Warrior's Path: Destiny of Flame(On Hold)

Prologue: The Pool of Seeing

It was night. All was silent, save the constant splash and bubble of the water sliding over the smooth rocks into the pool. The starlight reflected strongly off it, and it sparkled brightly, a magical sheet of liquid silver shaded by ferns and bracken.

 The ferns suddenly trembled, and four cats emerged from the verdant undergrowth and strode to the center of the clearing, where the pool lay. One cat was snow-white, another one was storm-gray, the third had a tortoiseshell pelt the color of leaf-fall, and the last was fiery ginger. They stood at the pool's edge for several heartbeats, neither speaking nor moving, keeping the silence.

Finally, the gray cat spoke, in a deep rumbling meow that sounded very much like his name, Storm. "The Pool of Seeing has unveiled its secrets."

The ginger tom, Fire, chimed in, "Great unsettling is to come."

The tortoiseshell cat, who was the only female among the four, spoke. "Is there nothing that will stop this?"

Blizzard, the white one, answered. "Peace, Torrent. It is true that we have no power over what the higher forces may bring, but we can at least help the situation."

"You know that we aren't supposed to interfere directly with the affairs and the problems that our earthly Clans suffer." interjected Storm.

"No," agreed Blizzard. "But we can choose a cat who will."

Torrent nodded, and Fire mewed his agreement.

"The Pool of Seeing will show us," declared Storm.

Together they surrounded its edge, looking into the fiery white blaze of the starlight reflected above.

"Pool of Seeing, show us the cat who will rebuild what has been destroyed," meowed Blizzard.

"Pool of Seeing, show us the cat who will mend the broken path." Storm meowed.

"Pool of Seeing, show us the cat who will save what has been lost." Torrent intoned.

"Pool of Seeing, show us the cat who will lead the astray." Fire finished.

The pool rippled and shivered, as though replying their requests. The starlight started to swirl, forming a pale shape of a cat on the pool's surface. The four cats stared at the reflection for a long time.

Fire spoke first, his voice thick with disbelief. "But she's BlizzardClan!"

Blizzard raised his head, clearly nettled. "So?"

"So?" Fire echoed. "Everyone knows BlizzardClan is headstrong and acts on impulse. She'll probably lead everyone who follows her into a ditch!"

Blizzard growled and flexed his claws. The air dropped in temperature, all of a sudden becoming cold and foreboding.

Torrent pushed between them. "Stop! The Pool has already destined her to pull our Clans out of whatever trouble the future may bring. Why are you still fighting over which Clan she is from?"

Blizzard and Fire grudgingly stepped back, reluctantly smoothing their pelts. The air eased up.

Storm padded forward to inspect the image more closely. He uttered a muffled growl. "Look!"

They all bunched in to see what Storm had spoken. "There it is, clear in her eyes," Blizzard breathed. "A mark of her indvidualitity!"

Fire sniffed, turning his head away.

"When are you going to speak to the healers? Or are you going to speak to her directly?' Torrent inquired.

"I'll speak to her directly," Blizzard replied. He closed his eyes, and then muttered, "As soon as she is born."

"If that's the case, she probably won't even remember that you even came to her." Storm meowed.

"Even so, she will have a sense of her responsibility." Blizzard mewed. He stared around at his companions defiantly. "She can do it."

Torrent glanced at the cat again. "Her path is interlaced with others far from our lands. She is to aid others that are not under our paws."

Fire grunted, "That makes her all the more special, then."

Blizzard hissed, but Storm looked at the sky. "We have lingered too long, friends. Blizzard, isn't it high time you moved the moon?"

The white tom looked up. "Yes. Thank you for the reminder, Storm." He gazed around at the other cats, meeting their eyes evenly. "Whatever difficulties that may get thrown along her path, I am sure she will not fail us."

He turned and vanished among the ferns.

Torrent sighed and got up. "I'll need to leave soon. Fire, you have to go, too. You've got to raise the sun, remember?"

"Of course." Fire growled. He shook himself vigorously. "We must part now. I have to attend to my duties. And pray in the name of all SpiritClan that the chosen may do her job well."

Torrent and Storm nodded. They turned their backs on the Pool of Seeing and its glittering image of the cat, going their separate ways among the ferns.