Thundering Darkness

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Pebblepaw blinked between Min, Thornpaw, and Batpaw, her friends. They all looked so different now, so much older. Batpaw no longer had his friendly amiable personality; he glowered out at every movement in the bushes as if it was going to attack him and his friends. Thornpaw never seemed to be in the moment, always stressing over everything that needed to be done. And Min, she seemed to take it the hardest of all. Her lilac eyes were dark and round as though she had seen nothing but pain. Min, who had always had such a way of bringing cats up, had no cat to bring her up from her pit of misery. I can try, though.

The four cats had gathered in a small cave where all the hostages had been sleeping, in between Twoleg-place and clan territory. All four of them were sitting on a patch of bright green moss, which lit up the cave, and gave it an eerie, ominous feel. Darkthunder just told us... the war is in less than a quarter moon...

Pebblepaw was afraid they were all going to die. She had seen first paw how vulnerable cats truly were. She had seen how many twisted ways there were to hurt, and not enough ways to heal.

"Seven or so former hostages remaining. That angry reckless clan cat group only wants to claw every cat to pieces; not really a help. RiverClan cats are dying by the day." That was Min's listless voice.

Pebblepaw winced, but said nothing. She stared at Min blankly, wordlessly. All the other cats in the cave glanced at Min briefly, before dropping their gazes to the ground.

"How in the mousedung do we even know how RiverClan is doing?" Batpaw snarled at the ground. "I mean, we haven't even been there for who knows how long. It's so selfish staying here, I want to go home, and see Mom and Dad."

Thornpaw wordlessly shifted closer to Batpaw, and the grey and white tom buried his muzzle in his littermate's neck fur and whimpered forlornly like a lost kit.

"We can't," his littermate mewed, her voice pained. "If we so much as step near ThunderClan territory, they'll find us. And don't tell me we should walk around the long way, or through fourtrees, because that won't work. Mightystar is everywhere." Her voice was matter of fact.

Pebblepaw winced, "everyone, cut it out." She was aware of the tremor in her voice. "We can't sulk here, or cower in fear like rabbits, we have to do something."

She tried to put confidence in her gaze as the three cats gazed at her. "Well, if anycat deserves a bit of sulking, it's us," Batpaw mewed.

"No!" Pebblepaw snapped, surprising herself and the other cats by the ferocity in her voice. They stared at her as if she had suddenly grown another head. Min practically jumped, as though she had just realised they were all in a cave together "Look, self-pity never got anycat anywhere. In fact, I've felt worse after that. We must stand up and fight the system, fight for change!"

"How?" Min asked bleakly.

Pebblepaw hesitated, she needed to make a choice, and make one fast. These cats needed someone to help them, and Pebblepaw would find that cat for them. She swished her tail over the rocky floor, picking up stray pieces of dry moss as it brushed them. Pebblepaw was surprised by how quickly the idea flashed into her head, as though she had known the answer all along. Claws are only so strong, there are some instances where it calls for more.

"We fight Mightystar, but not with claws. We fight her with words, with the truth. And we fight her in the next quarter moon, before any other cats die."

Pebblepaw was honestly disappointed by the sceptical and pitying looks that came after her short speech.

Thornpaw, who was comforting Batpaw, rose to her paws, and flicked her tail at Pebblepaw. "That's all well, and good," she mewed. "But, Peb, surely you've seen by now that the world doesn't work that way. I know ThunderClan isn't evil," she put in as Pebblepaw opened her jaws to protest, "but I don't know how you plan to talk Mightystar to submission."