New Flight - a warriors story, Book #1 in The Winding Fates

Chapter 12

Owlfeather stepped into the tunnel, lowering his head as he entered. The tunnel was only big enough to fit one cat in at a time, so Sparrowflight followed behind him. After a while of searching through the dark and using their whiskers to guide them, they came out into a cave with a gap in the roof.

The cave was large enough to fit around ten cats, Owlfeather guessed, and light enough to hold small gatherings in. The gap in the roof looked like three claw marks ending together. Large claw marks, like those Owlfeather had heard of lions having. Running through the middle-right was a river with sand surrounding it. On the wall of the cave, there was a large rock jutting out. There was a log lying across it so that cats could cross. (This is basically the description of what I think the PoT cave looks like)

For a moment Owlfeather saw a cat shape flash on the rock, but when he blinked it was gone.

"Woah..." Sparrowfeather breathed, hopping onto the rock. "I declare myself Sparrowstar of DarkClan!" (dude I had to... PoT is amazing and-- yes)

Owlfeather chuckled. "We can't make our own Clan! This would be a good camp for MountainClan, if the cats knew how to get out of here."

At that moment, a lithe, light brown tabby tom with green eyes padded out of the shadows. He was slightly transparent and spotted with slight starlight. Owlfeather could see the rocks behind him. "Oh! I didn't think there were any other cats here! Welcome to the tunnels, strangers! I'm Sandy River, a bit ironic to be here. Who are you? You don't smell like any Tribe cat I've heard of, let alone a Newcomer."

Sparrowfeather bounded off of the rock and stared at the cat for a moment. "Why are you... see-through?"

Sandy River looked down at his paws. "Well. Uh... I don't know why I can see the rocks through my paws, but I got... stuck... down here. The river flooded, as well as the tunnels. Our Newcomer groups sent us here to prove us worthy of becoming Soldiers, and the Tunneler said to not come down here when it rained..." he dropped his head and shuffled his paws.

Owlfeather padded up to him, and, surprisingly, set his tail on the tom's shoulder. "It's okay. How long have you been here?"

Sandy River lifted his eyes and they were wide and shocked. "Do you not know? Hasn't it only been... no... they're gone, aren't they?"

"Well, who? Your... Newcomers? No, the leaders say we're descendants of them." Owlfeather settled down in front of the tom, his eyes filling with sadness.

"Wait! So... you are them? Oh, Spirits, how long have I been down here?" Sandy River stood up and padded across to the log and jumped onto it. Lapping up a bit of water, he settled on the other side.

Sparrowflight decided to speak up. "We're Clan cats, and are Sprits your version of... StarClan?"

When he meowed the word StarClan, millions of starry cats had gathered around the cave. Some in the tunnels, some in the cave. On top of the rock, sat a regal-looking, dark pelted tom. "Hello, Clan cats."

Sandy River's eyes lit up. "Storm Shade! I thought I'd never see you again!"

The dark tom rested his gaze on Sandy River. "I'm sorry you couldn't join us in the Spirit's realm."

A grey tabby she-cat shot out from the ranks and towards Sandy River. "My kit!" she pressed her muzzle into his fur.

"Hello, Dove's Claw," he rested his muzzle on the top of her head. (I'm sorry these names are terrible xD)

A scrawny, thin-furred tom holding a small shard of a glowing white... thing... padded out and towards him. "Of all the cats I have seen pass these tunnels, you were the most determined. I can see getting lost here has lowered your determination." placing the glowing shard in front of Sandy River, he turned to the Spirits. "I understand that this cat will never join your ranks. I just ask that you let me visit him."

Storm Shade stared at the thin tom and nodded. "The Spirits approve of you, Tunneler. Sandy River," -he dipped his head- "It was nice seeing you."

The Spirits all dipped their heads at once, disappearing as suddenly as they arrived. Sandy River crashed to the ground, sobbing. The Tunneler vanished last, setting his tail on Sandy River's shoulder as he left.

Sparrowflight looked over at Owlfeather, shocked. "Did you see that too?"

Owlfeather nodded. Sandy River padded over to the rock and jumped onto it, searching for the last of Storm Shade's scent. Owlfeather sat down in front of the rock, search for any more starry cats lost in these tunnels.

Sparrowflight turned his yellow eyes to the river, padding over and sitting by it. "The elders in our Clans used to tell us about giant cats that ruled over the forests. Lions and tigers, they called them."

Sandy River looked up at the word lion. "What? Our story-tellers always told us about those."

Sparrowflight lifted his head to the claw marks in the roof. "Do you think those were made by lions or tigers?"

"I don't know, maybe. They look big enough to." the starry tom shook his head. "You guys need to leave. Here, I'll show you the way I got in."

He padded over to a tunnel, and pointed his tail into it. "Head that way and don't use any of the side tunnels. The reason I won't leave that way is because Soldiers always have to come out on the other side. I'll see you again, I hope."

Owlfeather and Sparrowflight nodded, heading out the tunnel.

(Woo! New Chapter! Meet the "Newcomer" cats and the Spirits! I had too much fun trying to make a cave xD. This was 955 words long, so I big change from my past ones. Enjooooy)