Dreams of Blood (Dark Storm #1)

Chapter Two

Swift gusts of wind swept across the moor as Larkpaw stood staring, wide-eyed at the sight. The greens and yellows of the grasses, dappled with flowers and occasional stones, seemed to stretch on forever, until the swaying grass seemed to blur with the gray sky above.

"It's... so big," the young she-cat whispered, awestruck by the sheer size of the moor. She had never imagined the whole world to be that big, let alone the territory of one Clan.

Next to her, Maplefrost let out an amused purr. "ThunderClan's territory is just as big, you know."

Larkpaw turned to stare up at her soon-to-be mentor, shocked. "Is it really?"

The brown tabby nodded. "Of course. You just... can't see as much of it at once. You'll see for yourself soon enough."

The younger she-cat opened her mouth to say something else, but before she could she was interrupted by a loud yowl from down the hill. Looking over their shoulders, the ThunderClan cats could see the shapes of two more cats down below: a sleek-furred ginger and white she-cat, followed closely by a smaller silver tabby.

"That's Lilybreath and Breezepaw, from RiverClan," Maplefrost explained, raising her tail to greet the two newcomers as they bounded up the hill to join Maplefrost and Larkpaw. The older she-cat, who Larkpaw could only assume was Lilybreath, dipped her head in greeting to Maplefrost. Larkpaw wrinkled her nose as the scent of fish and riverwater washed over her, but she tried to hide her reaction from the RiverClan cats by feigning interest in a smooth pebble a couple of tail-lengths away.

"I'm glad you waited," she meowed. "So, is this the kit I've heard so much about?"

Larkpaw's pelt grew hot with nervousness as she felt the other medicine cat's pale blue gaze turn to her, but she was too self-conscious to look up and meet it. She was relieved as Maplefrost let out a purr.

"Yes! She's finally old enough, so tonight we'll be making her into a real apprentice," the ThunderClan medicine cat explained.

"I'm happy you finally found a suitable apprentice," Lilybreath congratulated. "Breezepaw is almost ready for her full name, and I'm younger than you are!" Though her tone was teasing, there was a note of seriousness in the ginger-and-white she-cat's voice, and as Larkpaw risked a glance in their direction, she noticed for the first time that a few gray hairs were beginning to appear around Maplefrost's muzzle.

If Maplefrost was offended by the comment, she didn't show it, and instead gave Lilybreath a playful shove. "I might be getting old, but I still have plenty of moons ahead of me. You're the one to be worried about, eating all those oily fish!"

"Hmph, perhaps you ThunderClan cats should consider eating more fish. Your fur looks like you need it," Lilybreath purred. Maplefrost let out a huff, but didn't bother to retort, instead taking a look at the sky. The clouds which stretched from horizon to horizon made it impossible to pinpoint exactly where the sun was, but a bright haze peering through the gray blanket indicated it was around sunhigh.

"We should get going soon," the brown tabby suggested, flicking her tail toward the moor. "I don't think we can afford to wait around for Roseheart any more. Runningshadow will be getting impatient, after all."

"Eh, let him," Lilybreath replied, flicking her tail dismissively. "The old badger is far too critical as it is. But you're right, Roseheart is taking too long. She can catch up, if she cares about traveling with the rest of us."

Maplefrost nodded. "Very well. Let's go then. Come on, Larkpaw!"

Larkpaw trotted back over to the others, careful to avoid meeting the eyes of the larger, sleeker RiverClan cats as the four set off across the moor. The young apprentice fluffed out her pale pelt against the buffeting wind, almost fearful that it would sweep her right off her paws. None of the other cats, however, seemed concerned, simply narrowing their eyes against the grass that whipped at their muzzle and powering on.