A Clan's Tragedy #1

Chapter 2 (COMPLETED)

   Chapter 2

As Fireclaw vanished through the entrance, hushed whispers spread through the clan like wildfire. Hazlefur struggled to calm the clan.

   "It's okay!" she called out."Rabbitear will go to the Starcave tonight and receive his nine lives! But first, you need to chose a deputy." she waved her tail in Rabbitear's direction. Rabbitear thought for a heartbeat.

   "I-I chose Crystaleyes to be Rippleclan's new deputy." He announced to the clan."She has shown great courage and thoughtfulness. Will you be my deputy, Crystaleyes?"

   The gray and white she-cat looked shocked that she would be chosen. "Yes. Yes I will. I promise to be the best deputy I can." 

   The clan started to cheer for the two cats. "Rabbitstar, Crystaleyes! Rabbitstar, Crystaleyes!" It seems they have forgot about Fireclaw's threat. Hazelfur cheered loudly for them.

   After a moment, Hazelfur walked up to Rabbitear and whispered,"Tonight, we will go to the Starcave, and Crystaleyes will look after the clan." And then she went into her den to gather the traveling herbs. She quickly put them into a two leaf bundles and carried them out to Rabbitear.

   "Eat them." she told him."They will help your streangth." She unfolded the leaf and ate one herself. Rabbitear gaged as he ate the bitter herbs. The two cats walked out of the thorn barrier.

   "Crystaleyes!" Rabbitear called out."Look after the clan until I'm gone!" They walked along the noisy river, and across the moors to the Starcave. When thay got there, the sun was almost behind the mountains. The two cats waited and rested until the moon came out. They went in and inside the walls were covered in lichen, sparkling from the moonlight. In the roof was paw-sized holes, letting in some of the moonlight.

   "Lay against the wall in the back,"she told Rabbitear." And go to sleep. Starclan will visit you." She walked to the wall and Rabbitear followed. She lay down beside the wall and Rabbitear copied her. She waited until he fell asleep, and then let blackness take over her vision. 

   When she woke, gray mist seeped around her. A few tail-lenghths ahead stood Rabbitear- sniffing the ground with terrified eyes. Hazelfur padded up to him and touched her nose on his ear. He started.

   "It's okay." she told him."Starclan will come soon and give you nine lives." He relaxed a little. The two waited until a shimmering light opened up in the sky and down came a tom, riding on the wind. 

   "Welcome to Starclan." mewed Dawnstar." It looks like Hazelfur did what I asked." He looked at her with warmth in his green gaze. He turned back to Rabbitear."With the powers of Starclan, I give this young tom the life of courage. Use it well in times of battles you will face." He touched noses with him. Rabbitear stiffened and closed his eyes. He seemed to be in pain. Worry went through Hazelfur.

   Does that hurt him? I wonder how it feels.

   A she-cat with came up to Rabbitear next. Hazelfur just noticed other Starclan cats were gathered around him. The she-cat was gray with white spots. Hazelfur didn't reconize her, but Rabbitear clearly did. Love filled his eyes.

   "I, Flowerfoot, give this life of love to Rabbitear." she mewed . Hazelfur suddenly reconised her. It was his mother who died. "Use it for all the clans, especialy yours." She touched noses with him as Dawnstar had, and a stronger pain went through Rabbitear. Hazelfur could sense it. He clenched his teeth and muscles. Love is a powerful thing for a cat to have, thought Hazelfur. When the pain was over, he looked at Flowerfoot and murmured something Hazelfur couldn't hear. Flowerfoot nodded with love and walked into the throng of cats once more.

   This went on for seven more lives, each one different from the one before. When it was over, a tabby and white tom came over to Hazelfur. It was Jumpfoot, her only littermate who died in a thunderstorm a day after his warrior ceremony. Hope filled Hazelfur. She licked his cheek.

   "I missed you so much!" Sadness washed over her."So does mother. And every cat."

   "I know." he mewed his deep mew."But it was my time to die." He licked her cheek back. Suddenly  his face grew more serious. "Tree and tree will sway in the wind, but one will fall on the clan." Dawnstar's prophecy echoed in her ears.

   "What?" she asked her brother."What does that mean?" With horror, she looke down at her paws- they showed the ground beneath her. She was fading! "Please!" she begged."Tell me!"

   She woke with a start. Rabbitear-no, Rabbitstar- was begining to wake. When he did, he looked at Hazelfur with exited eyes. "Hazelfur! Guess what-"

   She interupted him." We don't speak of what happens in the Starcave." He nodded. The two cats got up and walked home in the chilly snow-ground morning.

   When they got home, they collapsed in their nests, tired after the trek home. Pebblepaw went in her den and brought her fish.

   "Thanks." she murmured to the apprintice. She walked out of the den. Hazelfur gobbled down the prey and fell fast asleep.

   In her dream, she raced through the forest, the prophecy ringing loud in her ears. It seemed to follow her until she suddenly fell into the river. The river water went up her nose and into her mouth. Hazel fur swam ashore and retched up water. A large male fox jumped out from the forest, slowly walking to Hazelfur, its red eyes hungry for blood. Instead of ripping her flesh, Jumpfoot's mew came out of the foxes' muzzle. 

   "Tree and tree will sway in the wind, but one will fall on the clan."  Hazelfur's vision started getting blacker and blacker, until it gave way to nothingness.

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      The next day, Hazelfur got up and went into the cold morning. She could hear the squeals of exitement from the kits, and their mothers trying to get them outside. All the patrols were out so few cats were still in camp. She went back inside to sort her herbs. When she got to the catmint pile, none was there. She would have to ask a cat to try and look for some with her.

   As if on cue, Vineclaw came into the den. "Hazelfur?" the she-cat sounded worried. "Featherkit was coughing last night and she has a streaming nose. She aslo feels really hot, according to Cloudfur." 

   "I'll come right away." she told Vineclaw. Vineclaw nodded and padded out. She had to get herbs for the kit, and had to go check on her. But in Hazelfur's mind, she already knew Featherkit had green-cough, and there was no catmint.

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okay, so i know i used erin hunter's words, like green-cough, and others but no copyright intended. all the other stuff like Starcave and the cats' names, i made up. thanks for reading :)

-warriorfan536