Gorsepelt's Insanity

Chapter 3

The gathering had ended. Gorsepaw walked with the other MoorClan cats along the shore with heavy paws.

Moonpaw limped from a bitten paw where a MountainClan apprentice and her had gotten into a scuffle. The tom was bigger than her, and the lithe silver tabby didn't stand a chance. Moonpaw's dark grey tail drooped as she hobbled along.

Riverfish shook his head when he looked at his apprentice's hurt paw. "That's gonna need cobwebs. Go see Pebblelake when we get back."

Whiteface greeted them when they reached the gorse barrier. "Welcome back" the white-faced dark tabby mewed warmly. "I heard there was something was off in the lakewater from Pebblelake."

Greystorm nodded, "It won't bother us. We get water from the stream, remember?"

When Gorsepaw padded into camp, she saw Hawkpaw talking to Cloudpaw. The speckled she-cat rushed over to them. "I'm back from the gathering!"

Hawkpaw's tail tip twitched "Cool...did you see anything weird?"

Only every cat I know and see dying in front of me, yes you could say that. "No, not really," Gorsepaw answered the dark tabby tom indignantly.

Gorsepaw felt a cat brush roughly past her. It was Morningpelt. The bright ginger she-cat padded over to Flashclaw, who looked half-asleep. Gorsepaw heard her mutter, "I'm going hunting."

The white tom's eyes widened. "But...it's nearly after moonhigh!"

"So?" Flashclaw's eyes were as wide as moons as Morningpelt padded out of the hollow, her tail rigid.

Gorsepaw felt a twinge of curiousity flicker deep inside her. Hawkpaw and Cloudpaw padded off into the apprentice's den, but Gorsepaw couldn't follow. Her paws wouldn't rest. The seven moon old apprentice held her breath, and bounded after her mother.

The moor was quiet as Gorsepaw followed Morningpelt silently. She remembered Applefoot's praise about her stalking skills. About how not a rabbit with the sharpest hearing could hear her coming, even from a tail-length away.

Light from the full moon shone on the moor, turning the grass silver. Gorsepaw padded on, suddenly wishing she had Blackpaw's night black fur. Brown speckled blended in just fine during the day, but not so much during the cold night.

Gorsepaw felt the fur raise as Morningpelt drew closer to Twolegplace. Fingers of morning fog were creeping up over the moor and Gorsepaw's veins froze when she saw Morningpelt crouch on the Thunderpath. No! You're going to die! Gorsepaw took a sharp inhale of cold air.

Paws thrumming on the earth, Gorsepaw burst out of the tall grass and hurtled herself towards Morningpelt, who's gaze was fixed on a mouse. The furry creature nibbled on a seed on the other side of the flat, black surface.

"Morningpelt!" Gorsepaw coughed as she breathed in the sickly smell of the Thunderpath.

The she-cat didn't seem to hear her, instead she prepared to leap on the mouse.

A dreadful rumbling came from beneath Gorsepaw's pads. The young she-cat's blood turned ice as the monster's yellow eyes shone through the fog.

Morningpelt finally looked up from her prey, but her yellow eyes widened in fear as a Twoleg monster roared and burst out of the fog. Its huge black paws screeched to a halt when it saw her, but it was too late.

The ginger she-cat shrieked as the beast hit her. Gorsepaw gasped as Morningpelt's body was thrown in the air. A sick feeling came to her as her mother was thrown into the grass.

Oh...oh StarClan...Gorsepaw stared in horror at Morningpelt's broken, bleeding form. The vision she had as a kit, the one where she saw Morningpelt getting hit by a monster had come true. Gorsepaw's voice came out scratchy and strangely uunframilar. "I could have warned her...but I didn't..."

The big red monster's flanks flew open and two Twolegs got out, one a burly looking male, the other a thin, golden haired female.

While the male walked over to Morningpelt, the female wailed and ran over to her partner's side. Gorsepaw leaped back into a thorn bush to hide from the clumsy creatures. Her flanks quivered from shock.

The male made a snorting noise as he bent over the dead cat. He made a grunting sound and to Gorsepaw's admonishment, scooped up Morningpelt and headed back over to the monster. Gorsepaw gasped. "Hey! She deserved to be buried in MoorClan!"

Both of the Twolegs didn't notice her. Instead, the climbed into their monster and rumbled off.

As Gorsepaw climbed out of the bush, her paws were shaking. She raised her head, Oh StarClan, why did you have to give me this power? I could've warned her.

There was a cold silence. Gorsepaw anxiously awaited an aswer, but after a few long heartbeats, there was no answer. No smell of StarClan warriors. No stars.

When Gorsepaw looked back down at the earth, she felt a part of her turn to ice. Her voice quivering with internal anger, she hissed. "Fine, I don't need your help. You gave me a curse, I'll just have to deal with it."