Waging War: Book 1: Beyond the Mountains {COMPLETE}

Chapter 12

 Owlpaw paced inside the den, trying to figure out what she should say to Sheer Mountain. Would it be weird if I just asked her to go on a walk with me? Owlpaw wondered. What if I say the wrong thing? What should I be asking? Owlpaw waved her tail. Have you had any dreams of a mysterious tortoiseshell she-cat? Great! Me too! Let's talk about it. Owlpaw sighed. "Stalling will get me nowhere." Owlpaw took a deep, shaky breath and poked her head outside of the den, scanning the gray stone for Sheer Mountain's brown pelt.

She spotted the slender she-cat watching over Finch, Wren and Sparrow as they kicked a small stone back and forth, letting out giggles of laughter each time one of the other's missed. Sheer Mountain's eyes were soft as she watched them play. Owlpaw inspected the rest of the den, noticing that most of the Clan cats were gone with the exception of Berryheart and Leopardpaw.

Just get it over with. Owlpaw gave herself a mental push forward into the open cavern, approaching Sheer Mountain. "Excuse me?" Owlpaw sheepishly asked as she approached Sheer Mountain, getting the loner's attention. Sheer Mountain turned away from the kits and rested her golden eyes on Owlpaw.

"What's up, Owlpaw?" She asked kindly, her tail slowly twitching.

Owlpaw swallowed her anxiety. "Would you be willing to help me with something?" She questioned, without really thinking.

Sheer Mountain seemed curious. "Sure, what did you need?"

"I wanted to find some dock to help treat my friends' paws, they're not used to constantly climbing up stone all day long." Owlpaw quickly explained.

"Sure, what does dock look like?" Sheer Mountain inquired.

"It has big leaves and smells tangy, we probably won't find it close to the mountain though, if we could find a more lush area it would be better." Owlpaw explained, picturing the plant in her head as she described it.

"I think I know a good spot," Sheer Mountain rose to her paws. "We should get going, it's a bit of a walk."

"Can we come?" Sparrow jumped up along with his siblings. "Please?" His amber eyes were pleading.

Sheer Mountain shook her head. "Not yet." She brushed her tail across their ear tips. "You're not quite old enough yet." The kits let out a groan, but didn't argue any further. Owlpaw let out a purr. I guess kits are all pretty much the same, Clanborn or not. Sheer Mountain turned her attention back to Owlpaw as the kits ran off to jump on Tumbleweed. "Let's head out."

Owlpaw and Sheer Mountain headed towards the exit of the cave, staring the walk down the stone path. As they walked, Owlpaw spotted another small path that led upwards that she hadn't seen before. "Where does that go?" Owlpaw questioned curiously, stopping in front of the path.

"Oh," Sheer Mountain stopped in her tracks, something shadowed her golden eyes. "I'll show you." Sheer Mountain stepped onto the smaller path and Owlpaw followed. Why did she look so sad? Owlpaw followed Sheer Mountain up the path, it was a bit of a long walk but they finally reached the top. Owlpaw climbed up onto the stone and realized it lead to a large, open cliff. It overlooked the river and Owlpaw could see so much beneath her. "Wow." She breathed out, she felt so close to the sky. I would love to see this place at night? "This place is incredible."

Sheer Mountain sighed. "This was my mother's favorite spot." Sheer Mountain sat down, looking down on the land below.

She mentioned her mother again. Owlpaw blinked. Sheer Mountain seems to have a strange reaction to her. Owlpaw sat down beneath the loner. "What happened to your mother?" She questioned, hoping that she wasn't crossing a line.

Sheer Mountain tilted her head back slightly, gazing up her golden gaze towards the pale blue sky. "She was insane." Owlpaw recoiled slightly at her response.

"What?" How was she insane?

"She would constantly talk about cats who lived in the stars." Owlpaw's eyes widened with surprise. Her mother knew about StarClan. "She said that gave her visions and told her to go to the mountains." Sheer Mountain's claws scraped against the stone. "It was her own insanity that got her killed.

Sheer Mountain rose to her paws, walking to the edge of the cliff. "She was standing right here. It was one of the worst storms I had ever seen. She was staring into the stars and yelling about her destiny, about my destiny. My father desperately tried to get her to come down. Then the stone cracked beneath to her paws and she fell to her death."

Sheer Mountain sat down again, slumping her shoulders. Owlpaw didn't know what to say, somehow her mother had a connection to StarClan and had received messages about Sheer Mountain. She doesn't know that she has a destiny because she didn't believe her mother.

Owlpaw padded over to Sheer Mountain and sat down beside the loner. "I'm sorry that she died." Owlpaw mewed sympathetically.

Sheer Mountain shook her head. "Don't be. It happened when I was only four moons old."

Owlpaw stared into the sky, whisps of clouds slowly floating by. I don't know she'll take this, but I need to tell her. "I don't think your mother was insane."

"What?" Sheer Mountain whipped her head to side, staring at Owlpaw like she had grown wings out of her ears. "How could she not be? There's no cats in the stars."

"Well," Owlpaw shuffled her paws. "The Clans, where I come from, we believe in something called StarClan. When cats die, they go to StarClan where they watch over us and give us guidance."

"You're kidding right?" Now Sheer Mountain was looking at her like she was insane.

Owlpaw shook her head. "Our medicine cats communicate with StarClan every half-moon. When a cat becomes a leader, they are granted nine lives from StarClan, usually by cats they knew who have since passed on."

"Come on," Sheer Mountain scoffed. "Cats having nine lives is an elders tale."

"Not for us." Owlpaw replied. Sheer Mountain stood up suddenly, making Owlpaw jump slightly.

"I can't listen to this." Sheer Mountain turned away, starting to leave. Her body had grown tense and her voice was annoyed. Oh no. "You and every other Clan cat are crazy." She began walking away.

Owlpaw jumped to her paws. I can't let it end like this. "I've seen a StarClan cat myself!" She cried out, making Sheer Mountain stop but the loner didn't turn around. "When I was drowning in the river." Owlpaw began. "I lost consciousness for a moment and I saw a StarClan cat. She told me that I had been there before and it wasn't my time then and it wasn't my time now."

"What does that even mean?" Sheer Mountain questioned, flicking her tail. "And how could you have been in that river before?"

"I didn't know what she meant at the time, but I do now." Owlpaw thought back to her faint memories as a kit. "My littermates and I were born early, because of that we all became sick. The sickness killed my brother and I was in horrible condition. I stopped breathing, I was on my way to StarClan myself when our medicine cat managed to bring me back. I don't really remember it, but I saw a StarClan cat then too."

Sheer Mountain sighed, lowering her head. "I'm sorry that happened to you, but I can't believe in the thing that caused my mother's death."

"But Sheer Mountain, if you're mother believed in StarClan then she's probably up there now! You could see her again."

"I can't see her again!" Sheer Mountain suddenly shouted, breaking the quiet calm of the cliff. Her ears flattened against her head and Owlpaw jumped back in alarm. "My mother is dead! She's not running around in the stars she's dead!" Sheer Mountain stormed away from the cliff and back down the path, leaving Owlpaw alone.

Owlpaw stood in silence, staring at her paws. She dropped her head and sighed. I pushed her too far. Owlpaw thought, guilt clawing deep inside of her. It was my job to talk to her and I screwed it up, badly. Owlpaw feared that Sheer Mountain wouldn't want anything to do with her or the other Clan cats again. What if she makes us leave because of me?

Owlpaw hesitated to leave, not wanting to face Sheer Mountain again. Why did I have to get that dream? All I can do is fail. I've let my travel mates down again.