks. They were standing on frozen ground, their eyes alight with laughter. Demons swarmed the air like clockwork, talons, claws and fangs on full display. And in the center of it all stood one cat on the solid stone. A glowing stick sat at his paws, shooting up a beam of light into the sky. Demons were pouring out of the tear in the clouds. Hope would soon be lost. He shuddered.

"Arrowheart. Arrowheart! Are you okay?" Someone was shaking him.

Blue eyes flickered open to see his muzzle was crashed into the ground. His nose itched with the dirt being so up close. Slowly, he rose back onto his paws. Patchfur was looking at him worriedly. "I'm fine." He touched noses with Patchfur to reassure him. With everyone who may judge them still asleep, he didn't care about showing signs of affection. The part of him scared to show himself had slowly but surely begun to fade. He suspected in a few moons time he would hardly care at all. In the distance, he saw Dawnmist bounding towards them. Her pale eyes were wide with worry.

"Did you see what I saw?" Dawnmist panted out as she came to a halt. Her fur was bushed up the same way it had been when she had come back from the battle at Sunningrocks the day Foxtail was brutally murdered.

"If you mean the battle between the other Clans and Frostfang up to no good then yes. I did," He said.

Dawnmist's ears flattened as her tail drooped. "Then it's as worse as I feared. Frostfang is making his move now that the other Clans are preoccupied. There will be no one to stop him from his goal."

"Uh, I hate to interrupt but what exactly is his goal?" Alderpaw piped in. Sleep was gone from his tired expression.

"He wants to dominate the forest, and take over HunterClan. He thinks all the other Clans should be wiped out." Sparkpaw explained to the fledgling vampire.

"Oh. So doom and gloom to full measure." Alderpaw nodded.

"Pretty much." Dawnmist shook her head. "What do we do about this Arrowheart?"

And then everyone was staring at him, as if willing him to come up with a solution. He was at a loss for words at their total faith in him, and a little choked up too. "Well, if Frostfang thinks he's unstoppable than we'll just have to prove he's not."

"But how? With all the demons he's summoned I don't think any of us can do this alone." Patchfur was understandably worried.

He thought quickly, his mind skimming over the visions. A whisper unfurled in his mind, unwavering support could come from just about anywhere in a time of need. And we have it right now with one Clan in particular.

"I have a plan. We need to get the rest of the Clan awake, and we need WolfClan too." Arrowheart had a feeling he knew exactly what to do. This was going to work, it just had to.