I am so so sorry about this taking this long to get out to you guys— 😭😭 //
Also- this kinda goes back and adds some more description things when Stormpaw arrives to the hollow or whatever- so sorry if that's annoying— ANYWAYS PLEASE ENJOY THIS!! :D //
The cat chuckled again. "I will take that as a yes." He rolled over and rubbed his back on the ground for a bit before standing and shaking himself. "Follow me, I think you'll find us the answer to your issue."
As the two walked, Stormpaw got a better look at the tom. He was a silver-grey tabby, not too much taller than Stormpaw himself. His tail was thin and kinked like it had been broken in the past and healed badly.
They arrived at a small hollow in the forest, Stormpaw could see several cats scattered around, all making his fur stand on end. Some cats were slinking in nervously from the other side of the clearing, these cats were different. Stormpaw could tell they were alive. Some of the earliest arrivers walked up to a cat already in the clearing and the pair or small group would leave in another direction.
"Hey, Rat!" The grey tom called. A gruff, messy cat on the other side of the hollow looked up. "I got that one! The- uh- StarClan one!" He bounced down into the clearing to run to the bedraggled tom, leaving Stormpaw alone at the edge of the clearing.
—
`
Stormpaw followed the mysterious tom down the dark, rough path. The path that Stormpaw walked beside his guide was lined with thick leafed bushes that had thorns the size of badger claws, and the skinny pine trees that towered overhead. The branches from all the surrounding trees were naked and bare, leafless as they tangled together and above. Not letting a single speck of light or the sight of stars through the thick canopy of trees.
The WindClan tabby looked around anxiously, his ears pinned back slightly. With every nervous step he took, Stormpaw felt as if there were cats watching him with hungry eyes from every angle, surveying his every move. It made him feel vulnerable and like prey in the eyes of these invisible warriors. The anxiety made the fur on the back of his neck bristle.
The silver-grey tabby, his guide, seemed relaxed and not on edge like a frightened rabbit.
'well… this is his home, of course, he's comfortable here…'
After a few more pawsteps, and after Stormpaw freed his paw from a tangled vine, he and his mysterious guide arrived at a rather busy clearing.
These cats he saw in front of him looked so similar to the StarClan cats he would see everywhere but… something in the back of his mind told him that these dead warriors weren't the same as the starry cats he would see daily. Something also told him that some of these cats that walked in small groups were also alive.
Stormpaw watched with curious eyes as a pair of tabbies walked beside each other. One looked alive while the other was battle-scarred and translucent, with glowing bright blue eyes.
The two tabbies seemed to be in a deep, heated discussion as they padded past a huge, deformed tree and down a shadowy path. The tree they passed looked like it was twisting in on itself and the branches that were free reached out and the smaller branches on the ends looked like skinny claws.
Stormpaw couldn't help but let out a nervous gulp, wherever he was, it was sending him mixed and scary signals.
'what's there to even be nervous about?' he thought, twitching his tabby-striped tail. 'i'm dreaming, aren't I? If I want, I could just wake up. Or dream of a vicious badger that'll protect me from these cats.' he smirked , chucking slightly at his thought.
Stormpaw studied his surroundings, in a far corner there was a grey, rotting log on its side, a cluster of bright red and glowing mushrooms scaled the side of it. Near the end of the log there was a noticeably large gash. It looks like a good place to hide… if you were the size of a kit that is.
The WindClan tabby went to go look at something else, but movement near the log made him turn his head back. Narrowing his dark blue eyes, Stormpaw looked closely and almost jumped out of his fur when a small head popped out of the gash in the side of the log. For a moment, Stormpaw thought he was looking at a squirrel as whatever he was looking at has rather round ears, but after a second, his eyes widened in shock as he realized what he was actually looking at.
'A kit!'
Stormpaw's jaw flew opened a gap as he watched the moving object, the kit, scramble out of the log and land clumsily on its small paws. It shook out its short fur, free of dust and spider webs, and blinked its wide pale blue eyes before a much larger shape appeared behind the small kit.
The new cat was large, having a thick, white mane of fur around their neck and a muscular build with large paws and narrowed amber eyes. Though, they were translucent as well…
Only one question filled his mind: 'is… is that a lion?'
In a swift movement, the large cat grabbed the kit by its scruff and turned, disappearing behind some bushes down another shadowy path.
Stormpaw turned towards his guide, ready to ask many questions but his mysterious guide wasn't beside him anymore. Stormpaw looked around frantically, where in the name of StarClan was he? Was he just abandoned at the edge of the hollow? He didn't even know anyone here!
After a few slightly panicked seconds of looking around, Stormpaw finally noticed the silver-grey tabby, his guide, bounding over towards a scrawny grey-brown tom who was laying down in the shadows seemingly sleeping… he also looked dirty and not well groomed.
What confused him, even more, was the fact that he was called the "StarClan one."
'I have a name you know.' Stormpaw thought bitterly as he glared at his guide.
—
`
Ratclaw gnawed on thick animal bone, what animal was it from? He couldn't tell nor did he care. It could be from another cat and he couldn't care. Ratclaw lashed his tail, which was thin and balding, Ratclaw quickly lashed it away and behind him. He didn't need to be judged about it like he already was. 'those stupid, minnow-hearted twins.' he growled and he continued to gnaw on the bone. After a few moments of chewing, Ratclaw spat it out and batted it away, watching it roll as he shook his head and licked his teeth.
The dirty grey-brown huffed, shifting so that he could be laying down more comfortably on the hard ground, the dead grass underneath him uncomfortable and poked at his stomach but he was much too lazy to find another spot to laze around in, he was to tired to get up anyway.
After closing his eyes, smelling cats passing by, and hearing their annoying conversations about training and such, a firmilar voice called out to him. Ratclaw opened one up before looking up, confused, before he realized who it was. He didn't get a chance to speak as the other tom began to bound over, going on about how he got the "StarClan one!"
Ratclaw's eyes widened as he peered over the approaching silver-grey tabby's shoulder to see none other than the same small-looking brown tabby tom he had met with a few moons ago.
The small tabby was just standing around at the edge of the hollow, looking around frantically. Looking all vulnerable and frightened. Ratclaw smirked at the sight, before looking up at his mate.
'oh… This'll be fun.'
this would've been out yesterday but things came up- I'M SORRY ABOUT THIS AGAIN- I didn't mean for it to take a week for me to get a single reply out 😭😭😭 //
