The Rising Storm

Chapter 6: Restart

        Stormpaw stood looking at the black and white tom before him, he narrowed his eyes. "Badgersoul you say, sounds like a warrior name too me." He stared at Badgersoul with challenging eyes.

        Badgersoul looked at him, his blue eyes narrowed, "my parents were clan cats before they were killed and scattered, they gave me this name to remind me of the lost clans..." Looking straight at Stormpaw, he had suspision in his eyes. "According to your name, you must be an apprentice, where is your clan." 

        Stormpaw looked at him and scowled, realizing that he may have no way of finding his lost clan. "I don't know, I thought they would be around here but obviously not." As he speaks his gaze drifts towards the two moons which hung in the sky.

        Badgersoul began to circle him, although he continued to show no signs of aggression. "So you really are not from around here..." He stops in front of Stormpaw, "you should return home, you will be in danger if you stay." 

        Stormpaw narrowed his eyes "in danger from what?" As he spoke the vision of his clanmates dying as well as the dead cats in the heart of the moor flash into his mind.

        Badgersoul gave him a serious stare, when he spoke the surrounding area suddenly became dead silent. He whispered, just barely audible for Stormpaw to hear. "The hunters." Stormpaw stared at Badgersoul, his whole body froze, though he did not know what Badgersoul had meant by hunters. He felt himself instinctively wanting to run but he forced himself to stay still.

        "What hunters!?" He demanded, when he spoke he saw a look of disbelief on Badgersouls face.

        "I would have thought that you of all cats would have known, especially from your reaction earler..." Badgersoul shook his head, somewhat sorrowful. "I see you are still oblivious to yourself, it seems he still needs more time, though your instincts are awakening your knowledge is not..." Sighing Badgersoul began to turn around. "Go home, you do not yet belong here, trust your guardians guidance and follow the path he sets down for you." Badgersoul walked away and vanished into the ferns. Stormpaw just stood and looked at to where Badgersoul had disappeared, he frowned. What guardian... I do not have any besides my father and mother... He sighed as his mind went back to the moment where Mothflight had said that he was not her kit. Well I guess, thinking about it now,  she never really was my guardian... Frowning he began walking, staying cautious while searching for a way to get home. Thoughts were roaming around in his head as he tried to search for any cat that he knew that could even be his guardian. Taking a deep breath an image of the black tom came to his mind and he flinched. There is no way that loner could be my guardian... He's just a creepy loner who continues to pop up wherever I go...Suddenly feeling depressed he continued heading towards whatever direction his paws were leading him in. As he snapped back into reality he found himself back in the medicine den. Just as before there was no sign that his clan ever lived here, there was only the nest from which he laid in before. Suddenly feeling drained of his energy he collapsed into the nest, he moaned as he began to try and peice together everything that had happened the past few days. First Honeypaw died... Then that strange tom appeared saying nonsense about some destined cat, then that weird vision of my clan being killed, and now.. He looked around the small narrow space and scowled, and now I am stuck in this stupid place! Feeling despair wash over him he covered his face with his paws, a feeling of lonliness and longing replacing his despair. Curling up in a tight ball the world around him began to grow hazy and dark,  as sleep began to take over him he noticed the splash of light at the entrance was beginning to return. As he looked closer at it he could feel is conciousness slipping, a sudden figure of a cat filled the light in the entrance and he felt himself freeze. Before he could do anything, he felt himself fall asleep, he began trying to fight the sleep which held him prisoner but could not do anything but remain suspended in the endless darkness.

        When he awoke he instantly identified his littemates scent. He bolted upright and looked around confused, he was back in the apprentice den and this time he could scent his clanmates. He stumbled to his paws and ran to the entrance of the den, he was hit was a sudden burst of light as he stumbled into the clearing. Looking around he saw everyone in his clan alive and well, he noticed Honeypaws body was misisng in the clearing so he ran over to the closest cat which was his mentor, Windrush. "Where is Honeypaw? Was she already burried, I wanted to say good bye.."

        Windrush looked at Stormpaw, there was confusion in his eyes. "What are you talking about, Honeypaw is fine, she is out hunting with her mentor, did you have a realistic nightmare or something?"

        Stormpaw just stared at Windrush, his mouth gaping, "what are you talking about! Honeypaw was killed yesterday..." He could hear his voice trailing and begin to vanish as he slowly became aware of the cats around him starting to stare and murmer amongst themselves with concern. 

        Windrush just frowned at him, "there has been no rogues around here, perhaps you should take the day off and clear your head."

        Stormpaw frowned  but just nodded, "may I go hunting, I think it will help me clear my head better then staying here in camp." When Windrush nodded and warned him to be careful he walked into to the forest and began wondering what had happened. Why is everyone acting so strange? He could feel a chill go down his spine, it's almost as if... as if time itself has restarted to the point before Honeypaw died... But if that's so then where in time am I?!