Warriors Cats: A New Horizon; Ominous Skies [Book 1]

Chapter Four

Turtlepaw had been picking the elders ticks for over half a moon now, Sorrelfinch sent her there for punishment after sneaking out one night.

"Its not my fault, I'm just cooped up in the medicine den all day! While they get to go exploring and collect herbs, but when I do it, I get punished!" She meowed in protest, cracking a tick between her teeth, she pushed around Pouncefoots ginger fur, looking for more ticks.

"Oh please, I'm sure it's not that bad. Theres one thats been bothering me for moons, right behind my ear." The elder she-cat meowed, Turtlepaw grabbed onto the tick, cracking it between her teeth once more.

"Oh, but it is! Its so boring...but this is even worse." Once Turtlepaw was finished, she exited the elders den, staring at the entrance of the camp.

"Dont get any ideas." The voice startled her, she turned around, seeing Thrushwing, one of the elder she-cats.

"Dont forget theres a gathering soon, if you want to go, you need to be on your best behavior from now on..." The elder meowed, laying down by the entrance to the elders den.

Turtlepaw said nothing, she turned away. Turtlepaw entered the medicine cat den, nervously looking around. Maybe I can convince Sorrelfinch to let me go to the gathering... But she didnt see her mentor, just Acornspeck.

"Im finished..." She mewed to him, he turned around, his yellow eyes warm with gratitude.

"Done already?" She nodded, looking around.

"Wheres Sorrelfinch?"

"Shes gathering some fresh-kill for us, since we're going to the moonpool." Turtlepaw was shocked.

"You're going to the moonpool? Could I go?" She meowed desperately. At that moment, Sorrelfinch appeared by the entrance of the den.

"I suppose you have learned your lesson.." She meowed,

"You may come with us, but stay close. And no causing trouble."

"I won't!" Turtlepaw promised, clearly excited.

The sun was setting as the left for the moonpool, Turtlepaw looked around exictedly, as she had not left the camp in over half a moon. She padded after her mentor, occasionally stopping to sniff at herbs she had never seen before. She felt the cool ground beneath her paws, as the chilly night air blew through the forest. They stepped towards the lake, waiting at the waters edge for the other medicine cats.

"We must be early." Chuckled Sorrelfinch.

Turtlepaw noticed Driftingleaf with his apprentice, Avianpaw, walking from the Shadowclan side. She could spot Mothwhisper and Dreampool; the Riverclan medicine cats, far behind them. Eventually, all the medicine cats were there except for Skyfern and Ebonybriar.

"They must still be treating all those ill Winclan cats.." Dreampool mewed thoughtfully,

"Well, we should get going now." Acornspeck meowed, beckoning the cats with his tail.

Turtlepaw walked next to Avianpaw, as she was the only other apprentice with them.

"Have you had any dreams from Starclan?" Avianpaw asked her, her blue-purple eyes seemed fixated on something else.

"Nope, but I suppose I'm about to." Turtlepaw replied, looking ahead, they were climbing up the rocky hill that led to the moonpool.

"We're almost there." Mothwhisper meowed to the two apprentices, Turtlepaw could tell that she was the older of the two medicine cats, as she was dragging behind.

Dreampool was further ahead, next to Acornspeck and Sorrelfinch. While Driftingleaf kept back, having said nothing yet the whole time they had been traveling. Is he trying to avoid us? But what for? Turtlepaw thought, now noticing that they were at the entrance to the sacred moonpool.

The cats all filed one-by-one through the entrance of the den, Turtlepaw was third, right behind Acornspeck and Sorrelfinch. They all sat in an orderly fashion next to the moonpool, crouching down. Turtlepaw bent forward, tasting the cool, glowing water. It tasted like stars and dreams, in-fact, she seemed to be getting more and more tired. She fell asleep quickly, and everything was dark. She awoke somewhere, she couldn't tell where, she looked around frantically, her mind feeling hazy.

She began to fall, falling through the darkness. She yowled out in fear, her stomach lurching at the sudden drop, until she hit the ground with a loud thump. She got up quickly, only to see cats with their teeth bared, fighting. They hissed and scratched at each other, and blood was spilled everywhere. All the while, an ominous cloud was falling over them, but the fighting cats didn't seem to notice.

She woke up suddenly, breathing heavily. She looked around, now realizing she was by the moonpool again, its bright glow hurting her eyes slightly. She sat up, quickly grooming down her ruffled fur, her heart was still beating fast, but she started to calm down. The other cats were beginning to stir aswell, they all seemed pretty shaken aswell.

"Darkness, lots of darkness..-" Dreampool meowed,

"-and fighting!" Acornspeck broke in.

"Well, we know now that Starclan must be sensing great danger in the future, we must keep a good lookout." Sorrelfinch meowed, standing up.

The other medicine cats quickly followed her, but Turtlepaw stayed behind. What could it mean? she thought to herself.