Warriors: Rising Storm #1: Robin's Call

Chapter 11

Mist covered Shadepaw's vision as she was sent to a dream. A familiar stretch of grass greeted her. A warm breeze streamed through her whiskers and softly ruffled her fur. The weather was much more relaxing here than the brisk snow near the mountains. 

A frightened rabbit raced past Shadepaw, making her jump in surprise. A few moments later a cream tabby she-cat burst into the clearing, but came to a stop. "Mousedung!" She cursed under her breath. Her fiery green eyes met Shadepaw's amber. "You must be Shadepaw," the she-cat meowed, narrowing her eyes as she inspected her. "I'm Foxtuft," the starry she announced. Foxtuft waited for Shadepaw to reply, and when she didn't she sighed. "Let me show you around StarClan's territory."

Shadepaw followed the StarClan warrior into a sparkling forest. "Wait," Shadepaw mewed, stopping. "How am I in StarClan if I'm just dreaming?"

"StarClan invited you tonight," Foxtuft replied. Foxtuft didn't stop, forcing Shadepaw to continue padding through the forest.

"How'd you die?" Shadepaw watched the occasional StarClan cat pass them.

Foxtuft stopped for a heartbeat, then began padding through the forest again. "I was protecting my leader, Hollystar." Shadepaw had heard many stories about Hollystar, one of the first leaders of MountainClan.  Hollystar was known to be a ferocious fighter, and as an apprentice she led a patrol to attack BoulderClan when they were stealing prey. Many say she had a pelt as dark as a starless sky while others say she had almost black fur with darker stripes.

"What were you protecting her from?" Shadepaw asked curiously.

"Rogues," the cream she-cat replied. "StarClan thinks the rogues split apart when MountainClan, my former clan, destroyed them in the battle I died in, but now they are coming back together to get revenge on the clan that crushed them so long ago."

"What about Eclipseheart?" Shadepaw asked uneasily.

Foxtuft snorted with disgust at the name. "That mange-pelt can drown in a river and let the river wash him onto shore where foxes can toss his body in the air and rip him to shreds."

Speechless, Shadepaw continued following Foxtuft through the forest.

"What type of name is Eclipseheart anyway?" Foxtuft growled.

They walked into a clearing full of cats laying in the sun, eating a mouse or two. All their eyes rested on Shadepaw, but something was off. Each and every cat stared at her with sympathy in their eyes.

"Did you tell the poor scrap yet?" A raspy voice asked. Shadepaw saw a spotted grey tabby looking at her with light green eyes.

Foxtuft shook her head. "No, Quickbreeze, she should find out for herself." Shadepaw felt her heart pound in her chest. What are they not telling me?

Quickbreeze shook her head. "Whatever you think, Foxtuft. Don't get mad at me when she's heartbroken." Without another word, Quickbreeze dashed into the woods.

Everything seemed to fade as Shadepaw felt herself being brought back to her nest. "No!" she yowled, reaching a paw out desperately. "What do I need to know?" Darkness engulfed her as she was transported back to her cozy nest in the apprentices' den. Her eyes flicked open. She could make out the sleeping shaped of Lostpaw and Frozenpaw. Shadepaw quietly slid out of the den, careful not to wake the younger apprentices. Snow fell quickly from the sky as Shadepaw raced to Addertail's den. She saw Addertail looking through the herb store. Shadepaw pushed down memories as she padded next to her former mentor. "Addertail, I had a dream!"

Addertail's ear's pricked as she glanced over her shoulder at Shadepaw. Her eyes were wide with surprise. "Shadepaw!" She purred, rushing over to greet her. Her voice got serious as she asked. "What was it?"

Shadepaw looked at her black paws. "I was in StarClan territory, I saw a cat named Foxtuft, she told me about how she died saving Hollystar..." She trailed off. "Well, she saved Hollystar from rogues, and she believes the rogues that attacked us are descendants from the ones long ago getting revenge."

Addertail nodded, her eyes thoughtful. "That makes sense," she said at last.

"They won't stop until they get their revenge!" Shadepaw hissed, digging her claws into the ground as she remembered the tom that had killed her father. "They aren't the only ones that want revenge," she hissed more quietly. But Addertail obviously heard.

"Now, now, no need to get aggressive," she soothed. "Did Foxtuft say anything else?"

Shadepaw sheathed her claws and let her fur lie flat. "Before I got sent to my nest again, Foxtuft said that I should find something out for myself that will break my hea-" She was interrupted by a loud meow.

"Addertail, I have some important ne-" Robinheart stopped as she saw Shadepaw. A grin plastered on her face. Shadepaw felt cold dread drop down in her like a stone. A chill went up her spine as she looked into her mother's frosty green eyes. "I wanted to let you know that I'm expecting kits, I've told Thistlejaw that I'd like to be excused from patrols."

Shadepaw felt the dread deepen, the world seemed to swirl around her. Shock pulsed through her almost knocking her to the hard floor. She was faintly aware of Addertail and Robinheart's presence. No... Why must this happen to me, StarClan? Her heart seemed to tear apart, pain sharper than a claw could deal. 

Shadepaw was vaguely aware of the stare Addertail gave her. "Er... Yeah, make sure to get tons of rest, but you should know what to expect."

Shadepaw just let her tail droop as she padded out of the den, leaving Robinheart and Addertail to stare after her. Thoughts swarmed in her head, begging desperately for an answer. Shadepaw felt numb. It wasn't from the cold, it was from the news she just received. Kits were suppose to be a good omen, but nothing good could come out of Robinheart having another litter. Only more neglecting could come from this, more heart breaking. Softsong's expression was bright as she passed him, but he didn't noticed her mood, she wasn't even sure he saw her.

"Shadepaw!" A voice called behind her.

Shadepaw didn't bother to turn around, but she ran into a sturdy pile of fur.

"Shadepaw," the voice said more softly. Shadepaw looked up and saw the muscular shape of Dustpaw. "What's wrong?"

She met his soft gaze. "Robinheart..." she whispered, loud enough for the tabby apprentice to hear. "Robinheart's expecting Softsong's kits."