Warriors AU: Sandstar's Quest

Chapter 2

While he still waited to see if the cat would return, clouds massed above Sandstar's head, blotting out the stars. Huge raindrops pattered on the rocks of the ravine, quickly growing to a steady downpour. Sandstar squeezed through the gorse tunnel into the camp and raced across the clearing to his den at the foot of the Highrock.

Beyond the curtain of lichen, the den was dry. An apprentice had changed his bedding, piling fresh moss and bracken into a soft heap. Sandstar shook the rain from his pelt and curled up, wrapping his tail over his nose. Rain drumming on the earth outside his den soon lulled him into sleep.

The noise of the rain faded and Sandstar opened his eyes, feeling cold to the bone. His cozy nest had vanished, along with the familiar scents of Thunderclan. He was surrounded by dense, clinging mist. It swirled around him, breaking up now and then to show stretches of desolate moorland. He could feel tough, springy grass beneath his paws. At first he thought he must be on Windclan territory; then he realized that he had never seen this place before.

"Spottedleaf?" he called into the mist. "Are you here? Does Starclan have a message for me?"

But there was no sign of the handsome tortoiseshell who had once been Thunderclan's medicine cat. He often visited Sandstar in dreams, but now he couldn't pick up even a trace of his sweet scent.

Instead, he heard the faintest sound, so distant that he couldn't make it out. He strained to listen, and an icy chill froze him from ears to tail as he heard a savage, wordless wailing, the dreadful sound of many terrified cats. He stiffened, ready to glee with them, but though the shrieks grew louder, all he could see were blurred shapes. They seemed to advance toward him through the mist, only to vanish before he could see them properly. The scent of unfamiliar cats drifted in the air.

"Who are you?" he called. "What do you want?"

But there was no reply, and soon the shrill wailing faded into silence.

Sandstar jumped as something prodded his side. Blinking awake, he saw warm yellow sunlight angling through the entrance of his den, shining on the bright flame-colored fur of his mate, Fireheart.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You were twitching in your sleep."

Sandstar let out a groan as he sat up. His muscles felt as stiff as if he had really been trekking over that barren moorland. "It was just a dream," he muttered. "I'll be fine."

"Look, I brought you some fresh-kill." She pushed the limp body of a vole toward him. "I just got back from a hunting patrol."

"Thanks." The vole must have been freshly caught, its warm scent made his mouth water, and his belly felt hollow with hunger. Bending his head, he devoured the prey in a few rapid bites.

"Better now?" Fireheart inquired with a glint of mischief in her green eyes. "That'll teach you to let young cats jump all over you."

Sandstar flicked her ear with the tip of his tail; word of Squirrelpaw's successful assessment had obviously spread through the camp. "Hey, I'm not an elder yet, you know." The damp shadows of his dream were melting away in the bright sunlight. He stepped out of his nest and gave himself a quick grooming. "Do you know if all the patrols are back yet?"

"The last ones just came in." A shadow fell across the entrance of the den, and Sandstar looked up to see his deputy, Silverstream, standing just outside. "The hunting patrols caught so much prey, Blossomfall took the apprentices out to collect it. Why, did you want them?"

"Not right away, but I need to know what they reported," Sandstar replied. He beckoned the silver tabby warrior inside with his tail. Remembering the unfamiliar cat he had seen in the ravine the night before, he asked warily, "Did any of them see any sign of rogues in our territory?"