Warriors: The Compromise, #1 [DISCONTINUED]

CHAPTER 10

"What is that?" Opal  looked down at the stone in awe.

"Sandy gave this to me. I don't know what it means, though. I sure do know that a cat couldn't of made those narrow and deep markings, though!" Wren ran his paw down it's flat and marked surface, feeling the smooth ridges and gaps.

     The stone had several horizontal squiggles clawed in all over, and four square cat faces (like the Clan symbols), and a single star at the top. Even with clues to some 'future storm', Sandy was a normal cat like everyone else. She was just... a little crazy at the moment. "Its so strange. What do you think it means?" Wren asked her.

    "Well, there are a bunch of squiggles... and she had mentioned a wave or storm to flood out all of the territories, correct?" Opal sniffed the stone, but only a few scents laid on it like hay and Wren's fur. It was quite salty, though. Wren nodded, "Yeah. What about the cat-heads and the star, though?"

    Opal examined the weird stone once more. "Maybe they represent the Clans? And the star... the sky, maybe? Or perhaps 'StarClan', the Clan of the deceased?"

   "That sounds believable," He nodded. "I ... suggest that you should give it to your medicine cat. Perhaps she or he could figure out what it means and get those weird... what are they called?"

   "Omens? Prophecies?"

   "Right, those," Wren nodded, but fell silent when the sound of grass crunched outside. Opal's light grey ears perked up, and both of their pupils narrowed to thin lines. The sound of heavy pawsteps came closer, and at that point, they could see the shadow of pointed ears through the small broken window. Unsheathing their claws, they kept low, hidden behind a small bale of hay.

    "Wren?" A deep, old voice sounded outside.

   The ginger tom elt his fur flatten, loosening up his position. "Hide that stone, okay?" He whispered to Opal, who followed his order, then walking over to the enterance of the abandoned twoleg den. "Hiya, Shawn!" Wren smiled.

   An elder, a giant brown-grey tabby with a white underbelly and almost endless, fluffy fur, entered the den. The old tom seemed a bit shocked to see the young she-cat inside of Wren's den. "A-Ah, sorry for inturrupting you and your mate..." Shawn rasped, the large tom like a gentle giant.

   Opal felt her fur warm up, her face growing to a peachy tone. Wren had the same look of surprise on his face. "No, no! You've got the wrong idea. We're just friends! She's from ThunderClan, a Clan over in the forest."

   Shawn nodded, then smiling at the warrior. "Oh, okay... anyhow, who's your friend?" The elder admired the she-cat. He'd always dreamed of becomming a warrior, or even leader to a Clan, but he only worked well with herbs. Plus, who'd accept an old tom like him? Little did Shawn know.

   "I'm Opal," She dipped her head respectfully to him, smiling back, her ears and cheeks still warm with embarrassment. "How are you related to Wren?" She asked curiously.

   "Oh, we're close friends," Wren smiled, then letting Shawn take the floor and speak. "Well, I met him when I was about  seven moons, and Wren was just a wee little kit. I saw him on the side of the blackpath. Apparently, he was tossed out of the silver giant from his two-legs. I felt very bad for the lil' fella, so I took 'em in, and were still living on the same old farm!"

   Opal nodded, almost surprised. Every loner and rogue had their story, though. "What's a silver giant? And a blackpath?"

   "What you call a monster and a thunderpath," The ginger tom clarified, before resting his tail on her shoulder, smiling a bit. "Well, it's best that you'd be on your way. Oh, here, and take these herbs," Wren winked, handing her the stone that was covered and secured in a makeshift leaf pouch. Opal nodded, winking back, before meowing goodbye to the elder and her friend.