Bloodpool's Whispers

Chapter 2

"Let all cats old enough to swim gather around for a Clan meeting!" Crowstar called.Beechscratch kept Sandkit still as she groomed her. "I'm fine! I don't need to be groomed!" Sandkit complained."Just look at you kits! You look as if you've jumped in every puddle from here to SkyClan!" Beechscratch told her kits.The Clan gathered around Crowstar, murmuring excitedly. "I am proud to say it is time to name five new apprentices!" She called. "Sandkit, Sparkit, Blazekit, Firekit, and Bloodkit. Please come forward." The five kits walked toward their leader excitedly. "Blazekit, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Blazepaw. Snowfall, you are a brave and honest warrior, I hope you can pass these on to Blazekit."Blazekit stepped forward to touch noses with his new mentor. He then stepped back with Snowfall so Crowstar could name the next mentor."Sandkit, from now until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Sandpaw. Cloudynight, you are one of the best hunters in this Clan, although a new warrior, I know I can trust you to pass on what you know to Sandkit."Crowstar named the next two mentors to be Pikeclaw for Sparkit and Goldensun for Firekit. It had felt like moons until Bloodkit was called forward."I am especially proud to name this apprentice, for we will have three medicine cats once this kit finishes his training. Bloodkit, from now until you receive your medicine cat name, you will be known as Bloodpaw. Dewpelt and Nightmist, pass on everything you know about the secrets of StarClan to the herbs that grow around the lake to this apprentice. Bloodpaw, you are lucky to have two mentors to teach you. Learn all you can," Crowstar told him. Bloodpaw touched noses with his two new mentors before stepping back for the Clan to chant his new name."Blazepaw! Sandpaw! Sparkpaw! Firepaw! Bloodpaw!" The Clan chanted their new names proudly raising their muzzles to the dawn sky, Firefoot and Beechscratch chanted louder than anyone else. As the chanting died down, the Clan deputy, Moonclaw, organized the day's patrols."Can we explore the territory now?" Bloodpaw asked his mentors."Of course. But Nightmist, you will have to do it. I must check on Dawndapple. His wound smelled sour this morning," Dewpelt replied dipping his head."Got it! Now, Bloodpaw, I'm going to show you my favorite place in the whole territory!" Nightmist mewed, padding out of camp.As soon as Bloodpaw emerged from the camp, he was taken aback by all the new scents floating through the air. He could immediately recognize the scent of marigold and tansy, having smelled it so often in the medicine den. Nightmist padded across the land, making her way to a grove of trees where Bloodpaw could smell fresh moss along with a holly bush and some easily recognizable herbs."Here we are! My favorite place in RiverClan territory!" Nightmist said as they entered the small grove of trees.Bloodpaw looked around in awe. The way the dawn's light shone on the water made it look as if there was a whole other world just under the surface. He saw a large rock that the sun's light warmed, and the fresh scents of herbs calmed his excited nerves. There was a patch of marigold and a patch of tansy growing beside the rock. The wind didn't penetrate the trees, and Bloodpaw felt as if he could stay here for moons."Breathtaking, isn't it?"Bloodpaw nodded slowly, wondering how such a perfect place could exist."No one but us medicine cats know about it. The warriors hate the trees, so they never explore here.""It's perfect," Bloodpaw murmured, his words hanging in the still air."I know," Nightmist whispered, nodding. She led the apprentice to the marigold, and instructed him on how to pick it. He did as he was told, gathering a mouthful of the herbs."What now?" He mumbled around the mouthful of the precious plants."We take them back to the hollow," Nightmist said, padding out of the grove of trees. Bloodpaw followed, occasionally tripping over his paws, as he couldn't see where he set his paws below the herbs he held in his jaws. When they entered the hollow, Crowstar was sitting at the edge of the clearing, watching her clanmates, her gaze numb. Nightmist padded over to her and sat down next to her. "What's wrong, Crowstar?" Nightmist whispered settling herself next to the leader, wrapping her tail around her paws."It's Dawndapple," Crowstar choked out. "He- he's dead," she added, her voice laden with sorrow."Come lay down, Crowstar," Nightmist murmured in the black warrior's ear. "Get me some thyme, Bloodpaw," she whispered in the apprentice's ear before she padded away to Crowstar's den, Crowstar padded along numbly.Bloodpaw could feel his leader's pain as if it was his own. Padding to the medicine den, he dropped the marigold and tansy in front of the herb store. He grabbed a few thyme leaves, from the store, passing Dewpelt on his way out, he entered Crowstar's den, and nudged the thyme leaves to the edge of her nest. "Swallow these. They'll make you feel better," he whispered tenderly in Crowstar's ear.Crowstar lapped up the leaves, and buried her nose under her paw, squeezing her eyes shut as if hoping it was all a dream."Let us leave," Night mist whispered in his ear. Bloodpaw followed his mentor out, and padded to the medicine den, where the golden warrior was curled up, as if he was asleep."Help me move him to the center of the camp," Dewpelt told Nightmist.Nightmist nodded, and picked Dawndapple up by his scruff, Dewpelt moved under his motionless body, stood up, and moved the dead warrior out into the clearing. Bloodpaw followed his mentors slowly, he had the strangest feeling. His mind felt foggy, as if he had just woken up from a moon long nap , yet his mind was sharp as he weaved around his gathering Clanmates. He felt like he should tell someone, but Nightmist and Dewpelt were getting Dawndapple ready for his vigil, his mother was out on dawn patrol, his father was on a hunting patrol, his littermates' mentors were still out showing them the territory, and Crowstar was driving herself mad with grief. "Dewpelt?" He asked quietly."What is it, Bloodpaw?" He replied, his attention clearly on the dead warrior."I need to talk to you about something," he mewed. "Privately.""Very well," Dewpelt nodded his head, and followed Bloodpaw to the edge of the camp, out of earshot of anyone in the camp. "Go on," he mewed, nodding for him to speak."I don't feel right. I'm not sick," he added seeing the worried look on Dewpelt's face. "It's something else. My mind feels foggy, yet it's still sharp. It feels as if I'm not thinking clearly, but no one is looking at me funny. When Dawndapple was first wounded, I felt pain in the exact spot where the wound was on him," Bloodpaw continued. "And when Cloudynight had a thorn in his paw, it felt like I had a thorn in my paw too! But there was nothing there!"Dewpelt was nodding his head as if he understood. "It's time I told you about the vision," Dewpelt told him quietly. He waved Nightmist over with his tail. She padded over with a knowing look in her eyes. "Follow me," he told Bloodpaw as he padded out of camp towards the little grove of trees that Nightmist had showed him earlier that day.When they reached the trees, Bloodpaw settled himself beside the rock. Dewpelt waved his tail for Bloodpaw to join him. Nightmist jumped up beside them, as there was enough room for the three of them."Now, what vision?" Bloodpaw asked."A few moons before you were born, Nightmist and I were at a medicine cat meeting at the half moon. Rivereye- you don't know him, but he is your mother's bother, as well as Nightmist's- visited me, and asked me if I knew about Yellowfang- an ancient medicine cat for both ShadowClan and ThunderClan. He told me she had the power to tell wether a cat was injured or not. Then, he told me, 'When the blood pools in the river, this power shall be greater. This blood shall know when others hurt, when others can't think, or are haunted by the pain. The blood can enter minds, and learn all it's secrets. There is an evil coming that whispers in the night. Only the blood can defeat the whispers of the night,' As soon as I saw your fur, I realized that you were the 'blood' that Rivereye had told me about," Dewpelt explained."And I had the same vision, only instead of Rivereye giving me the message, it was our old deputy before Moonclaw. His name was Ripplefur," Nightmist added."But why do you think it's me?" Bloodpaw asked."I think you have her power, Bloodpaw. From what you've told me, you know when others are in pain. In their mind, and their body. You can feel it," Dewpelt responded."But who in the name of StarClan is the 'whispers in the night'?" Bloodpaw hissed."I don't know. I'm still trying to figure it out myself," Dewpelt murmured in reply.Bloodpaw felt as if the weight of the tree bridge leading to the Gathering island had just been placed on his shoulders. How can I save the Clans? He wondered as he leaped down from the rock and padded after his mentors to the camp. I know they're right, they're StarClan, but I don't know if I can do this, he added to himself. Did StarClan choose the wrong cat? What if I can't do it? Why me, of all cats? What if I fail? What would happen to the Clans? What would happen to RiverClan? He gulped. What would happen to Beechscratch, Firefoot, and my littermates? He spiraled, before a voice from up ahead cleared his mind."Bloodpaw! Are you coming?" Nightmist called.He raced forward, suddenly forgetting the crushing weight of his destiny.It was time for Dawndapple's vigil. Bloodpaw sat beside his mentors, his tail wrapped neatly around his paws. Crowstar was slowly padding out of her den, as if her mind had been broken. She padded toward her dead mate, and curled up next to him, burying her nose in his fur."It's okay. He walks with StarClan now," Dewpelt whispered in the sullen leader's ear."It will never be okay!" Crowstar snapped. "Besides," she continued, her voice so quiet Bloodpaw could barley hear her. "What has StarClan done for us lately? They tell us there must be peace in the Clans, and yet they allow WindClan to attack our warriors! They killed him! Where in the warrior code does it say you must kill to win a battle?" She added, raising her voice higher with every sentence."Crowstar, WindClan didn't kill him. His wounds did. He had just lost too much blood," Dewpelt reasoned with her."And who caused the wound?" Crowstar growled. "That's right. WindClan," she said before Dewpelt could answer."You can't blame WindClan for this, Crowstar. They had no idea they would cause a wound that deep," Nightmist murmured in Crowstar's ear."They still killed him!" Crowstar wailed.Bloodpaw could feel her sorrow as if it was his own. It felt like a cat had ripped his heart out and covered it in dust before tearing it to shreds. He padded over to his leader's side, he gave his mentors a look that asked them to leave him with Crowstar. They padded away to the far edge of the clearing, ushering their gathered clanmates away as well."I know what you're feeling, Crowstar. It feels like someone's torn out your heart and thrown it to the birds. I know-" Bloodpaw started before Crowstar cut him off."You know nothing," she snapped. "You have no idea what it's like to lose the one cat who ever loved you!" She yowled, her eyes brimming with sadness."I do know," Bloodpaw promised stroking her flank with his tail. "Will you follow me?" He asked softly. "I would like to talk more, but we should let our clanmates continue their vigil."Crowstar slowly got up and followed Bloodpaw out of the camp. He brought her to the edge of the lake."I know everything about you, Crowstar," Bloodpaw told her, as he looked over the lake that reflected the moons glow."How could you? You were just made an apprentice today," Crowstar replied."I know you never met your parents. You had to survive on your own for so long- until you heard of the Clans. You searched for the Clans for so long, asking every cat you came across about them, until finally, you found RiverClan.""How could you-" she started before Bloodpaw cut her off to continue."They took you in, and you trained the most out of any of the apprentices until finally, you got your warrior name, Crowtail. Your clanmates never trusted you. All of them except one- Dawndapple. He was the one cat other than your leader who trusted you and considered you their clanmate. You became his mate, and Oakstar gave you an apprentice. You wanted to prove yourself, and the only way to do that was to train that apprentice to be the best warrior she could be."In your first battle, you fought the hardest out of any of your clanmates, showing them all you would do anything to protect your clan. So, when the deputy, Clawheart, retired to the elder's den, Oakstar made you deputy. Everyone finally respected you, and you still didn't stop trying to be the best warrior you could be, until finally, Oakstar lost his last life helping you fight off a badger. You blamed yourself for his death. You still do," Bloodpaw finished quietly."H-how did you know all that?" Crowstar stammered, her eyes wide with surprise."I entered your thoughts while you dreaming the other night. I saw your memories, I saw how deeply you trusted Oakstar." He turned his head, his bright blue eyes meeting hers. "I've seen how much you've lost. How deeply you love Dawndapple.""I did. I loved him. He was the best thing in my life. Now I have nothing. He was all I had!" Crowstar yowled over the lake."There's nothing you can do, Crowstar. He's in StarClan now. The pain will pass," Bloodpaw soothed."I don't see how. It feels like someone-""Tore out you're heart, kicked dust over it, and tore it shreds," Bloodpaw finished her thought.Crowstar nodded solemnly."It will pass, I promise you that," Bloodpaw started. "But it will take time. In the meantime, you need to stay strong, if not for yourself, for your Clan," Bloodpaw finished, and stood up. "I think it's time we got back to Dawndapple's vigil.""How did you know what I was feeling?" Crowstar asked as they padded back to the camp."A prophecy was given to Dewpelt and Nightmist," he told her before reciting the words of the prophecy. "But I don't know if I can handle it."Crowstar stopped suddenly. "Bloodpaw," she mewed as Bloodpaw turned. "Don't you realize what you just did?" She asked.Bloodpaw shook his head."I was on the verge of complete and total despair, and you pulled me back. You were only made an apprentice today, yet you spoke as if you had seasons upon seasons of wisdom. You might not think it, but you will be able to handle the weight of this prophecy," Crowstar spoke to him with dead certainty in her eyes."But I have all the Clans' future resting in my paws! How could any cat feel like they could handle that?" Bloodpaw replied."I know you can. And deep down you know it too."Bloodpaw was silent as they entered the camp for the rest of Dawndapple's vigil.