SCAPEGOATS - a warrior cat fanfiction

three

    Dewhowl was breathing heavily when he reached the path towards the Moonpool, staring at the winding path that sloped downward into a deep hollow where the pool created by a small waterfall waited for him. He began walking down, his paws slipping into the groves of the ancient paw prints as he descended the slope.

    He brushed against the large leaves that created looming shadows over the stone, the shade rippling as his pelt was sprayed with the waterfall when he walked behind it. He paused to watch the water rush from the crack in the stone, listening to its rumbling as it flowed from the mouth of the ancient cliff and towards the Moonpool. The water glowed blue, the pale light fluttering over his fur. He continued walking, each step bringing more apprehension, and the further he strolled down the more he hoped he'd get the answers he was looking for.

    It was serene, being in the quiet hollow with only the sound of his breathing and the waterfall crashing into the pool's surface to accompany him as he bounded towards the pool's edge. The light bounced off the rolling water, casting dancing flickers of light across the rough stones and leaves that enclosed the Moonpool.

    He stared at his reflection in the water, the stars glittering behind his head as the moon shone its light over the crystal clear water. After many moons of not visiting, the cool stone underneath his paws felt foreign, and the pools surges looked unfamiliar. The leaves that fluttered in the breeze felt cold when they brushed against his pelt, and the stars' flickering seemed unwelcoming.

    It all felt...wrong.

    He dismissed his worries and crouched down low enough that he could lap up a few droplets of icy water. He settled down into a comfortable rest next to the water, closing his amber eyes as his breathing slowed.

When he opened his eyes, he was back in the Moonpool with the moonlight rippling on his pelt. The tomcat gathered himself and looked around in confusion, twirling on his paws to take in the entire surrounding. Was he dreaming?

He took a few steps up the slope, brushing against broad leaves before bounding quickly across the paw-speckled stones. He emerged to a dim pine forest, trees broken from the soil and huge cracks in the earth at tore through like claw marks. Mounts of soil were strewn about, and the moon glistened off the fallen trees' bark which was moist with rainwater. He was dreaming.

Dewhowl strolled through the ruined forest, picking his way over fallen trunks of once proud-standing pines and past giant mud puddles. His amber eyes glistened with horror, each step leading him towards an ominous, shadowed area beyond. "Oh StarClan, what does this mean?" He muttered underneath his breath, coming across a familiar path. The path to ShadowClan's camp! He recognized instantly, hurrying along the route the moment it clicked in his mind. Each step brought more and more worry, his stomach feeling as though it was filling with heavy stones.

He skidded to a stop a massive pine obscured the thorn tunnel into ShadowClan's camp, much too big to jump over in one bound. He dug his claws into the bark, hauling himself to the top in a blind hurry, hoping to see something better than what he knew was going to be.

Dewhowl felt his heart sink as he climbed to the top of the pine, gazing at the camp below. For a moment, he felt lightheaded as he gazed at the destruction, his ears flattened against his skull. Dens we're crushed, the hollow was empty, and it look as if a gigantic storm wreaked havoc on the camp. ShadowClan seemed to have fled in a hurry, gathered paw-steps filled with murky water leading toward the thorn tunnel.

    The medicine cat slipped down the pine and through the tunnel, stepping into a mud puddle on the other side. He barely noticed, tasting the air. The stale scent of ShadowClan lingered, but it was muddled by rainwater and pines. He hurried from den to den, checking the ruins with a dying ember of hope that he'd find some cat in the rubble. Maybe he could find answers.