Striking Storms

Chapter 14

~cat above is Riverstar

Thundersong dipped her head sorrowfully. The evening light was shining through the trees that surrounded the burial place. She was surrounded by her clanmates who were equally as sorrow. Tears slowly streamed from her eyes as the elders lowered her father's body into his final resting place.

"Goodbye Bearnose." she whispered softly. She stood solemnly next to Windstorm while each cat stepped forward to pay their final respects.

When every cat had said farewell to the deputy, the elders slowly shoved dirt into the deep hole in which Bearnose rested.

Thunder slowly rumbled in the distance and wind swirled through the branches of the trees overhead. But there was no familiar lightning to the brewing storm. Are we torn apart forever?

"Come. It is time to go back to camp." Fallenstar meowed, his voice filled with grief. He slowly padded out of the clearing with all of the cats following.

When they reached the camp, Thundersong sat down at the fresh kill pile. I need to tell Lightingpaw... she thought.

She rose to her paws and padded over to Fallenstar who had just stepped inside his den.

"Fallenstar. I'm going to Amberclan to tell Lightingpaw about Bearnose." she told her leader.

Fallenstar dipped his head. "I wish you luck." he meowed.

Thundersong nodded and turned and darted out of the den. She padded over to Windstorm.

"I'm going to Amberclan to see Lightningpaw. Would you like to come?" she asked.

"I would love to." the newly made warrior meowed.

"Then let's go."

Thundersong raced out of camp with Windstorm at her heels towards Amberclan territory.

When the two cats reached the river, the padded over to the fallen log. Thundersong leapt onto it and padded across the slick wood. She jumped down to the ground and turned to see Windstorm landing beside her.

Thundersong nodded and raced through the forest towards Riverstar's camp.

The siblings skidded to a halt as they reached the reed barrier to the camp. The cat named Otterpool was standing fairs outside. The brown she-cat's fur bristled as she saw the two approaching cats.

"Who are you an what are you doing here." she snarled.

"I am Thundersong, deputy of Willowclan, and this is my brother Windstorm. We are here to see Lightningpaw." Thundersong meowed.

"You mean Lightingstrike?" Otterpool meowed. "Right this way."

The she-cat led the visitors through the camp entrance and towards the fresh kill pile where Thundersong saw her sister enjoying a fish with Burntpaw. Not him. Thundersong thought bitterly.

Thundersong saw her sister's hackles rise the she saw her whisper something to Burntpaw. The muscular time rose to his paws and padded away as Lightningstrike padded over to her littermates.

"What are you doing here." Lightningstrike meowed, a slight growl in her voice.

"We come bearing terrible news." Thundersong meowed slowly, her tail wrapped around her paws and head dipped.

"Well, what is it?" Lightningstrike snapped.

"Bearnose is dead."

Lightningstrike gave a horrified look to her siblings. "How!"

"They took him." Windstorm snarled.

"Lightningpaw, he said..."

"It's Lightningstrike now." Lightningstrike interrupted.

"Ok then, Lightningstrike, before he died he said that they we coming for us all. I think this threat is greater than we think." Thundersong meowed.

"What's going on." Thundersong heard a voice meow from up ahead.

Thundersong glanced upwards to see Riverstar standing on the High Rock.

"Who are you." the leader boomed.

"This is Windstorm, and I am Thundersong, deputy of Willowclan and siblings of Lightningstrike."

Lightningstrike gave a shocked glance at her sister, but didn't utter  a word.

"We come bearing news of the death of Bearnose." Windstorm meowed.

"I am sorry for your loss." Riverstar meowed. "But now you must leave.

"Before we leave, may we have a word with Lightningstrike in private?" Thundersong asked.

"Of corse." Riverstar meowed. "She can escort you to the river."

"Thank you Riverstar." Thundersong meowed, then turned to Lightingstrike.

"Follow me." Lightningstrike ordered as she padded out of camp.

Lightningstrike lead the way back to the river bank and sat down when they reached it.

"So what did you want to
tell me." she meowed.

"Lightningstrike don't you see?" Thundersong meowed. "They are taking everything from us! Stormstar came to me in a dream saying that if I don't protect him, they'll take Heromflight!"

Lightningstrike's eyes widened. "Rainshine told me the same thing about Burntbristle!" she meowed.
"What do we do?"

"We have to do the one thing we were given these powers for. We have to fight the evil."