Warriors: The Gates of StarClan

Chapter 14

The cats walked the rest of the way through Twolegplace uneventfully.  When they reached the edge, Chloe mewed, "Here is the boundary of the town.  Keep walking that way and you should reach the ocean soon.  I must stop here and return to my housefolk."

Ivysplash nodded.  "Thank you for helping us, Chloe.  Goodbye."

The five Clan cats crossed the boundary of the Twolegplace and continued toward the sun-drown-place.  After what seemed like moons, they reached a large rocky precipice overlooking a vertical drop onto sharp stones.  Ivysplash padded up to the precipice and walked out on it.  Below her, a large body of water seemed to stretch to StarClan.  Suddenly the prophecy made sense.  The gates of StarClan!  Where the water meets the sky, Ivysplash thought.  Then she realized it was the view from her dream.  "We've made it," she meowed, turning back to her companions.

Ravenfrost flicked his whiskers and meowed, "Where do we go now?"

Ivysplash thought for a moment, flicking her tail.  She thought back to her dream, and remembered a cave at the base of the cliff, next to the rushing water.  "This way."  She motioned with her tail to her companions.  "There's a cave at the bottom of the rocks."  She started to pick her way down the steep path to the bottom.  The others began to follow her.

"I'm not climbing down that," Tigerpelt growled from above.  "My claws will get torn out."

"Better now than later, when we leave you up here," Lionstorm retorted.  Tigerpelt hissed softly but did not reply.  The five cats slowly made their way down to the water.

Once down, Ivysplash tasted the air.  A sharp tang hit the roof of her mouth, but Fernpaw was already quivering in fear.  "Badger!"

Tigerpelt's amber eyes widened.  "Where?"

Fernpaw tasted the air again and pointed with her tail.  "There," she whispered.The five cats crouched behind a large rock that would hide them from the cave entrance.  Ivysplash exchanged a worried glance with Lionstorm.

Suddenly, a black and white striped head poked around the side of the rock.  Its tiny black eyes gleamed menacingly at the cats.  A single word echoed in Ivysplash's head long after it was yowled: "Run!"