Whispers and Echoes

Chapter 7

Echopaw and Whisperpaw nodded, exchanging a glance, then they turned to stare at the expanding clouds again.

Sparktail nodded and meowed, "Well, I'd better help tell the elders."

Echopaw watched her mother go, then turned to Whisperpaw. "We should get some fresh-kill, then head to the den."

Whisperpaw nodded.

As they crossed the clearing, a darker shadow engulfed the camp, and Echopaw looked up. The clouds were nearly upon them, and they had blotted out almost the entire sky. Then, out of nowhere, a huge gust of wind ripped through the camp, and Echopaw let out a hiss of surprise.

Whisperpaw dashed to the fresh-kill pile, grabbed two birds, then raced to the apprentices' den, Echopaw on her tail.

The wind lulled for a few heartbeats, and Echopaw glanced around to see Creekfall helping Aspenleaf into the medicine cats' den, while Goldheart followed them. Rustypelt and Sparktail meowed something to Whisperpaw, who nodded and raced off to help Raykit, who was struggling to move in the gusting wind. Sagetail was helping Eveningstar get the elders into the den and then ran to help Whisperpaw get Raykit into the nursery. Meadowheart, Eaglefeather, and Sparrowtail had just finished dividing up the fresh-kill they had caught, and they raced into the warriors' den.

Echopaw turned and saw Whisperpaw calling to her from inside the apprentices' den. Echopaw couldn't hear what she was saying; the wind carried her sister's voice away. But Echopaw guessed Whisperpaw was telling her to hurry up and get inside, so Echopaw ran toward her, fighting the raging wind.

"Some storm!" called Whisperpaw, her voice sounding like a whisper compared to the howling of the wind.

"I know!" yowled Echopaw over the gusts. "And it came out of nowhere! It was nice and warm earlier when we were training!"

"Yeah, it's weird," replied Whisperpaw, turning around to their nests.

Once deeper into the den, it became warmer and wasn't as loud. Echopaw shook off to try and rid her pelt of the cold and dust. She could still hear the howling of the wind above her and the creaking of the trees swaying.

Then suddenly the den lit up and blinded Echopaw. Then it was dark again. Echopaw was about to ask what it was, when her voice was drowned out by a deafening roar that shook the whole forest and echoed off the trees, chilling Echopaw to the bone. She cowered against the side of the den. Then as soon as it had started, the rumbling stopped.

"That m-must have been lightning and thunder," Echopaw stuttered, feeling her bristling fur quiver as she looked at Whisperpaw.

Whisperpaw nodded stiffly, then she pricked up her ears as a pounding filled the air, loud in the lull of the thunder.

Echopaw peered through the growing darkness outside and saw streaks fly past. "Rain?" Echopaw asked, squinting.

"No... it's too loud to be rain," Whisperpaw murmured.

Echopaw padded cautiously to the entrance of the den. Something bounced inside, landing by her paws. Echopaw sniffed. Ice? Ice falling from the sky? "This must be the hail Sparktail mentioned. It's falling ice!" Echopaw exclaimed.

The hail looked about as big as a ladybug, and sounded peaceful. Echopaw turned back toward Whisperpaw and saw that she was looking up at the roof of the den, because every now and then, a tiny piece of hail would fall right through the top of the bush.

Then the sound started getting louder. Echopaw turned back to the entrance of the den and peered outside. The hail was getting bigger, and bigger. It was now almost as big as a snail shell. There were so much falling from the sky and it became nearly deafening. Echopaw prayed to StarClan that, with hail this big, the dens wouldn't collapse and that every cat would be safe.

There was another flash of lightning outside. Echopaw was prepared this time when the thunder crackled and boomed overhead, but it was still just as loud and bone-chilling as the first. Only a second later, another flash of lightning lit up the sky, a jagged line that seemed to be right in front of her. It split the sky and was so bright that Echopaw had to close her eyes. Then the clap of thunder ripped open the silence and overpowered the pounding of the rain and hail, so loud that Echopaw thought the whole world was about to explode and burn up from this one bolt of lightning. Then, as soon as it had started, the thunder had stopped.

All Echopaw could hear was the steady pounding of the rain and hail, and the howling of the wind in the trees.

Whisperpaw pressed up against her, gazing at the storm with wonder and fear.

No more lightning and thunder hit the forest, and the hail began to let up. The worst of the storm must have passed.

"Let's get to bed," Whisperpaw yawned.

Echopaw followed her sister to their nests and curled up beside her sister, closing her eyes.

Echopaw lay awake for a while, thinking about the storm and the danger it had possessed. Echopaw's heart skipped a beat as she thought of danger. The prophecy had spoken of some danger; could the darkness it would bring be worse than a thunderstorm?