The Dream.... Part Three

Stonestreak grinned. His mission was complete. Crowstar had sent the streaked tom to scan this....'RippleClan's' territory to see how MountainClan was to adjust. It was mostly water! Almost like MarshClan, except the cats of the mountains had up to their chest in goop. Now, he had learned from a young Shiverkit the ways of this clan.

Stonestreak bounded up a hill, looking back at the valley where this clan lived. Jagged cliffs glowed silver in the moonlight, the streams and brooks shone and glittered, while the tree tops ruffled. It was....beautiful mostly. Stonestreak smiled, then shook his head. No. I can't show any weakness. he remembered.

A flicker of sadness washed through him as the gray tom realized that pretty soon, the valley would be stained with beautiful crimson, running the water red.

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Reedpaw let out a hiss as Blackpaw sat on her tail. "Ouch, Blackpaw! Seesh, can't you watch where you're sitting!" Reedpaw yanked her tail away from Blackpaw, lashing it back and forth.

Blackpaw rolled his eyes at Reedpaw before bounding to Willowpaw, talking to the she-cat while shooting glares at Reedpaw. Oh oh, because you're the innocent one! she thought bitterly, getting up and padding to Cinderpool's den.

The gray she-cat was talking to Embersky, both who seemed to be frightened out of their minds. Reedpaw bit her lip at the thought of going up and breaking up their conversation. Cinderpool might be angry, but she knew Embersky wouldn't.

Sighing, she padded up to the two she-cats. "Erm....anything...wrong?" she asked.

Cinderpool whipped her head around, but forced her fur to lie flat when she saw it was only Reedpaw. "Uh, no. Nothing. Embersky was just.....speaking about the shortage of prey," she mewed quickly, looking back to Reedpaw.

Reedpaw narrowed her eyes as Embersky bounded away, hurrying off. Sure you were.... "I wanted to....never mind. I just remembered that....I was hungry," she growled, whipping around.

Reedpaw knew something was up. And she was going to find out exactly what.

Even if it meant demanding it from Embersky and Cinderpool.

Okay, what Cinderpool and Embersky where talking about was Embersky's dream.

The Dream.... Part One

Applestar's breaths became a rhythm as she lay in her nest, deep in sleep. The water that trickled outside of her den became a nice, cool rushing noise. Applestar's eyes twitched in sleep, her dreams haunting her.

Applestar ran out into the forest, blood soaking the forest floor. Applestar skidded to a halt as taunting voices sounded from the other side of a gorse bush. 

"Great job, Oakfall. That tiny she-cat thought she was a match for a MountainClan warrior, didn't she?" A sly female voice hissed. 

"She did, right? The stupid forest cat doesn't know the first thing about fighting! Her muscles could've used some work." The tom known as Oakfall growled. Applestar gaped in horror. Who were they talking about? What is MountainClan?

"Oakfall! Poppyclaw! We got one more." Yet another voice hissed, farther from the two cats behind the bush. Applestar followed their hefty pawsteps toward a rushing river. Wait...she knew that noise....it was the river in RippleClan territory! These cats are in her territory!

"N-No, please! I-I want to join MountainClan, I promise!" A terrified voice piped up. Applestar knew that voice, it was Flameclaw, her deputy! What are they doing to him? she thought. 

Applestar peered through the bush to see a muscular dark brown tabby tom, a dark tortoiseshell, and a gray streaked tom. Flameclaw had one eye shut, and a deep claw mark on his shoulder. 

"Oh? Is that so?" The dark tortoiseshell hissed into his ear. She must be Poppyclaw. Applestar thought. Flameclaw nodded. Poppyclaw put out a front paw, and unsheathed a claw, slicing Flameclaw's throat like berryskins. "Too bad.." she snarled. 

The gray streaked tom grinned. "Nice move, Poppyclaw. I'm sure Crowstar will be pleased with your performance. He had his doubts, after all, you were taken in from SmokeClan, and he didn't know weather to trust you or not," he mewed. 

Poppyclaw smiled, flicking Oakfall over the ear with her tail. "Thank you, Stonestreak." She dipped her head to the gray tom. 

Applestar backed up, horrified. Bodies, all around her! Her slain clanmates! 

"No!" Applestar jolted from her dream, and stared around her den. She quickly bounded outside, looking around to see if everyone was there. Luckily, it was a normal day for RippleClan. But...It looked so....real... She thought. 

Bounding to Cinderpool's den, she looked inside to see the medicine cat sorting some herbs. "C-Cinderpool! I-I need to go to the Moonwater." she meowed, her paws churning the dead twigs. The medicine scanned Applestar up and down. 

"Applestar....? Are you sure?" she asked. Applestar nodded. "Well, tomorrow, you will. You'll need an escort." Cinderpool meowed.

Applestar dipped her head. "Thank you." she meowed. Applestar's heart pounded in her chest. Is MountainClan...real?