Three Parts of Whole }{ UF-Adventure, Action, ...

[harmonypaw]

Title: Three Parts of Whole
Chapters: I've no idea; but it will definitly be over ten!
Author: harmonypaw (me!)
Pairing: They're will be, but they won't be revealed till later!
Rating: PG It's nothing extremely gory; its just your average warrior battle type
Spoilers: Nope! ^^
Summary: The Four Clans have lived by the lakeshore peacefully for the past few generations. Now, a new apprentice comes to rise, and she has a generation of secrets all her own. Her mother being Half-blooded, RiverClan and WindClan, and her father a pureblooded ThunderClan warrior, Harmonypaw’s bloodline is divided more than any other cat who walked the path of the Clan cats. Now living in ThunderClan, where she has been living for as long as she can remember, Harmonypaw has no idea of her past—or her future. But now as her apprenticeship begins, she starts to have strange daydreams that take her to places and scenes she’s never seen before. She has a feeling that they are trying to tell her something important, but she has no idea what they could possibly mean. What she soon discovers is the keys of her past that will help her to discover the rising evil she has to face in her bright future. Follow Harmonypaw in the adventure of her life as she faces dangers, unexpected turns, discoveries, new friends…and new enemies.
Warning: Annoying pests and dreams await!
Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors! (Oh, but how I wish I did!)
Beta: I edit my own work
Cover: Hmm, I'll see about that

Author's Notes: TPoW is my first story here on the archives! I'm excited, for I'm still in the process of writing TPoW at the moment. I'll work as hard as I can to make this a worthwhile story: but since Algebra a year early can take its toll on you, I might not be posting chapters every week, but I pray that I can do so! Please enjoy Harmonypaw's story, and comments are extremely welcome!

Chapter #1

A forest devoured by pitch darkness, a lifeless sky, and cold, frosted grass spattered with blood. Shrieks and caterwauls stretch through this never-ending land, and the rapid footfalls of fleeing cats alert the lurking beast. Its breath clouds the air before its eyes, and without warning, it lunges forth, sending the still trees racing by and the ground rattling underneath its heavy, powerful paws. An ear-piercing screech and the scent of warm blood wafts through the air-- a powerful salty tang of fear and death. Yet another, yet another…

“Harmonypaw? Harmonypaw! Wake up!” At once the dark shadows of the mysterious forest pour away into the milky morning light that pours into the den. Harmonypaw scrambled to her paws, her mouth dry, and her entire body shaking in fright. She stared wildly into the eyes of her denmate, Secretpaw, a silver dappled she-cat, who gives her a sympathetic smile. “A bad dream, I’m guessing?”

Harmonypaw took a shuddering swallow, and nodded, “Too much excitement from last night’s training, maybe?”

“Well, you’d better get yourself washed and prepared for today’s training. Simplicityheart said last night she would be taking you squirrel hunting, right?” Secretpaw inquired, nosing Harmonypaw’s shoulder as she brushed away a loose piece of moss.

“Y-yes. What will you be doing today?” Harmonypaw awkwardly changed the subject, no longer wanting to think about her disturbing nightmare, and focusing on giving herself a good morning wash. Everyone has yucky dreams, anyway, she told herself.

“Battle training. Ragingstorm says I have a mean fighting technique. She wants to show me new defense moves today.” Secretpaw’s eyes gleamed in anticipation, “Soon I’ll be fighting with the warriors, she told me!”

Harmonypaw beamed at her friend, “Oh, I’m so envious! You’ve been an apprentice for moons! Graystar won’t be waiting any longer to make you a warrior.”

“Mm, I still got a ways to go. Besides, until Radiantpaw shuts her yapping muzzle, I won’t be able to concentrate on anything,” Secretpaw flicked her tail irritably, “All through the hunting patrol yesterday she wouldn’t stop blabbing about tonight’s Gathering. She made me lose a vole.” Radiantpaw was one of the oldest apprentices, but even so, she sometimes could act like she knew nothing more than a kit. Which is almost as much as I can say about myself, Harmonypaw reminded herself that she had only been an apprentice for half a moon.

“Oh, well, I’ll see if I can catch a good squirrel to make up for it,” Harmonypaw smiled at her friend, finishing up her grooming, and heaving herself to her paws, “I’d better go find Simplicityheart and get going,” She gently touched noses with her friend, “And thanks for waking me up this morning,” she added, “I don’t know what I would do without you.” Ever since Harmonypaw became an apprentice, Secretpaw had been her closet friend, and almost a second mentor. She helped her understand all the techniques a bit better, and showed her around everything new. To Harmonypaw, Secretpaw was like her guardian.

The tall, stonewalls of the ThunderClan camp threw long shadows from the early morning light as Harmonypaw slipped out from the den. Through the shadows, Harmonypaw could make out movement of cats. She spotted Frostlilly, the deputy, organizing today’s patrols, “Hiddenpath will lead sunhigh; take Everlastingscar and his apprentice with you,” she heard her say.

“Good morning, Harmonypaw!” Simplicityheart suddenly appeared at her side, her calico fur shining in the pale light, “Awake this early? Are you up for a good run?”

“Yes, of course!” Harmonypaw nodded respectfully to her mentor, jolted out of her wandering thoughts, “Will we be going now? I’m not that hungry,” she added.

“Same here,” Simplicityheart smiled, “Then, yes, we will be going. Follow me.” She turned towards the thorn-covered entrance, and Harmonypaw trotted at her heels. Coming out of the entrance, Harmonypaw noticed the forest was cool, and the grass was wet with dew. Watery sunlight washed over the undergrowth, dappled over the soft green leaves of the trees above. New-leaf had finally arrived, and for good.

Suddenly Simplicityheart stopped, and Harmonypaw halted expectantly. “Smell anything?” she murmured. Harmonypaw quickly scented the air, picking out the scents of the forest.

“I smell a mouse. Fairly fresh, but a rabbit scent from over there is much fresher,” she pointed in the direction of the scents as she spoke. “No sign of badgers, foxes or Twolegs,” she added, glancing over at her mentor.

“Very good! Thankfully we’ll be heading over to the Great Oak, away from the Twoleg paths. That’s where we find most of our squirrels.” Simplicityheart meowed, “Those stinkin’ Twolegs can stay as close to RiverClan territory as they like, but I’d prefer if they stayed away from our side of the lake.”

Harmonypaw purred in agreement, but she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of curiosity. Not being an apprentice for long, she hadn’t had the opportunity to meet with these strange creatures called Twolegs. Secretpaw had seen them before, and told her they weren’t much to look at, and they were extremely noisy, but Harmonypaw still wondered about them. Shaking away the thoughts like a clinging cobweb, she quickened her pace to keep up with her mentor. Not much later, the twosome rounded a small clearing, and came upon a wide, rough-barked oak tree, its branches soaring into the cloudless dawn sky.

“It’s quite tall, isn’t it?” Simplicityheart mewed, her eyes glowing in the beaming sunlight as she craned her neck to peer up at the tree, “It’s a good lot to climb, but once you get the right amount of practice, its height won’t be much of a problem anymore. Now, do you remember yesterday’s lesson on how to stalk up on a squirrel?”

“Light-weight steps, slow movements, always remain downwind…” Harmonypaw listed off all the steps she had learned the evening before, peering up at the tree, “But can I do all of that while trying to balance on those branches?”

Simplicityheart purred in amusement, “You won’t be hunting the squirrels up in the tree, Harmonypaw. We wait until they are on ground.”

Harmonypaw flushed in embarrassment. Mousebrain, you should have known that! “R-right,” she looked down at her paws, her ear twitching self-consciously.

Simplicityheart gave her a soothing lick on the forehead, “Hey, apprenticeship is about learning. Why would I be given to mentor you if you already knew all of this?” Harmonypaw looked up hopefully, feeling better after hearing her mentor’s wise words.

“Now, let me show you how it’s done,” Simplicityheart crouched back down into a thick tangle of undergrowth, and Harmonypaw copied her movement. They had a good view of the tree, and Harmonypaw held her breath as she waited for her mentor to begin.

Shifting weight on her haunches, Harmonypaw held her breath as she watched a flicker of movement coming from the roots of the trees. Simplicityheart twitched her ears, and began to smoothly crawl forward, her paws as silent as falling snow as she crept up to the squirrel, which was too busy digging into the soft, wet earth to notice its stalker. Suddenly, a fresh scent washed over Harmonypaw’s scent glands, and she poked her head above the undergrowth carefully, alarm flashing through her as she spotted a black-and-white figure slipping into the cover of a thorn bush. She sniffed the air again, but the strange scent was dampened with the scents of the forest. Great StarClan, what do I do? Harmonypaw self-consciously felt her claws unsheathing, and looking over helplessly at her mentor, who was now closing in on the squirrel-too far away that if she tried to call to her, she would alarm their visitor. She took in a deep breath, and began to follow the figure, her mind racing as she tried to decipher the scent, with its strange, damp smell.

She was now within striking distance; she could feel her blood roaring with
instinct as she let out a battle cry and sprang onto the cat, knocking it over onto its back, where she immediately slashed down the flesh, feeling triumphant as the cat shrieked in pain and surprise. But she didn’t expect the retaliating kick of its hind-legs, and she was sent sprawling, smacking up into the side of the Oak Tree, and sliding back down to the ground limply, feeling her head spinning. The attacker was on her now, pinning down her neck and her hind-legs as she struggled feebly to get free. “Simplicityheart!” she yowled, bracing herself for the blow.

[harmonypaw]

Chapter 2

Author Note: Chapter 2 already! ^^ I'm in the current process of Chapter 3, so it should be ready by next week, or so. I really hope you like TPoW so far! ;D

Suddenly a flash of multi-colored fur flung itself at the black and white cat, dragging it by the scruff until the weight on Harmonypaw had vanished, but she felt too disoriented to get back to her paws. She expected Simplicityheart to strike a blow, but instead she dropped the cat a few fox-lengths away, spitting irritably, “What in the name of StarClan are you doing here, attacking my apprentice? Doesn’t Purityblood have anything for you to do?”

“Of course, mousebrain! I was hunting for the elders!” Harmonypaw let out an involuntary groan as she recognized the voice. Who else could it be, but Radiantpaw?

“Explain to me why you smell like you jumped into the lake and swam with the fishes,” Simplicityheart meowed dryly.

Harmonypaw watched as Radiantpaw shuffled her paws in embarrassment, her wet fur in spiked clumps from their scuffle, and blood from her wound mixing in with the droplets of water that sprung from her pelt, “Well, I thought that if I could catch a fish…”

“You do realize this is ThunderClan, and that StarClan granted us the forest and the thick undergrowth so we can hunt comfortably, without soaking ourselves in freezing cold water.”

“…What do you care? It’s not like you can boss me around, anyways! You’re not my mentor, and you’re not leader either!” Radiantpaw retorted.

Harmonypaw’s eyes widened with shock and dismay; Radiantpaw must really want a fight if she dared to challenge Simplicityheart like that!

Her mentor’s eyes narrowed coldly, “No? Well, Unfortunately I’m also not the medicine cat. So either you come with us back to camp, or you’ll be spending the next moon curing the ticks of the elders,”

Radiantpaw’s eyes blazed with anger, “I’m sorry, okay? It won’t happen again! Why are you dragging me into this?”

Simplicityheart growled in annoyance, and stalked over to Harmonypaw, where she carefully helped the apprentice to her unsteadied paws, “Because you’re an apprentice as well, and your Clan is depending on you to stay healthy and strong. But if you waste your time catching colds and give your denmates concussions, you’ll have to answer to Whitedove and Graystar. Now, come.”

Leaning on her mentor’s shoulder, Harmonypaw began to limp back to the camp. Glancing back at Radiantpaw, she caught her gaze, and watched as Radiantpaw shoot her a look of pure hatred, before sullenly following them, her entire body tense with unsuppressed anger. She limped slightly, and Harmonypaw felt a twinge of guilt, realizing it was probably from her slashing claws.

It was a slow trip back to the camp, broken only by the chattering of jackdaws and blackbirds above, and Harmonypaw was reminded heavily of the squirrels they would be missing. Finally they reached the tunnel entrance to the camp. Simplicityheart immediately whisked Harmonypaw towards Whitedove’s den, beckoning Radiantpaw, who had fallen back quite a ways on the way home, with an impatient flick of her tail.

“Whitedove?” Harmonypaw called out softly as she waited for her mentor and Radiantpaw to catch up. She felt sore all over from their fight, and her head was a throbbing reminder of her hit. She just wanted to curl up and rest for the afternoon.

A small white head poked out of the den entrance. Harmonypaw recognized Whitedove by her shining blue eyes, and smiled softly, “So sorry to disturb you, but-“ she winced as a flash of pain spread across her head.

“We had an accident, Whitedove,” Simplicityheart stepped up besides Harmonypaw with Radiantpaw sulking by her other flank, “Harmonypaw and Radiantpaw accidentally got into a fight, and Harmonypaw hit her head a bit too hard against the Great Oak.”

Whitedove’s eyes widened with concern, and began to turn into her den when she paused with a befuddled sniff, “What is that I smell?”

“Lake water,” Simplicityheart began, her eyes narrowing, “Radiantpaw here thought she could take a morning swim to catch some fish for the elders. It disguised her scent, and caused the fight.”

“Then she’ll need a good wash, a warm nest, and a swab of cobweb, and quickly, before she catches a cold that’ll spread throughout the camp.” Whitedove observed mildly, disappearing into her den to prepare for her two guests.

“Don’t accuse me like it’s my fault!” Radiantpaw hissed at Simplicityheart, once Whitedove had vanished, “It’s Harmonypaw who should know her own Clan scent better, for StarClan’s sake!”

To Harmonypaw’s surprise, she flinched, as if the words had sunk their teeth into her shoulder.

Simplicityheart took a threatening step towards the elder apprentice, “It’s not her problem if you chose to swim the scent off! Now go into Whitedove’s den to warm up. Or else it’ll be your own fault when you don’t become a proper warrior!”

Radiantpaw’s claws flashed out in an instant, “Don’t you ever threaten my warriorship again! I’ll rip out your fur, and then we’ll see who’ll catch a cold!”

“That’s enough!” Whitedove yowled angrily, slapping her tail across Radiantpaw’s mouth, who paused to choke on the mouthful of fur. She must have heard the commotion from inside, Harmonypaw thought. “Radiantpaw, come instead the den and get warmed up, now! I’m sure that Purityblood won’t want to hear that his apprentice is too ill to come to tonight’s Gathering!”

Radiantpaw was about to open her mouth to protest, but clearly thought better of it. Instead she stalked inside the rocky cove, her tail flicking back and forth, and her white underbelly now a soft shade of scarlet.

Whitedove followed, and Simplicityheart urged Harmonypaw into the den after her. It was dark under the rocks, and Harmonypaw could hear the soft trickle of water from where the rainwater poured down the side of the cave.

“Over here,” Whitedove stepped aside to reveal a clean mossy patch of bedding, across from where Radiantpaw was now lying in her own nest, her eyes tightly squeezed as to deny their presences all together. Harmonypaw flopped down with a sigh of relief, and began to groom her ruffled fur with gentle licks, though she gave up after awhile, for her head was clouded with a dull, aching pain.

“Eat these,” Whitedove murmured, pushing over a bundle of herbs. “Poppyseeds,” she explained with a glance over at Simplicityheart, “They’ll dull the pain in your head, and give you some rest. We’ll have to wait and see how you’re doing this evening.” Turning back over to Radiantpaw she placed down another package of herbs. “Feverfew and lavender. You seem fine, but I won’t take the risk of a cold. Leaf-bare has hardly ended, and I don’t want to deal with more sickness already. And I also have some cobweb for your wound. It’s not deep; you’ll live to fight another battle.”

Radiantpaw gave the herbs a disdainful sniff, and slowly began to chew at them, while Whitedove patched Radiantpaw’s stomach with some cobweb damp with marigold. Moments later, a shadow appeared from the entrance, and Purityblood came rushing in, taking one look at Radiantpaw and shooting a glare at Simplicityheart, “What is the meaning of all of this?”

Harmonypaw stifled a yawn, and gently placed her chin between her paws. Her eyes instinctively closed, but she forced herself to listen to the conversation and not fall asleep quite yet.

“Radiantpaw tried to catch some fish, and must have fell in to the lake,” Whitedove explained, “And she came along and bumped into Harmonypaw.”

“I didn’t fall in!” Radiantpaw protested, “I jumped in purposely. I’m not some clumsy idiot, if that’s what you think!”

“You’re very close if you think you’ll be getting away with your attitude!” Simplicityheart snapped.

“Lighten up, Simplicityheart,” Purityblood mewed soothingly, though his words seemed full of the venom he was holding in, “Apprentices, will be apprentices. Take for example, Harmonypaw. You don’t see apprentices running into trees everyday, do you?”

Harmonypaw was too exhausted to protest, though she felt anger pricking at her paws. I didn’t run into the tree! What does he think I am, a mutt?

Simplicityheart bit her tongue, holding back a sharper retort. “That’s very odd; it appeared to me that Harmonypaw was shoved into the Great Oak, whereas I was hunting.”

Harmonypaw strained to listen to Purityblood’s reply, but his voice seemed distant and soft, and when Harmonypaw tried to open her eyes, she fell into a blanket of darkness.


The sun was high in the air, piercing down on scorched grass and the dry sandy path of land where Harmonypaw sat. The sun was warm on her fur, and her head was clear again. In the back of her mind, Harmonypaw knew she was dreaming, but she didn’t mind: it was much better than her recent nightmare. Scenting the air, she picked up fresh scents of ThunderClan and WindClan, and realized that she was near the stream that marked the ThunderClan-WindClan border. Deciding to head upstream, Harmonypaw bounded along the river, watching it dance by, glittering under the glare of the sun. The scents of ThunderClan and WindClan grew surprisingly fresher, and Harmonypaw then picked out individual cats: a ThunderClan cat and a WindClan cat. Curiously, she didn’t recognize either of the scents; not even the one from ThunderClan. Racing up the bank, she skidded to a halt abruptly, spotting two cats sitting across from each other over the flowing river. Harmonypaw hesitantly stepped forward, seeing that they were in a middle of a discussion—the brown and black she-cat on the WindClan border had her claws unsheathed, and her fur bristling, while the golden-brown tom on the ThunderClan side seemed to stand his ground stubbornly. Harmonypaw decided to avoid them, and swerved towards the forest, wondering what it was all about. Shrugging, she decided to hunt before returning to camp, and strangely, she found herself at the Great Oak.

“How did I get here?” Harmonypaw asked out loud, glancing around. Spotting a squirrel nibbling at the base of the Great Oak, Harmonypaw decided to ignore the strange turn of events and hunt. But as she was creeping towards the little gray creature, a new scent came to her glands. She turned her head, but nothing was there. Checking to make sure she had scented right, she stood upright, and meowed out, “Secretpaw?”

“Yes?”

Harmonypaw found herself blinking awake, the deep red light of the setting sun pouring into the den, and washing itself over the sandy floor. Curled up besides her was Secretpaw, who was staring curiously at her friend, “What are you doing here?”

Secretpaw smiled sympathetically, “I just got back from battle training. When I came looking for you, Simplicityheart saw me and told me what happened. I came here to see how you were doing, and you were sleeping so peacefully, so I didn’t want to disturb you. Graystar was just in here too, talking to Purityblood.”

Harmonypaw was instantly alert, “Really? What did he say?”

“He was discussing the accident with Purityblood. Though Radiantpaw kept butting her muzzle in.” Secretpaw let out a snort of contempt. “Graystar was upset that Radiantpaw swam in the lake, and decided on a fitting punishment for her. Purityblood wasn’t pleased the bit. He’ll have no apprentice for the Gathering this evening.”

Harmonypaw realized she shouldn’t be relieved, “That means I’ll be stuck at camp with her tonight,” she sighed, knowing that her chances of being chosen for the Gathering had completely dissolved, thanks to her head.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I declined going tonight, too. It’s not fun sitting in the medicine cat den alone at night. Maybe, if Whitedove agrees to it, we can take a little walk to stretch our your paws.”

“That’d be nice,” Harmonypaw stretched luxuriously, noticing that her headache had diminished to just a mere bruise near her forehead. Then she noticed the empty nest. “Where did Radiantpaw run off to?”

“Once her wound stopped bleeding, Whitedove let her return to her nest, on strict orders not to leave the camp.”

“I’m not sure Radiantpaw would listen to that,” Harmonypaw murmured, getting up onto her paws. “But let’s go see if we can take that walk you were talking about.”

[harmonypaw]

Chapter 3

Harmonypaw and Secretpaw took the familiar path that led to ThunderClan’s popular hunting area, where, when Green-leaf reached its peak, fresh-kill was plenty. But now, in the midst of New-leaf, the air was still, and Harmonypaw could only pick out faint scents of prey.

The moon was beginning to set from its post at the center of the sky, and casted long shadows through the forest growth, and Harmonypaw realized that the Gathering would be about ending. The longer she thought about, the more she felt something peculiar.

“Hey, Secretpaw?” she called out softly to her friend, who had slipped ahead as Harmonypaw wandered in her thoughts.

Secretpaw paused, and looked over her shoulder, “Hmm?” A breeze suddenly kicked up, and the trees above their heads groaned as they leaned, and small branches began to gently fall to the ground around the apprentices’ paws.

“Nothing, I guess,” Harmonypaw glanced up at the sky, noticing not for first time the heavy, dark clouds that floated above their heads.

Secretpaw looked up at the threatening clouds with her, “Are you wondering about the Gathering?”

Harmonypaw was taken aback by Secretpaw’s easy guess, and could only nod uncomfortably

“So am I,” Secretpaw’s voice was almost lost in the whistling of another current of wind. Once it died down, Secretpaw padded back to stand besides her friend, “I’m worried.”

“ThunderClan shouldn’t have any problem getting back, if there is a storm.” Harmonypaw meowed encouragingly, only just remembering that Secretpaw’s mentor, Ragingstorm, was one of the warriors who attended the Gathering.

Secretpaw glanced over at Harmonypaw, a sharp look in her eyes. Harmonypaw felt the prickle of her fur as it rose up from her spine. The forest then plunged into darkness, the moon now hidden by the black, heavy clouds.

“Come.” Harmonypaw caught the vanishing flick of her friend’s tail as she disappeared into the shadows, and scrambled to catch up with her sudden movements. Following more by scent that by sight, Harmonypaw stumbled over roots and more fallen branches as the wind picked up and blew at her delicate ear fur. Finally Harmonypaw caught the sight of her friend’s silvery pelt outlined by the pale reflection of the lake. Harmonypaw, out of breath and fearing for the worse, pelted up to her, “Secretpaw! We can’t stay out here any longer, it’s not safe!”

Secretpaw turned to look at her friend, worry flooding into her glowing eyes, “I’m sorry Harmonypaw, if I’m scaring you.”

“W-what do you mean?” Harmonypaw stuttered, and could almost taste her own fear scent rising off of her, “Secretpaw, snap out of it! It’s just an unlucky storm, right?”

Secretpaw rose to her paws, and pointed across the lakeshore as if not hearing Harmonypaw’s question, “Look.”

Harmonypaw stared across the lapping waves of the lake, and saw the looming figure of the island as it jutted out of the lake like a spur of rock. She couldn’t make out any familiar movements of cats, “Do you think they’re still there?”

“I’m not sure,” Secretpaw murmured, lowering her head as a distant rumble of thunder rolled across the sky. After a moment’s paused, she turned to look up at Harmonypaw, “We’d better get home before it begins to rain.”

Harmonypaw followed her friend as she picked her way up the bank, clutching the shifting pile of pebbles as she skittered up towards the shore.

Their journey home was filled with more blasts of wind and booming thunder. Once or twice a flash of lightning lighted the forest. They had just reached the winding path leading to the camp entrance when pelts of rain starting to fall from the sky. Harmonypaw let out a puff of relief as they slipped through the entrance, and into the camp, which was nearly deserted in this twilight hour.

Only Frostlily remained, sitting silent vigil in the center of the clearing. She had sprang to her paws as the two cats entered, and sat back down with a weary sigh. “Whitedove has been waiting for you two,” she meowed, looking at each of them in turn, her eyes finally resting on Harmonypaw, “Harmonypaw, she wants you to stay the night in her den to make sure that you don’t have any minor concussions.”

“A-alright.” Harmonypaw nodded respectfully, glancing back at her friend once more before padding quickly to the pile of scattered rocks. She was stopped in her tracks by a rough meow, and spun around to see Graystar pushing his way through the thorns, a flow of cats following after him. Secretpaw immediately went over to Ragingstorm, her relieved purr carrying itself throughout the camp.

Graystar hadn’t slowed his pace until he reached the Highledge, and bounded upon it in one easy movement, the tip of his tail twitching as he yowled into the rainy night, “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!”

Harmonypaw looked back when she heard the soft sounds of pawsteps, and Whitedove appeared from the cave, enveloped in the heavy shadows. Her blue eyes pierced through Harmonypaw, and she hesitated before asking, “Would you like to stay up for the meeting?”

Harmonypaw’s eyes grew wide, seeing the troubled expression in the features of the white she-cat’s face, and nodded mutely, stepping back to allow Whitedove to pass. Already ThunderClan had gathered beneath the Highledge, their ears flat against their heads as the rain continued to pour down upon them, flattening their fluffed-out fur.

Graystar looked down upon the gathered cats, his expression grim, rain pouring down his sleek fur. Frostlilly joined his side with a single bound, her gaze sweeping the Clan below. Graystar lifted his head, and his voice rang clearly through the camp as he yowled, “I’ve returned with grievous news. Crystalstar is dead!”

Shock rippled through the crowd, and surprised yowls came from below.
“ShadowClan’s leader is dead?” Cloverpatch, a great tabby elder, asked in disbelief.

“When did this happen? Who is the new leader? How did she die?” Questions rose into the air, and Harmonypaw could barely hear one voice from the others.

Graystar lashed his tail several times for silence, “According to Tangledgorse, a patrol found her body besides the Thunderpath, where she had been slain by an enemy patrol.”
“
An enemy patrol?” Everlastingscar, a scarred black and gray warrior, growled, “If her body was found by the Thunderpath, she probably was hit by a Monster!” Yowls of agreement rose into the air.

“According to Tangledgorse, she had been killed by an enemy blow, and was found boring marks of claws of cats,” Graystar explained.

“Well, who killed her then?” Frostlilly inquired darkly from the Highledge, “RiverClan?”

“They’re the closet to that border,” Everlastingscar muttered.

Graystar shook his head, “The scent of Thunderpath was too strong, and they couldn’t pick up a scent.” The Clan grew silent, murmuring amongst one another. Harmonypaw twitched her tail nervously, meeting Secretpaw’s gaze from where she sat next to Ragingstorm.

“So Tangledgorse is ShadowClan’s new leader?” Simplicityheart called out from the entrance to the warriors’ den.

“Well, he is the deputy isn’t he?” Purityblood pointed out, “Of course he would take on leadership.”

“Yes,” Graystar nodded, “But his leadership was put into vanity this evening. He challenged the other Clans for the murder of Crystalstar.”

“What?” Frostlilly spat, her claws scrapping against the soaked rocks, her slicked fur bristling, “He clearly accused the other Clans even though he had no proof?”

Graystar looked down at his paws gravely, “I’m afraid so. The Gathering ended in kiosk. We had to split up because the storm clouds covered the moon.”

Whitedove stepped forward, into the clearing where everyone could see her, “Then StarClan have spoken,” she murmured quietly, staring up at the sky with cold eyes. “But what are they trying to say?”

[harmonypaw]

Chapter 4

Harmonypaw’s ears pricked in her sleep. What is that? she wondered to herself, half-conscious. A strong, musty scent of ThunderClan mixed with the sharp tangs of mashed herbs roused her, and she blinked the bleariness out of her eyes to see Simplicityheart looking in on her. A smile spread across her face, “How was your sleep?”

It was the dawn after Graystar’s announcement. Harmonypaw had slept fitfully, trying to block out what she had seen the previous evening, while the storm continued to rage outside the nest, wrestling trees, and shaking the earth with each growl of thunder. But the storm clouds had broken away to early morning sunshine, which shone into the entrance of the medicine cat den. Stretching, Harmonypaw rose to her paws, sniffing the air once more. Her dreams had been dark and confusing, but the one thing she could remember was a strange smell of a visitor—one that she hadn’t been able to see. Twitching her whiskers, Harmonypaw murmured, “Fine.”

A rustling from the back of the cove announced the arrival of Whitedove, who poked her head out where she slept, “Everything alright?”

“I was just wondering if I could take Harmonypaw out for the dawn patrol with me,” Simplicityheart mewed, stepping into the shadows of the den, her eyes bright in the soft lighting.

Whitedove padded over, inspecting Harmonypaw with a thoughtful eye and pressed her nose against the apprentice’s flank, “She’s breathing normal. Not dizzy, are you?” she asked, meeting Harmonypaw’s eyes.

Harmonypaw shook her head quickly.

Whitedove stepped back, “Then, you passed. You may return to your own den tonight, also. I’m sure you miss the companion of your denmates.”

“Thank you, Whitedove,” Harmonypaw bowed her head, relief swelling into her paws. Whitedove was right, she missed the company of Secretpaw and the warmth of all the sleeping bodies.

She headed out into the camp clearing with Simplicityheart at her shoulder, and they both headed towards the entrance, where a light gray she-cat, Stonecarving, was already waiting.

“Morning!” Stonecarving jumped to her paws, her tail flicking in the air, “Are we ready?”

“Yes. I’d thought we start by ShadowClan, and work our way to WindClan,” Simplicityheart meowed, glancing over at Stonecarving, who nodded briskly in approval, “Then we’d better be on our way.”

The forest was full of life after the previous night’s storm, and Harmonypaw sent thanks to StarClan that New-leaf had arrived at last, as she listened to the soft rustles of movement in the undergrowth. The patrol traveled to the far end of ThunderClan’s border, coming upon ShadowClan scent markers, which Simplicityheart gave a disdainful sniff. Beyond them was a shadowed, thick pine forest. Harmonypaw could see puffs of fog floating between the dark stumps of the trees, and shudder softly. The ShadowClan forest seemed like a cold, empty place.

“Well, we definitely know they’re there,” Simplicityheart muttered, glancing over the border more than once as they began to follow along the strong scent markings. Nothing more was said as they continued to snake through the territory. Finally the border reached the lake, and Harmonypaw felt a tingle go down her spine as she remembered coming here with Secretpaw. She was acting so different last night, she thought, staring out over the pale-blue lake at the spur of trees coming off the island. Before long, they met with the stream that poured into the lake from the uplands. Stonecarving took the lead as they headed upstream along the way to the Moonpool, across from them the dry, grassy territory of WindClan. A gentle breeze kicked up along the way, and a scent wafted over Harmonypaw’s glands: she stopped dead.

“Harmonypaw? You coming?” Simplicityheart called over her shoulder as she and Stonecarving bounded ahead.

Harmonypaw didn’t dare answer, in case the scent would mysteriously vanish. Carefully pinpointing its source, she slowly padded up to the stream, stopping once more where the scent vanished, at a certain spot where the grass gave way to sharp pebbles and stones. There was no denying it…

“Simplicityheart!” Harmonypaw called out hoarsely, digging her claws into the ground to control her spinning head, “Go ahead! I’m going to see if I can catch something over here!”

Her mentor flicked her tail to show she had heard her, and disappeared within the dappled foliage with Stonecarving by her side.

When she was sure that the two warriors were out of earshot, Harmonypaw turned back to the WindClan border. She sniffed the air once more. The scent, she realized, was faint, but fairly recent.

The thought echoed through the apprentice’s mind, as the picture of the brown and gold tom appeared once more. And without warning, her mind went completely black.


It was the same sunny afternoon, with the scorching hot sand burning against her pads. Harmonypaw trotted up the familiar slope wounding its way with the glittering stream, and spotted a brown and gold tom bounding down the slope a ways up, his tail waving in the air. Harmonypaw thingyed her head to the side, arguing with herself whether to feel curiosity or defensiveness. She opened her mouth to question the newcomer, but was interrupted by a loud meow.

“Hey!”

Harmonypaw quickly turned to the side, her eyes meeting with a pair of burning amber that flamed the tip of every hair on her pelt. Another new face, Harmonypaw reflected, but that was no surprise, considering she had never been to a Gathering before. But, still, why was she here? And that other cat?

“I-is there something wrong?” Harmonypaw meowed nervously, her eyes flickering back and forth between the tom, who was approaching her just now, and the WindClan warrior. The she-cat barred her teeth furiously, and Harmonypaw self- consciously stepped back, stumbling over a tuft of grass. A flash of fur raced past her eyes, and, thinking it was the she-cat, Harmonypaw unsheathed her claws, ready to defend herself for life.

After several heart-pounding moments, nothing came, and Harmonypaw forced herself to screw open her eyes against the blaring sunlight, jumping up in surprise at the blot of darkness looming over her. She opened her mouth to speak, but realized that she was facing the back of the tom she had seen moments earlier.

“Is there something the matter, Fadingdream?” he was mewing coolly, though his neck fur bristled with obvious annoyance.

The she-cat let out a growl that carried easily across the loud clatter of the stream, “I thought I told you to stay away. Do you ThunderClanners have no respect? Or are you too busy claiming your own?”

Harmonypaw hesitantly joined the tom at his shoulder, gazing at him with gratitude and relief. But he stared straight at the she-cat, not evening twitching a whisker to acknowledge her presence: his pale green eyes reflected the same anger as the she-cat’s, “You have no right to tell me what to do.” He spat. Harmonypaw felt shock ripple through her as realization hit her like a badger’s claw, Great StarClan, I’m invisible to these cats!

The she-cat-Fadingdream?- gritted her teeth, and slashed the dying grass at her paws with sharp, black claws, “Stay away from her, Braveheart. She has had enough problems without you getting in the way.”

“It seems to me you are the one getting too involved,” Braveheart retorted.

“That’s because I’m her sister!” Fadingdream snarled with all the fierceness of a LionClan cat, “StarClan only knows how she’s kept this all a secret for this long! I’ve worried non-stop about her being caught by some of your ruffian warriors!”

Braveheart took a rapid step forward, his ears flattening against his head, a low growl rising from his throat. “That will never happen. I would die to keep her safe!”

Fadingdream’s eyes flashed, “Your eyes betray your heart, Braveheart. You fear for her safety as much as I. That is why I cannot trust your promise, and that is why I’m prohibiting you meeting her any more.”

Braveheart eyes dropped to his paws, and with a deep sigh he sheathed his claws. He seemed to realize would be losing the argument, and quickly, “How is she doing?” he murmured at last.

The resentment in Fadingdream’s tense muscles eased a bit, flattening her bristling fur, and for a moment, a look of kindness crossed her gaze, “She’s thrilled,” she mewed softly, “She’s never been so happy in her life.”

Braveheart looked up at Fadingdream, his eyes searching for a sign of the hatred she had so clearly shown. Seeing that there was none, he meowed, “Take care of her. Keep her happy for me. Tell her that I will come to see her when it is over.”

Fadingdream didn’t bother to remind the tom that she wasn’t allowing him near her, and instead stepped back with a submissive bow, “She’ll be receiving the best possible care. There is nothing for you to worry about- or do,” she added sharply, her eyes narrowing mistrustfully. “Now, please escort yourself away from WindClan border before some cat catches us. I won’t be sheathing my claws any longer than that.”

Braveheart looked like he was going to say a sharp reply, but instead he shook his head irritably and rose to his paws. As Fadingdream began to retreat into the tall stalks of heather, he suddenly jumped forth, yowling, “Wait! Fadingdream! One more thing…”

Fadingdream looked over her shoulder, a wry look on her face.

“I-I want to ask,” Braveheart looked down at his paws awkwardly for a moment, before he lifted his head and seemed to stare at her directly in the eyes, “Has there been any more…”

Fadingdream took in a deep, somber breath, “No…but we’re still recovering from our last.”

Harmonypaw collapsed to the forest floor, breathing wildly, and sweat slicking her fur. She couldn’t help but let a shudder pass down her spine. She’d never dream anything so vivid before, and it chilled her to think of where the scent could have possibly come from. Staring blindly at the rushing waters of the stream, she tried to calm herself with deep breaths, her heart racing with fear and disbelief. These cats had seemed so real, and yet she couldn’t grasp who they were, or what they could have to do with anything. But she had discovered the unthinkable possibility that they were more than just images her mind created. Harmonypaw kneaded the ground with her paws, thinking furiously. She felt her stomach churn with anxiety, and without another word, raced frantically up the slope after her mentor and Stonecarving.

[harmonypaw]

Uwaaaahhh!
School has been driving me up the wall, and I haven't been able to post!

I've barely begun the next chapter, and now I've caught a very bad case of the writers block! Is there an actual cure to that?

Meanwhile, I'm typing without my pointer finger on my left hand due to the terrible bruise/sprain I received while playing basketball in gym...

My writing days are on postpone-age until I can continue! But I promise I'll be back soon--I'm in the makings of a Short Story called Black Stars...all will be revealed...

--harmonypaw