Warrior cats: The Silent Path

Chapter 20

"What is the meaning of this?" A tom with a deep voice meowed.

"Lightningstar, they've come to speak with you," Robinfur meowed. 

"This couldn't wait until the gathering?" Lightningstar growled, Shatteredface could almost feel an angered stare burning through him.

"No, it couldn't," Shatteredface spoke boldly, trying not to tremble with unwanted nerves.

He heard the ThunderClan leader let out a large grunt before replying, "very well." 

They group padded in what Shatteredface assumed was the ThunderClan camp. He could hear the patrol padding along beside them. The ThunderClan scent was even stronger here.

"Down there," Robinfur meowed. Moments later Shatteredface was shoved and he stumbled down a deep slope, landing on his face. He heard sudden murmurs around him.

"Thornwhisker, take care of our guests. You with me," Lightningstar meowed grimly. Shatteredface felt Copperpaw's warm touch leave. He stood, not knowing where to follow the leader. It was eerily silent in their camp and Shatteredface could sense sadness. Had something happened?

"That way," Robinfur meowed, nudging him. Shatteredface quickly padded towards Lightningstar's scent, nearly running into the tom. He felt himself being nudged down another slope, into a small den. His whiskers twitched as he felt the walls around him. "This is my den. What was so important you had to trespass to speak to me?" Lightningstar growled.

"It's about a prophecy I had," Shatteredface explained it as best he could without revealing too much. He felt guilty he hadn't told his own mentor, but it seemed too late.

"So, there's going to be a fire, and you think that I will start it?" Lightningstar chuckled. Shatteredface nodded cautiously. His ears burned and he pawed the sand below nervously. "Well, I've gotten no omen of this, I'm certainly not planning anything in particular." Shatteredface let out a sigh of relief, although he wasn't fully relieved. That meant he still needed to figure his prophecy out, but at least Lightningstar wasn't evil. "Next time you have an omen of sorts, figure it out in your own clan before coming here with accusations," Lightningstar sniffed. "It's your duty as medicine cat after all."

"It's not like I wanted to be a medicine cat," Shatteredface muttered. He curled his tail around him, deep down he never really wanted to be a medicine cat, but he'd never said it aloud before now. He wanted to be a warrior, to prove how capable he was, that he wasn't some helpless blind cat.

Lightningstar was silent. "If you really think this prophecy of yours is so dangerous as to inform the leader of ThunderClan, might I suggest warning the other clans as well? We may not be on good terms but... the forest shouldn't be without four clans," Lightningstar meowed. This surprised Shatteredface. He'd expected the ThunderClan leader to be less reasonable and more hostile. 

"I suppose I could do that."

"I don't quite understand why you brought those two kits, but I respect your insight. Whether or not you want to be a medicine cat."

"Oh, thank you," Shatteredface mewed, nodding his head.

"It's time for you to leave. If StarClan wants me to know something, they'll tell me, or our medicine cats," Lightningstar growled.

"Thank you for listening," Shatteredface sighed, still feeling quite embarrassed. Lightningstar grunted and pushed him out of the den, rather gently than he'd expected. As Shatteredface was making his way through ThunderClan camp, he caught a faint whiff of a cat... a now dead cat. He stopped, despite the leaders attempts to move him along. He remembered the sadness he'd sensed earlier. "Did... did a member die?" Shatteredface asked.

"...Yeah," Lightningstar grunted. "Missingbreeze, she died while kitting." Shatteredface could now sense deep sadness in the leader, as if the tom had been holding it in too long.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Shatteredface meowed. 

"I appreciate it." There was a long moment of silence before the leader spoke again. "Good luck with your prophecy. If there is a fire, ThunderClan will do what we can to help," Lightningstar meowed.

"Really?" Shatteredface meowed. He didn't mean to show this, but he was intrigued by ThunderClan being so tolerant of them. Was it because they're were dealing with a loss, or were they always like this?

"Goldenstripe speaks very fondly of you. She may be a little too enthusiastic at times, but she's a great medicine cat, and she admires you," Lightningstar chuckled. Goldenstripe admired him?Just then a cat called out, Goldenstripe in fact. 

"Wait! Wait, I've heard you're on a journey, I've got some traveling herbs," she meowed. She came to a halt in front of him, followed by the scent of his clan mates and traveling herbs. Goldenstripe placed the herbs by him and he reluctantly ate the bitter herbs. 

"Thank you," he purred. He was glad ThunderClan wasn't as hostile as Copperpaw had suggested. 

"Good luck," the she chirped. 

"Alright alright, can we go now?" Driftkit huffed. 

They were now being escorted out of ThunderClan territory. 

*                *               *

"So? What happened?" Driftkit meowed impatiently. ThunderClan led them down towards WindClan territory, so Shatteredface could inform Snowstar, which he was reluctant to do. They'd gone to ThunderClan in the first place because they'd thought Lightningstar was a threat. What were they going to do in WindClan. The ThunderClan patrol had just left them, not wanting to cross boundaries.

Shatteredface was ready to answer Driftkit's impatient question when he came to a stop. The sounds around him faded and he began to panic, his fur prickling.  

A vision pulsed through his mind. The sound of rushing water drowned out any other noises and Shatteredface couldn't believe what he was seeing.