Dreams of Blood (Dark Storm #1)

Chapter Three

Darkness was falling as the six cats reached Highstones. The jagged peaks had come into view shortly after they had crossed the thunderpath, but until their paws touched stone it never seemed that they were coming closer. Now, the cats huddled together on a wide, flat tract of stone, the cliffs stretching into the sky, tops ragged like the teeth of massive jaws about to close around them. Ahead was a large square of darkness in the side of the cliff, and Larkpaw couldn't help but think it was the throat of the beast about to swallow them whole.

"Mothermouth," Maplefrost whispered in her ear as the cats drew closer, pelts brushing together for warmth as the air cooled with the quickly-approaching night. "The Moonstone lies deep within."

"We have to go into the cave?" Larkpaw asked, looking up at her mentor with fear in her eyes. "But it's so dark! How far is it?"

"It's quite a way. But don't worry, young one. Follow us, and StarClan will guide your paws every step of the way." The older she-cat gave her apprentice a comforting lick between the ears before casting a glance at the overcast sky above. "I hope the sky clears by moonhigh," she meowed, now loud enough for the others to clearly hear.

"I think it should," Lilybreath replied, flicking her tail to the west, where it seemed some of the clouds were beginning to break up, just enough to reveal the colorful hues of sunset.

"If it's still cloudy at moonhigh, does that mean that StarClan is upset with us?" Breezepaw asked from ahead, worry coloring her tone. Lilybreath twitched her whiskers.

"No, of course not. Sometimes they just have nothing to say, and thus no need to clear the sky," she answered.

"It seems as though they may speak tonight, though," Runningshadow put in from the head of the group. "With the way the clouds are breaking up over there."

Roseheart nodded. "I hope it's nothing bad, if they do."

For once, Runningshadow couldn't seem to find a way to challenge the ShadowClan cat's statement, and instead just nodded once in agreement. The cats settled outside of the cave entrance to wait for a while longer; Larkpaw wasn't sure what for, but the rest of the cats said nothing and she dared not break the silence to ask. Finally, as the light began to fade, casting the cliffsides in pure black shadow, Maplefrost got to her paws.

"It's time," she meowed simply, flicking Larkpaw's flank with her tail-tip. "Come."

Larkpaw quickly hopped up, following her mentor as she padded over to the dark maw of Mothermouth. The medicine cat paused for a moment, gazing into the darkness, before she padded inside. Larkpaw hesitated a moment, eyes wide as she tried to discern any kind of light from within, but it seemed that the shadowy cave swallowed any light within its walls. Steeling herself, Larkpaw followed.

Several pawsteps in, cold washed over the young she-cat, and instinctively her pelt fluffed out against it. Her pale green eyes were stretched wide, but there was no light to be seen here; the only thing to guide her was the touch of Maplefrost's tail against her cheek, and the soft sound of her breath echoing against the stone walls. Behind her, she could hear the pawsteps of the other medicine cats, but in what order they had followed she couldn't guess. As her pelt brushed against one wall of the cave, she suddenly became very claustrophobic. Breath catching in her chest, she stifled her panic, instead focusing on the sound of Maplefrost's breathing.

StarClan will guide me, she thought, closing her eyes and straining her ears. Suddenly, the steep downward path flattened out, and after a few more moments, she instinctively felt the stone open up around her. Finally coming to a stop, Larkpaw slowly opened her eyes.

As she had thought, the stone walls curved away from her on either side, quickly being lost in the darkness of the room. She was surprised, however, that she could see anything at all; a tiny pinprick of light came through a small, mouse-sized hole in the roof of the cavern, just bright enough that she could make out the shadowy shapes of the other cats around her. In the center of the room was an object she couldn't identify. It looked to be an unusually round stone, perhaps a tail-length tall and with sides that from here looked to be smooth.