Oakheart's Promise - A Warriors AU

Chapter 15

"What are you doing here?" A WindClan warrior snarled at the group of RiverClan cats.

Another warrior, a brown tom, accused, "They're invading our territory, of course!"

Brambleberry stepped in, exasperated. "Do you think a medicine cat with four apprentices is a battle patrol?"

Crookedpaw commented, "We can fight just like warriors if we want to!" Willowpaw placed a paw over his mouth, stopping him from talking. He quieted down, pushing the gray paw away from his muzzle.

One of the WindClan warriors cast a curious glance at the two apprentices before sighing. "I guess you can cross our territory," he conceded. "But don't even think about stealing prey."

"We don't want you rabbits," Graypaw commented. "We only eat fish in RiverClan."

"And birds during Leaf-bare," Oakpaw reminded her.

Brambleberry, who was already ahead of the apprentices, flicked her tail. She tilted her head towards the mountains where Mothermouth was located. Oakpaw followed, the other apprentices joining him. Now, the sun was nearly below the horizon. A cold wind passed over the hills and slopes of the moorland. Oakpaw shivered. I'm glad ThunderClan's forest shields our camp from the wind.

Finally, the traveling cats reached the thunderpath that signified the edge of WindClan territory. Brambleberry stepped forward, placing a paw on the thunderpath and waiting.

"I don't hear any monsters coming," Brambleberry said. "On the count of three we'll all run across."

"One," Oakpaw tensed as the medicine cat counted, "two, three!"

With that, Oakpaw sprang up from the ground, racing across the wide thunderpath. The stench of monsters rose from the path, but it was stale. Together, the five cats crossed, panting as they reached the other side.

Oakpaw turned around, pricking his ears at a sound from behind him. He turned around to see a large, shiny beast zoom by on the thunderpath. A strong wind battered the young tom. "Was that a monster?"

"Yes," Brambleberry answered.

"That was scary," Oakpaw remarked shakily.

Brambleberry mewed, "They only stay on the thunderpath. If you're out of the way, you're safe."

With the threat of the thunderpath behind them, the patrol was able to climb into the rocky hills that lead to Mothermouth. They arrived at the cave, the inside dark and shadowy. The gaping entrance of the tunnel seemed as though it absorbed any light that tried to find its way inside.

"Are we going in there?" Graypaw asked, her fur standing on end. Brambleberry nodded, leading the way.

As the she-cat began walking down the tunnel, she turned to the unmoving apprentices. "It will be midnight soon. We need to hurry." She continued, followed by Crookedpaw and Willowpaw. Oakpaw hung behind, with Graypaw in the back of the group.

Darkness enveloped the cave. Oakpaw couldn't even see his own paws as he made his way through the blackness. He felt as though he were tripping over stones with every step. However, he soon noticed a faint light growing at the end of the tunnel.

Now, Oakpaw could barely see, only being able to make out the silhouettes of the other cats with him. He turned to the cat he thought was Brambleberry, asking, "Where is the Moonstone?"

Suddenly, a bright, blinding light flooded the cavern. Oakpaw had to squeeze his eyes shut, slowly opening them to adjust to the light. A small hole in the roof of the cave allowed moonlight to enter, but the moon alone didn't generate the strong glow. In the center of the cave rested a dazzling crystal, massive and sparkling as the moonlight reflected off of it. It shone brighter than anything Oakpaw had ever seen.

"Wow!" Crookedpaw exclaimed, rushing past him. "It's amazing."

"I know," Oakpaw mused in wonder. It was like all the stars in silverpelt were fused into a single stone which towered to the ceiling of the cavern.

Brambleberry interrupted, "It's time to speak with StarClan." She laid down beside the Moonstone, pressing her nose against it and resting her head on her paws. Willowpaw was the first to join her, doing the same and drifting off to sleep. Crookedpaw and Graypaw did as well, leaving Oakpaw as the only one awake.

I hope you're here, Mapleshade. I hope you have something new to teach me. Laying down, Oakpaw pushed his nose against the crystal and let sleep take him.

----------------------------------------------

I've started to notice that when I copy my chapters into Wattpad, some words are randomly deleted. I read through and tried to fix as many as I can, but I likely won't catch all of them. I apologize for any sentences that seem like they're missing a few words.