Dawnstar's Message

Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

THUNDERCLAW'S POV

Before he walked back into his territory, Thunderclaw purred. What nice cats, he thought. Even if they slept in caves.... eugh. He would rather sleep under the stars, in a big pile with his Clan. As he waded uncomfortably through the shallow creek back to FieldClan, he thought of this prophecy as almost a conspiracy. The leader, medicine cat, and a warrior of EarthClan were all informed about it, and the rest of the Clan was completely uninvolved. He was just one warrior, unimportant. But the two highest standing cats in a Clan were keeping a secret from the others... It was almost scary.

The FieldClan camp was a big dip on the vast, breezy moore, probably a dried-up pond bed. The low hills surrounding the camp were dotted with rocks and pebbles, and willow trees grew around the clearing. Fallen trees, abandoned holes, and boulders served as dens for all cats.

Thunderclaw walked into camp with a shrew and a rabbit in his mouth. His leader Icestar was eating under the willow tree that served as her den, along with her deputy Jaggedheart. The warriors all around him were walking around the sunlit camp, doing stuff that he didn't really care to notice. His brother Archeye came padding up with a mouse.

"Hey, Thunderclaw," he said smoothly. "Share?"

"Not now. Going to the medicine den to check on Beeflight." Thunderclaw shook his head and stalked off to a corner of the camp.

The FieldClan medicine den was an old fox den. A hollow below a ledge that bordered the camp was what it was, really. Thunderclaw observed that there were three sick cats in the den now:  Beeflight, Duskfur, and Shocktail. They were all coughing, and all of their pelts were dull with illness.

Haileyes looked up from giving herbs to one of the warriors. He looked exhausted, and his bright white coat was now almost as dull as the sick cats.  "Thunderclaw! What a surprise!" The medicine cat turned to a small tri-colored kit beside him. "Rainbowpaw, please give this burdock to him." Haileyes trotted over to Thunderclaw.

"Haileyes, how is Beeflight?" Thunderclaw looked around to the golden warrior and he didn't look good:  Rainbowpaw was shoving some leaves in his face and Beeflight tried to smack it away.

"Well," Haileyes began, "Beeflight is denying the herbs, as you can see. I don't know what we can do, except try to force them down his throat. But obviously we won't do that."

"Can I talk to him?"

"Sure, but don't be too long. This den seems to be getting smaller every day." He walked off to treat some other patient of his.

Thunderclaw approached Beeflight and Rainbowpaw, still bickering about eating the burdock. Beeflight reared his golden head until he could see Thunderclaw. "Hi, Thunderclaw," he wheezed.

"You're really sick, eh?"

Beeflight replied with a cough.

"Can't you just eat the stupid roots, for StarClan's sake? You might get better if you do!"

He snorted. "Not likely!"

"StarClan would spare your life if you just behaved like a warrior, not a kit!" Thunderclaw felt a speech coming on. "Take it like a battle, and win it! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Beeflight mrrowed in amusement. "Way to go with the mouse-brained speech, Thunderclaw." He coughed violently.

"Fine. Don't eat it. Never eat it." Thunderclaw turned his back proudly.

Beeflight bristled. "You can't tell me what to do!"

"Apparently, I can! See, you're not eating it!"

"Because I don't want to!"

Thunderclaw purred. "Or is it because I told you not to?" He put his most confident face on.

Beeflight growled. "Then I will eat it, just to show YOU who's boss!" Beeflight ripped off a chunk of burdock root and snapped it up in his jaws. After he'd swallowed almost the whole root was when his face went numb, realizing what he'd just done.

Thunderclaw purred and looked around the den.  Every sick and healthy cat was watching them with amusement, all except Rainbowpaw, who was staring at him in awe.

"How did you get him to do that?!" The little she-cat was obviously impressed.

"You tell them to do something they want to do, and automatically they do the opposite," Thunderclaw replied coolly.

Beeflight grumbled as Thunderclaw walked away. Haileyes stopped him before he could go. "We need to talk about the prophecy. Let's go." The medicine cat led Thunderclaw into the forest quickly and quietly.

As they got farther and farther away from camp, Thunderclaw began to think. What could the prophecy mean? According to a real medicine cat? He was about to find out.

The moor was windy today.  Sunlight barely shone in the overcast sky. The heather and saplings that scattered the hillside whipped in the wind. The two FieldClan cats fluffed up their fur to brace for the cold breeze.

"The prophecy says, "Thunder must sound for the storm to end," right?" Haileyes asked when they'd gotten far enough from the FieldClan camp.

"Right," Thunderclaw replied. "So what to I do?"

Haileyes thought for a while with his blue eyes flashing. "It must have something to do with the Gathering. Have there been any problems lately among the Clans? Besides this prophecy?"

"Nope. Not that I know of, at least, besides the shortage of medicine here. And no Clan can or will help us."

"THAT'S IT!" Haileyes exclaimed. He started pacing, mumbling excitedly and unrecognizably under his breath.

Thunderclaw snorted. "You're having an epiphany!"

The medicine cat emerged from his trance. "Our Clan! You have to save our Clan  by convincing the forest and StarClan that we deserve help from them all!"

"But we don't deserve help!"

"We could perish if you don't help!" His blue eyes pleaded. "PLEASE!!"

Thunderclaw purred. He seems like a kit, he thought. "Well, if I knew what to say, then I'd say it. The gathering isn't for another half-moon."

"The half moon IS tonight, isn't it? Well, we'll just have to consult my medicine cat friends!" His eyes glimmered with happiness. Innocent happiness, like that of a child or an old man.

"No! We're not to reveal this to a cat of every Clan. It isn't their business," Thunderclaw stated.

"You don't know that, mouse-brain. Besides, it isn't MY business, is it? And I might just be a key piece in this prophecy."

"Fine. You can tell them. But I need to know right away what it is that I have to say to the whole forest!"

And with that, the two cats went back along the breezy moor to their camp, with Haileyes preparing his trip to Star Lake.