The Clash of Stars Book 1: The Key

Chapter 2: Thornpaw

Thornpaw was dreaming.

It'd been a long day, and EchoClan had been recovering from a battle with FlashClan just a moon before. Despite the hard fight, a warrior of theirs named Sablestrike had managed to accidentally take one of Gryphonstar's lives, though she injured herself in the process. Their leader being struck down seemed to anger FlashClan more than anything, and there'd been nothing short of threats being sent to them whenever their paths crossed.

Because of Sablestrike's injuries, another warrior, Fogrose had been helping her by mentoring her apprentice as well as his own. As grateful as Sablestrike had been, the russet tabby molly had been so restless the whole time she was meant to be healing that it was a wonder her wounds had healed at all. She'd finally been allowed to return to warrior duties that morning.

Thornpaw had been up all night — making sure Sablestrike was fit to return — with their mentor and the Clan's cleric, Ashrunner, who was now curled up in her nest beside theirs. She'd seemed to fall asleep the second she'd laid down as far as they could tell. Thornpaw, on the other hand, was having trouble getting settled.

They'd wanted to keep an eye on Sablestrike while she returned to her duties that day, but Ashrunner had all but grabbed them by the scruff and made them rest.

Still, they managed to drift off. They saw a hazy vision of the cave EchoClan made camp in — a cozy, warm cavern with nooks and crannies for the cats to shelter in and a crater at the center that kept the fresh-kill warm. They heard a sharp flutter of wings, but when they looked up in alarm, the dream abruptly faded.

As they looked back down, blinking in bewilderment, the scene shifted, and they were standing in a starry forest, which they recognized as StarClan's hunting grounds. Their fur prickled. Why had they been brought here, right in the middle of what could have been an important vision?

They jumped in surprise as they noticed a cat standing in front of them, looking irritated. His dark gray pelt rippled with annoyance, and his yellow eyes flashed in the light. Thornpaw recognized him as a tom named Cinderstrike, Ashrunner's former mentor, who they'd only met once before — when Ashrunner had presented Thornpaw to StarClan in the ceremony of making them her apprentice.

Thornpaw hadn't had visits from StarClan cats much since they were made a cleric apprentice, but they'd had visions since kithood, which was why they'd spent so much time around the cleric's den as a kit, asking Ashrunner to interpret them. She'd always seemed willing to amuse them, and she'd been even more willing to comfort them when Bramblesplash, a lilac queen who had fostered them, gently explained to them that they hadn't been born in EchoClan, and that no cat knew who their parents were. Bramblesplash had loved Thornpaw all the same, as if they were her own kit, but knowing that they had family out there that hadn't wanted them had still hurt.

Thornpaw blinked to attention, fur burning with embarrassment as they looked up and saw Cinderstrike glaring down at them with slowly diminishing patience. "Listen to me," Cinderstrike snapped. "StarClan has a mission for you."

Thornpaw eyes widened. "Really?" they replied. "Why not Ashrunner?"

Cinderstrike twitched his nose as though he were restraining himself from cursing. "Because we want you to do it, mouse-brain."

Next to Cinderstrike, the starlight shimmered, and an older cat walked to the two of them, glittering light clinging to her red striped pelt. Thornpaw stiffened as they saw red scales glint under her fur — a CoveClan cat! At closer inspection, they relaxed minutely. It was Berrysplash, who had been CoveClan's cleric just a few moons ago. They'd heard a lot about her from Crowflutter, who had been her apprentice. Berrysplash had visited EchoClan before she had died as well, when Thornpaw was very little, to help with his visions.