A Tale Of Stars Book 1, Weathering with you

Chapter 7, lightning

It had been a moon since Solar's dream. The cold weather started to fade ever so slightly. Though snow still covered the ground. Solar knew by now that once the snow finally melted, floods would be likely.

FallenMist was doing better, luckily he was the only cat to catch green cough. The group was slowly getting back on their paws. Once green tree came everything would get much easier. And today, her and her brother where on patrol together with Cancer and Claw.

"So has red gotten any better?" Solar asked, nudging her brother. Virgo looked away, embarrassed. "Aw, you like him now huh!" She meowed happily. "I guess he's ok.." Virgo muttered.

"And what about Raven" Solar teased. Virgo tensed up and hissed under his breath, not answering Solar. "Looks like my brother has a crush," she purred. "I do not!" He hissed.

"Hush you two." Claw hissed. Both of the trainees went silent. Solar looked at claw, there was something about her that she just couldn't shake. Maybe it was her cold gaze, or maybe something deeper?

SliverStar's words echoed in her head. "In a time of shadows..." the voice muttered. She stared at Claw, she'd been trying to figure it out. Maybe it was a reference to Claw's shadowy personality, or maybe another cat she had yet to meet.

Perhaps it didn't mean anything. But there was one cat she could talk to in order to find out, but she was back at camp. Luckily, the cats where heading back now. She sped up, keeping her pace with the group and sometimes even going a bit ahead.

She needed to be back at camp. Once they arrived she raced off the find dream. Not very surprisingly she was in the place with herbs. "Dream. We need to talk," Solar hissed, her tail lashing.

Dream looked at her with understanding. "I know we do, but not here. Come with me." She whispered, leading the cat out of the den and out of camp. Solar followed close behind the she. Her and dream had become pretty close, Dream was a young cat with a head for the herbs. And she was always so kind to Solar.

Dream led her to sliver pond, and where Solar thought she would stop, she turned. Leading Solar up the valley side and into Forest territory. Solar was hesitant, but followed anyways. Sticking close to dream, they padded farther up the valley side until they where out of the valley.

Solar looked around in shock. The snow had piled around the valley but that's not what she was focused on. She had her eyes locked on the endless fields of white snow. By the time they managed to climb the valley walls, it was almost Moon life.

But that didn't concern Solar at the moment. Instead she padded ahead, her paws softly sinking into the snow. Dream padded close behind her, before taking the lead and leader her farther away. Soon, they reached a dip in the ground.

Dream padded in, Solar close at her heels. The dip was revealed to be a huge cave. In the center, a glowing river of water. It looked as though the river was filled with stars.

Dream laid beside it. "I call it star river." She explained. Solar sat beside the she, looking in the water. She leaped back as soon as she saw her reflection.

Creeping closer again, she realized That is wasn't her reflection at all. "I think it shows you which cat of the clans you're most like.." dream whispered, looking at her own reflection. Solar knew who dream's reflection was, it was TansyPaw. She looked at her reflection again, but didn't recognize the cat.

It was a sleek sliver she-cat with dark splotches and emerald green eyes. "Do you know this cat?" Solar asked. "No, but FallenMist May." Dream said, getting to her paws. Solar would have to ask him when she got back.

Solar looked at Dream, expecting the cat to talk. "You got the whispers to?" Dream asked. "The whispers?" Solar tilted her head a bit. Dream nodded sharply.

"Those cats, they call themselves evolution clan." Dream explained briefly. Solar nodded, understanding the she. "I believe I understand what they mean...at least the first part." Dream muttered. "I think the shadow is meant to represent the way the leaders are against each other, fighting with each other." Dream explained.

Solar blinked, think about her talk with mountain a few moons back. "I believe it would be peaceful, perhaps even nice to live here again." The Tom had said. Perhaps Dream was right, if the leaders where dividing the groups, they also divided the clans. Solar looked at her reflection, at the grey she-cat that stared unblinkingly back at her.

"Thank you Dream." Solar said with a slight smile. "Of course, now then. We need to head back before they notice we're gone." Dream muttered, rising to her paws. Solar nodded, standing as well. The two padded out of the cave, heading back towards the valley.

They reached camp by late sky moon. Solar figured FallenMist would be asleep by now, and didn't wish to wake the old Tom. They would train tomorrow, and she would ask then. She padded into the den, looking around at her friends.

Raven and Virgo where curled up together, water laying in the warmest spot of the den. Mountain was no where to be seen, most likely outside enjoying the last few days of snow. And sun was curled up alone. Solar padded over to sun, blinking at him for a moment.

The words echoed in her head again. "the call of the stars will send a cat to end his reign of glory." It echoed. Did they mean sun? Would he save the valley?

She then looked to Lagoon, a feeling of dread overwhelming her. "when the lagoon covers the valley," the voice echoed again. Was Lagoon going to turn on the valley? On his home?

Solar shook her head. She shouldn't think that way of her friend. And so she curled up beside Sun, drifting into a deep sleep.