Striking Storms

Chapter 5: (cat above is Flowerpool)

Thunderpaw was sleeping soundly in the apprentice's den, her tail wrapped over her nose. Her eyes flashed open and she scrambled to her paws when she heard a sickening shriek.

Bearnose! she thought. She darted out of the den and into the warrior's den.

Bearnose stood at the entrance, his eyes wide with shock and horror.

"Flowerpool!" Thunderpaw shrieked. She raced over to her mothers side and turned her head to her father, who was now at her side.

"What happened!" she cried.
Bearnose buried his muzzle into his mates fur.

"I...I..Don't..Know." Bearnose stammered, his voice thick with grief. "She was sleeping here next to me, when all of a sudden, that wound appeared on her throat, and then, she was dead." he sobbed.

"How could this happen!" Thunderpaw wailed to Starclan.

Honeyhope poked her head into the den. "Is every thing okay in here? I thought I heard Flo..." Honeyhope was cut off when she saw Flowerpool's dead body.

"What happened!" she yowled.
She stepped up to Flowerpool's side and examined the wound. "Who did this?" she asked, her eyes filled with horror.

"I..I don't know. She was laying in the nest next to me, then that wound appeared, and then it was too late." he told the medicine cat.

"How could this have happened?" Thunderpaw asked, her eyes streaming with tears.

"I don't know." Honeyhope replied. "I must speak with Fallenstar about this." she meowed and turned and padded out of the den, her head drooping.

Thunderpaw buried her nose into her mothers pelt and started grooming her thick fur. "I'll miss you mum." she whispered into her ear, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'll never forget you." She turned and fled out of the den and into the apprentice's den sobbing and collapsed into her nest.
"What's the matter Thundedpaw?" Lightningpaw asked.
"Go see for your self." She snapped back.
"Alright." Lightningpaw replied. She stepped out of the den, and a few seconds later, her shrieks could be heard throughout the whole camp.

Thunderpaw pulled herself to her paws and she stumbled out of the den. Her eyes came upon Flowerpool's lifeless body laying in the clearing.

She saw Fallenstar leap into the Long Branch to address the clan.

"Cats of Willowclan!" he yowled. "Something terrible has happened this night. Flowerpool has died, and we have yet to figure out the cause. But know this, she has not died of natural causes. There was a large gash running down her throat meaning that she was murdered!" he yowled.

There were gasps and yowls of shock and grief coming from the cats below, especially from Windpaw, who was now darting to his mother's body. He buried his nose into her fur and closed his eyes.

A huge gust of wind blew through the camp sending golden leaves down upon the assembled cats.

Lightning struck close by, and thunder rumbled in the distance.

I must talk to Stormstar. Those were Thunderpaws last thoughts before drifting into a deep sleep.