Warriors: Storm Coming - Rising Dawn

Chapter 15

Ivypaw lay beside Perchpaw in her nest, her tail wrapped over her nose. She drifted off into sleep. She was in a lush forest. She sniffed the air and instead of smelling a cat, she scented a mouse. She crept forward slowly.

A cat's pawsteps made the mouse scurry away. "Fox dung!" Ivypaw muttered.

A pale gray and white she-cat with green eyes approached Ivypaw.

"Great StarClan," Ivypaw murmured. "This isn't a normal dream, is it?"

The she-cat shook her head. "My name is Brindlestar,"

"You're an old leader of AshClan!" Ivypaw gasped, her eyes wide in astonishment.

"A new beginning has started in the clans," Brindlestar meowed. "Your destiny doesn't lie here,"

Ivypaw opened her eyes as he heard a yowl. She padded out of the hollow, followed by Leafpaw and Perchpaw.

Sparrowstar stood on a tall log in the middle of camp. "All cats old enough to fight their own battles gather under the Talllog!"

Cats gathered around the log, looking up at Sparrowstar.

"We've had the arrival of some new cats, but one of them has really stood out. Leafpaw," she meowed. "I may not be your real clan leader, but I would like to give your warrior name after Fernshade, another courageous warrior in my clan."

Leafpaw looked up, her eyes filled with shock.

"Under MoonClan's guidance and protection, I give you your new name, Leafshade." Sparrowstar meowed.

Leafshade looked up, pride showing in her eyes. Ivypaw, however was shocked. "MoonClan?StarClan doesn't watch over LunarClan?" Ivypaw whispered to Perchpaw.

Cats dispered and Ivypaw decided to approach Leafshade and Perchpaw. "I have to leave," she meowed. "My destiny doesn't lie here,"

"Then I'm coming," Perchpaw meowed.

Leafshade stepped forward. "I will too, but we have to get Creekpaw,"

Ivypaw nodded and padded up towards the medicine cat den. She spotted Creekpaw. "Creekpaw, we're leaving,"

Creekpaw opened her mouth to speak, but Rainheart appeared behind her. "Creekpaw has to stay here," she meowed.

"What?!" Leafshade exclaimed.

"Creekpaw has something to do with the destiny of LunarClan," Rainheart meowed swiftly.

"But—" Ivypaw began.

Creekpaw interrupted. "I'm staying," she meowed. "Be careful on your journey, though."

"I'll be fine," she assured him. "Goodbye Creekpaw," She touched her nose to Creekpaw's nose; it felt strange, touching noses with a cat from another clan. Then she remembered Reedpaw

"I'll prepare some traveling herbs for you," Creekpaw meowed, touching her nose to Ivypaw's.

. . .

Ivypaw's paw pads ached as she trudged through the thick, dense, green forest. Her paws brushed the underbrush with each step she took, crunching leaves and tickling her paw pads. She looked down at her pads, rough and sore. She looked beside her at Leafshade and Perchpaw.

She let out a soft sigh and continued padding on. She longed to be with Reedpaw, she wondered if he was okay; with a jolt, she realized her clanmates came first, like her kin. She continued to pad along, her thoughts consumed by Reedpaw but thoughts of her clanmates interrupted. 

She reached the pelt-looking Twoleg things. She knew she was close to the Thunderpath. She could already smell the disgusting stench of the monsters, the wind ruffling her fur as a monster raced by and her heart beating as she darted across the Thunderpath.