The Rising Storm

Chapter 11: Storm

        As Stormpaw followed the she-cat known as Night through the dark territory his anger slowly ebbed away leaving him weary with confusion and exhaustion. He just nodded to Night each time she pointed something out about the territory and kept up to her pace as she practically raced through the landscape. Suddenly Night stopped without warning and Stormpaw had to jump to the side so that he wouldn't crash into her. Holding back a growl and hiss of frustration for her sudden stop he followed her gaze to a dark branch that was just close enough for him to make out in the darkness. Narrowing his eyes against the darkness he saw the vague shape of a bird on a branch and he went into a hunters crouch next to her. Staying still, Stormpaw watched Night as she began to stalk towards the bird, her dark pelt blending in perfectly with the earth. As Stormpaw was about to follow her he felt her tail rest on his shoulder and looking over to her, he could see her shaking her head at him. Nodding he staying in his position as she continued to creep forward, understands that this is Nights prey and that she wouldn't want any help. Judging the distance between Night and the bird he frowned, the bird was 4 fox lengths from the ground and it would be able to see Night coming if she climbed the tree. The tip of his tail twitched slightly in thought as he wondered what Night was planning. Keeping low he watched her approach the tree and his eyes widened when she suddenly made this huge leap upwards and killed the bird before it could even understand what just happened. 

        Stormpaw watched her jump down from the tree with her catch still in her mouth. Blinking at her in shock he meowed, "How did you jump that high!" When Night looked at him sharply with narrowed eyes he meowed defensively. "No one I know is able to jump that high, not even my mentor Windrush is able to jump that high and he is one the most best jumpers in the clan!" As he finished speaking he felt a little pang of sadness as he remembered that Windrush was no longer his mentor and he was no longer a member of his clan. For a brief moment he felt overwhelmed by his sadness and lonliness and he just bowed his head solemnly. He slowly looked up when he felt something touch his shoulder. He almost flinched when he found himself gazing into blue eyes that seemed to stare into his very soul. Feeling the fur along his spine slightly bristle he took a step back and gave Night a look that seemed to be just as calm and intimidating as hers. Annoyance gnawed at him when he saw her whiskers twitch, he flattened his ears and opened his mouth to speak before getting cut off. 

        "It seems you still have lots to learn. I guess letting those soft cats train you wasn't the best idea that our leader could have made." Turning around Stormpaw watched her pick up her prey and walk away. He narrowed his eyes and followed her, more closely and eager then before. When Night looked at him she put the bird down and told him to carry it then she continued to speak. "That was a basic leap you saw back there, if you train like the other apprentices then you should be able to do a jump like that in no time at all." Stormpaw just looked at her in disbelief then looked down at his paws and sighed. I hope she doesn't mean that... I suck at jumping in fact, I think i'm the WORST at it. He could feel Nights gaze and he could tell she was searching for some sort of reaction and he just nodded trying to hide the doubt that was churning inside him.

        When the camp entrance came into view he felt relief wash over him at the thought of being able to escape the gaze of Night. Letting Night enter the camp first while giving her back her bird he entered the camp and stayed to the edge of the camp. He watched Night put down her bird before glancing at him one last time then walking over to the opposite side of the camp and vanish into the darkness. He just shuddered before laying down then he looked at his paws and frowned. He nearly jumped out of his fur when he heard a voice speak to him, looking up he noticed Shadow looking down to him. Alarmed, Stormpaw sat up as fast as he could, his paws stumbling to find a grip in his haste to sit up. Looking at Shadow he could tell that the tom was waiting for a reply and he felt a little panicked and guilty that he hadn't heard what the tom said. Tilting his head he meowed uneasily "sorry, I didn't hear you... What did you say?"

        Shadow just sighed then shook his head, Stormpaw frowned, unsure if he had offended the tom at all. However when Shadow looked back at him Stormpaw was shocked to see amusement and warmth in the black toms eyes. "I asked you if you would like to go for a walk with me." Stormpaw just blinked in slight shock then nodded without fully realizing it. He slowly got up then followed the tom out of the camp, conscious of all the curious eyes that followed him out of the clearing. He followed Shadow  quietly, unsure of what to say. For a moment the question that had been nagging him since he had spoken with his denmates when he first arrived flashed into his mind. He opened his mouth to ask the question but he hesitated, unsure of how Shadow would react to the question but also because of something else. He closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes in thought, even though he really wanted to know about what happened to his mother he couldn't bring himself to asking the tom. Looking at Shadow he realized that Shadow was watching him with unreadable eyes and he froze. He's probably going to ask me what I was about to say! He began to feel uneasy then quickly thought of the next thing that came to his mind. 

        "Why does eveyone here call me Storm? My name is StormPAW." He looked at the tom waiting for him to reply. Thinking the question over in his mind more thouroughly he realized it was also something that was bugging him since he came here. When Shadow replied he sounded like he was picking his words carefully and there was a glint to his eyes that made Stormpaw feel slightly uneasy.

        "We call you Storm because here that is what your name is. Before you disappeared from the camp and took on your clan name you were known as Storm." Shadow flicked his tail then looked away and seem to gaze off into the distance and rest his gaze on something. "Things would be much simpler if you changed your name back to Storm, for youself and for the others who knew you when you were still a kit." Stormpaw looked at the cat and narrowed his eyes in thought. Well he does have a point and it isn't like I can return to Lightningclan. He sighed, I am clanless.. so why should I have a clan name? Looking up to Shadow he nodded slowly and hesitantly.

        "Alright, i'll be called Storm now." To Storm's surprise his voice sounded more confident and stronger then he thought it would. Looking at Shadow he saw a pleased expression on his face and Storm felt his ears twitch.  He then glanced around the dark territory, his whole life racing through his mind faster then he could comprehend posssible. He looked at Shadow then took a deep breath, mulitple feelings seemed boil in his chest and spread throughout his body. Feelings of excitement, fear, curiosity and another from which he could still not name seemed to take over his whole body and he gave Shadow a steady look and spoke. His eyes had a strange look in them and his voice seemed to have a strange authority in it. "Alright. I will be known as Storm now. This will be my new home now, Lightningclan is now behind me."

        Shadow looked at him with glittering eyes. "Then welcome to your new home, Storm."