Stones (Book Five) Raging Fires

Chapter Seven

"Your powers are back!?" Hemlockheart asks, wide eyed
Ceaderstripe nods enthusiastically, "they're back!"
"Can you start visions again?" Hemlockheart tilts her head.
"I haven't tried yet," Ceaderstripe shrugs.
"Try!" Hemlockheart insists.
"Ok," Ceaderstripe laughs.
She lets her self settle down for a moment and closes her eyes.
Please work she hopes silently.
With her eyes closed she focuses on Froststar, trying to connect to him.
Come on Froststar, let me in she pleads.
"Ceaderstripe?" A voice calls.
"Froststar?" Ceaderstripe calls back.
The blackness of her mind fades to a spot at the edge of the ravine they had traveled in not long ago.
"Ceaderstripe!" Froststar runs towards her.
Ceaderstripe runs toward the tom, stopping herself just before their muzzles touch, "did you get the vision last night?"
Froststar nods, "any idea who the voice was?"
Ceaderstripe shakes her head, "I don't kn-"
Suddenly the vision is changed to the pair of them sitting on cold stone watching two cats talking several tail lengths away.
"I want you to..." the grey cat pauses, "speak to her."
"In what way do you wish me to speak to her?" The black cats blue eyes turn into a squint.
"Any way you'd like," the grey cat smiles mischievously.
"Are you sure, Oceanstar?" The black cat asks.
The pair are snapped back to the spot beside the ravine.
"Oceanstar-!?" Ceaderstripe gasps, wide eyed.
Froststar just sits and blinks for a moment. He begins to nod slowly after a moment.
"Oceanstar is sending someone to speak to someone else," Frostar begins, "but who?"
Ceaderstripe shrugs, "I don't know, but it doesn't seem friendly-"
The vision begins to fade and Ceaderstripe can't faintly hear Burntwhiskers voice.
"Someone's talking to me, I have to go-!" Ceaderstripe calls out.
"We'll talk again later!" Froststar calls back.
"Ceaderstripe?" Burntwhisker tilts his head.
"Sorry, I was-" she breaks off, "I spaced out for a moment," she glances over to Hemlockheart.
"Alright," Burntwhisker nods, "I brought you a squirrel from the fresh kill pile."
Ceaderstripe notices a Rabbit sitting between Rubyfur and Rosepetal.
"Flathead helped me carry some prey in for the rest of the queens as well," Burntwhisker glances toward the tom sitting beside his mate.
"Thank you," Ceaderstripe carefully pulls the squirrel closer to her and sits up slightly to eat it.
Her kits squeal beside her belly as they snuggle back up.
"Burntwhisker!" Gravelstripe calls from the clearing.
"I guess I have to go," Burntwhisker dips his head and leaves the den.
"Stonestar!" Ceaderstripe hears Goldfur's cry.
"What's going on out there?" Kelpstream asks.
Flathead shrugs, "I'll go check it out."
The tom pads out of the den and into the clearing.

Time goes by and eventually Flathead returns to the den. Several of the kits, who had been playing, paused their game to listen.
"Stonestars patrol was attacked by a Raccoon," Flathead reports, "he lost a life but he'll be ok."
"Yikes," Dawnlight blinks.
"Was anybody else hurt?" Hemlockheart asks.
Flathead nods, "Spiderfur-" the she-cats gasp, "he didn't make it. The vigil will be tonight. Other than that, Smudgeface and Silvereye both have some minor injuries."
"Thats awful," Kelpstream shakes her head.
"Who's Spiderfur?" Wigglekit peeks out of the nest.
"He was just a little older than us," Ceaderstripe looks to Hemlockheart.
"Yeah," Hemlockheart nods.
"Was he your friend?" Blushkit asks from Dawnlights nest.
"Well we weren't close-" Hemlockheart breaks off.
Ceaderstripe rests her head down in her nest.
"He was an excellent warrior," Dawnlight sighs.
The older cats in the den all nod and the kits go back to their playing quietly.
"I'm sure he will be missed by all," Kelpstream sighs, "I feel sorry for his family."
The other adults glance to each other and Dawnlight opens her mouth to speak.
"He didn't have any family in the clans-" she explains, "he kept to himself mostly."
"Oh," Kelpstream mews sympathetically, "that's awful."