Warrior Cats: The Four Clans

Hahaha!! You two make me laugh so much! XD I guess i am going to have to try the perspective of a rock... that would be very interesting! XD Almost like Hitch Hikers Guild to the Galaxy with the flower pot XD Hehehe! Anyway thenk you so much for the awsome comments!

Sure has been a while since i have written here hasnt it? Well here is the new part. Part 14! It is a continuation of Eaglepaw's point of view pretty much... well not for the first bit acctually... You will see =D

           Goldpaw trotted beside Duskpaw, enjoying the other she cats presence. The two brothers trotted ahead side by side. Neither one talking rather, they just traveled in a comfortable silence together. Blackfox behind them hummed a tune which was only butchered ruthlessly in his uneven voice. Goldpaw kept tossing Duskpaw sarcastic glances and received a few in return. The two she cat's eyes danced with mocking laughter toward the odd Darkclan warrior.

            "Blackfox, for Starclan's sake please stop humming!" Ebonypaw hissed from up ahead. Beside him Eaglepaw merely twitched his ear as though he was in deep thought. Everyone had noticed the tom's melancholy mood for the past few days. A few nights ago Eaglepaw had had a strange dream that he refused to tell anyone about other than it was just weird. His lips wouldn't even be stirred by Duskpaw.

            This struck everyone, except Blackfox, as odd. The grumpy gray tom had never held his tongue if there was a quick quip to be made. Any chance he could get a sarcastic word in edge wise, he took. But as it was, he was acting very much like a clam.

            "How can I stop humming?" Blackfox laughed loudly. "While Goldpaw is present I shall hum and sing to the heavens above of the absolute love and passion I have for her." Goldpaw's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Duskpaw flicked her side with the tip of her tail and laughed a bit.

            "Come on Goldpaw, he really isn't all that bad." The she cat turned her green eyes toward him. A sparkle of warmth touched her eyes as if she had truly befriended the strange cat.

            "Seriously," Goldpaw sneered, "Duskpaw, he is crazy!"

            "Those who are in love are often insane my dear," Blackfox purred in to Goldpaw's ear, making her jump. She hadn't noticed that he had sidled up to her and was now looming at her side. His fluffy black and white tail wrapped around her back pulling her in closely. Goldpaw's fur bristled as she turned to slap him. She was getting tired of his inability to pick up a hint. She unsheathed her claws slightly, but Blackfox hadn't noticed. He took the full force of her slap across his eye.

            A thin, red line of blood appeared from his brow down to his nose. Goldpaw gasped with wide eyes. Blackfox's face had been forced to whip away with the blow. As he regained his former pose his eyes flashed coldly for a moment. The deep golden orbs in his deadly gaze looked almost fed up with Goldpaw's aloofness.

            Despite his cold eyes, a grin touched his lips, "Still playing hard to get eh? I relish the chase." He pulled away from her rather harshly. A dark hiss came from up ahead. Goldpaw saw Ebonypaw giving Blackfox a steely glare for his harsh eyes and cold words. A subtle flick of Ebonypaw's his tail told her to come to the front while she still had the chance. She saw her opening and took it. There was no way she was going to spend another moment near that dangerous cat.

            Goldpaw trotted next to Ebonypaw, whom stood tall very much like a protective shield. A thin smile touched her lips as her heart fluttered for him. On the other side of Ebonypaw, Eaglepaw dropped back. He continued to focus his blind eyes upon the ground. "Have you managed to find out what was wrong with him?" Goldpaw whispered to her old friend. The tall black tom merely shook his head.
            "He still hasnt spoken a word," Ebonypaw's ice blue eyes turned to the wide open sky thoughtfully. "I don't understand what it is that could possibly bug him." They both shot a glance behind them but Eaglepaw was still very much deep in thought. "It just isn't like him. It's really making me nervous."

            "I am sure he will go back to normal soon enough..." Goldpaw murmured without much force behind her words.

 

            I just dont understand it...... Eaglepaw thought to himself. Why would I get such a weird dream like that and not get another one soon after? Its been too long... I have to know what happened. Blackfox's odd past had been irritating him to no end. The black and white tom was like a puzzle that had to be solved if the young apprentice wanted some peace.

            The cool air on Eaglepaw's told him that night was approaching swiftly. It was another chance for him to try and have a dream about the Darkclan warrior's past. The group settled down for the night and fell to sleep not too much later. Eaglepaw shifted back and forth trying to force the visions of Blackfox in to his mind.

Darkness washed over Eaglepaw's senses. All feeling left his body and sight was granted to him. Appearing before him out of the darkness was the she cat that had been with his mother before. Her very pretty face perked with a smile. Yet just as last time, Eaglepaw's face only held an annoyed and unpleasant frown. Robinpaw couldn't understand why the gray tom wasn't falling over himself to try and win her favor.

Truth be told, Eaglepaw had no concept of her beauty. It didn't matter to him. She could have been the most beautiful or most ugly she cat in the world and he wouldn't have noticed. By being blind, his eyes were not used to seeing the difference in appearance.

"Well, if it isn't you again... Are you here to actually talk this time or shall we have a witty battle which ultimately ends up makes you look like an idiot?" The tom's voice was short and bad tempered that day. Robinpaw bristled with indignity.

Robinpaw hissed darkly before she snarled, "Yes I have a message for you. Tonight you shall receive another dream. You must learn more about Blackfox before you reach the mountains."

Eaglepaw's mouth opened in to a gaping yawn, as if her explanations were as boring as listening to an elder gripe and groan. The ginger she cat glared at the strange apprentice before touching her nose to his fur. Eaglepaw sat for a few moments after the world went dark.

A strange voice echoed from behind Eaglepaw somewhere, "Storm, are you alright?" The Fireclan apprentice whipped around to see the very youthful face of Blackfox staring at him curiously. Eaglepaw was at a loss for words. Blackfox could see him this time. Standing not to far off was the golden she cat named Dawn, and her brother Mask.

"Uh..." Eaglepaw started.

The young Blackfox tossed a glance at Dawn and Mask before he turned back with an innocent smile. "Come on Storm, this isn't like you. Usually you would have said something to hurt my self esteem despite cracking your head on a rock." Eaglepaw's ears went flat against his head for a moment. A nervous look over took the young black and white tom's eyes.

"Bla... I mean Night," Eaglepaw remembered quickly that Blackfox's name was once Night on the SnowyPeaks. "Umm... of course I am fine! You don't expect me to cry over a little bruise right? Shouldn't you worry more about yourself?" Eaglepaw quipped hoping that this was how he should answer. Night had called him Storm. Perhaps there was a young cat named Storm and Eaglepaw was using his body right now.

Night flattened his ears and a timid look passed in the tom's eyes. "Well I suppose, but you know I only asked because you fell pretty hard," Night turned from Eaglepaw and trotted a few steps away. Something about the way the young cat walked seemed different. Eaglepaw was used to hearing a peculiar gait from him, but right now it was smooth and regular.

With a slight frown Eaglepaw followed behind at a much slower pace. Dawn and Mask fell in step next to Night, each taking a flank to stand near. Eaglepaw felt quite out of place. These cats were so organized and trained that everything seemed like second nature to them. Eaglepaw was nowhere near as disciplined as them.

 

After a while the slightly familiar shape of the rocky hillside of the army clan came in to his sights. The lines and groups of cats worked smoothly together, meshing and never hindering the others. "Might I dare ask," Eaglepaw asked breaking the long silence that had surrounded the four young cats, "But why exactly are you... or rather, why are we doing all these drills? I mean, what are training for?" Night, Mask and Dawn all exchanged rather confused glances.

Night tilted his head slight as he asked, "Are you testing us?" The tom's golden eyes were wide with disbelief. Great, Eaglepaw had messed up. "Well, we are training so hard because of the wolves, badgers and foxes of course. You know that recently the factions have gotten to out of control and have been hurting us a lot. What I want to know is why you are so curious..."

Eaglepaw stared directly in to Night's eyes, still unused to body languages and how to react to them. Instead of looking away like most others would he stared straight in to the eyes of others. "I guess its as you say," He said flatly, "Just wanted to test you." Night sent a glance in Dawn's direction, but the she-cat was only rolling her eyes and trotting away. A hurt look passed in Night's eyes. It was obvious whatever Dawn did was going to affect the black and white cat.

"Come on Night," Mask sighed, "Dawn just isn't ready for that kind of thing. Give her time." The gray tom padded away after his sister. Night watched them go but said nothing, he didn't have to. The way his shoulders slumped and the disappointed look in his eyes told even Eaglepaw that the aloof golden she cat was depressing him. Gee, this was familiar. Eaglepaw couldn't help the snicker that pushed past his lips as he thought of Goldpaw. Yet there was something Goldpaw had that Dawn didn't. Goldpaw had a fiery temper. She would get flustered and embarrassed to the point that she would attack Blackfox. Yet Dawn was calm and collected... also she seemed to be a bit meaner.

"Is there something funny?" Eaglepaw glanced back up at Night to see a dangerous glare in his golden eyes.

"Not really... just reminded me of... a friend." Eaglepaw sighed softly and felt a small grin quirk the edge of his lip up.

Night narrowed his eyes but only flicked his tail for Eaglepaw to follow him. "Come on then. We should get back to the regiment. If we don't we will be doing exercise twenty-seven until dusk." A shiver ran up Night's back, as if the thought of doing the exercise would be the most painful thing in the world.

 

"Alright maggots," Shouted the large orange tom named Fire that Always Burns. Eaglepaw had remembered him from his previous dream, Since Cadet Storm that Darkens the Sky messed up on every exercise you all must do five laps around the camp. The tom turned toward Eaglepaw with a dark growl. You get to do ten. Eaglepaw panted heavily from all the things they had been doing today. He had exactly no idea what the moves were since he wasn't really Storm that Darkens the Sky. He was just Eaglepaw, the blind apprentice of Fireclan. Everything was so much harder now that he wasn't blind. He had to rely off of sight and that was more blinding than being unable to see. His abilities to smell, hear and feel were greatly reduced, leaving Eaglepaw with no more skill than a fresh apprentice.

The whole regiment of apprentice aged cadets turned and sprinted away. Fire growled again when Eaglepaw didn't sprint after them, "Is there a problem Cadet?" Eaglepaw returned the captain's harsh gaze with one of his own.

"None at all," The usually blind tom sneered. Before Eaglepaw could turn, Fire lashed out and swiped him across the face full force. Eaglepaw was launched away until he was sprawled against the ground.

"Good," The captain started, "Because if we had a problem I would have had to solve it with my claws." Eaglepaw bristled at the captain. Fire narrowed his large eyes and added another growl. The Fireclan apprentice would have gotten up to fight but the lanky shape of Night stepped in front of him.

"Please forgive him Captain Fire. When we were out hunting today Storm fell when he pounced on a snake. He fell quite a ways down the slopes until he crashed in to a large rock. He was knocked out for a long time before he came around, so he probably still isnt feeling so good. I can take him to the infirmary sir." Eaglepaw's eyes widened a bit as he noted the defensive way Night stood in front of him. The young Blackfox's jaw was set firmly and his eyes were unyielding. Yet despite the protective behavior there was a great deal of respect when he talked to Captain Fire.

The great orange tom stood tall for a bit as he weighed Night's explanation. "Fine, take Storm to the infirmary. Get his head checked and if Oak says he is alright then you can run the ten laps with him." Night didn't flinch at the punishment for standing up to Fire. Rather a relieved grin touched his mouth.

"Yes sir!" Night flicked his ear in salute before he turned around. "Come on Storm." The young tom nudged his shoulder as he helped Eaglepaw up. A look passed from Night's eyes that told Eaglepaw that he had been scared out of his mind. The Fireclan apprentice barely managed to stifle the snicker that dared to push out of his lips.

 

Night had led Eaglepaw up the steep slope of the camp to an enclosed den that led deep inside the mountain side. Night trotted only a few mouse lengths ahead of Eaglepaw down the long tunnel. When the dark tunnel opened up, Eaglepaw witnessed a large cavern with a many holes in the roof for light. In the far back of the cavern, a small pond was glinting softly under the light from the roof. The cavern had many injured and sick cat lying on beds made of what appeared to be pelts of different kinds of animals. Eaglepaw almost gasped in horror. Yet as he got closer he saw that none of them were pelts of cats. No rather, some were made of badger pelts. Others were fox or rabbit pelts. Then there was a type of pelt that Eaglepaw wasn't to familiar with. It almost looked like the pelt of a furry dog.

"Coming?" Eaglepaw snapped back to reality only to see Night giving him a worried look.

"Dont worry about me," Eaglepaw sighed. Night still looked skeptical but nodded. The two padded past many other cats. Each one they passed by flicked an ear almost by second nature.

"Night," Eaglepaw called to the tom. As the name left his lips Night's ear flicked in salute by second nature. The apprentice tilted his head to the side as he tried to understand the strange ways of the cats.

"Yes Storm?" Night's reply reached back.

"I was wondering... Is there really any reason that you would want to leave the.. umm," Eaglepaw groped for the right word to call this army of cats when he settled for one, "Regiment?" Night stopped and turned his head over his shoulder.

"This particular regiment or do you mean the entire alliance?" Night's eyes narrowed darkly as if he sensed treachery.

"Oh I dont know... just speculating I guess..." Eaglepaw felt his pulse increase under the pressure of Night's golden eyes. As he glanced away he almost missed the understanding look in Night's eyes.

"Dont worry Storm," Night purred with the warmth of friendship, "Every one of us has wondered if we are doing the right thing. Believe me, even though its a tough life we are all in it together." The tom's fluffy black and white tail lay on Eaglepaw's shoulder. "Fire is only tough on you because if he wasn't, you would die at the paws and claws of the other factions."

Eaglepaw frowned slightly, "I guess I must have hit my head harder than I thought, but umm... What are the other factions called? We are the Alliance right? So what are the others?" Could these other factions be like clans?

Night tilted his head curiously but replied with no hesitation, "Well the badger faction is called The Surge. The fox faction is called The Bone Eaters. I know foxes are the weirdest creatures." Night was commenting at the look of confusion on Eaglepaw's face. "As for the wolves... They are called The Cure. The wolves think they are the ones that must rule the forest as always. Each of the factions has gotten stronger lately and so must we as well." Night sighed softly and turned away.

"Might I ask one more question?" There was something on Eaglepaw's mind that was bugging him. "How exactly do we know what they call themselves if they are a completely different species?" Night laughed at this.

"With the translators of course, you must have hit your head pretty hard huh? We have soldiers that took it upon themselves to learn the language of the other factions. Come on then, it's about time we had Oak look at you. We don't need you to stand around asking questions to things you already know." Eaglepaw's ears drooped slightly. These cats lived such a tough life. It seemed like there was a constant war between all the predators in this forest and if one grew too strong the others had to as well. The peace in this place was always on a razors edge.

Eaglepaw felt an overwhelming wave of homesickness wash over him. The peaceful ways of the clans was usually always stable enough so that the clan cats could live without thinking each day was the last. They could enjoy the tranquility of the day to day life. Eaglepaw was unsure if he would ever be able to return to that when this stupid quest was over. He had seen and heard too much.

When Eaglepaw managed to escape his own thought he couldn't see Night anywhere. It was obvious he had gone to find the medicine cat of the Alliance. He had left Eaglepaw standing by the light lit pond at the back of the cavern. The Fireclan apprentice leaned out over the water to see his reflection. The sight he was met with wasn't what he expected. The cat staring back at him was tall, well muscled, proud and capable. There was no doubt in the firm set of his jaws. The dark gray fur that covered his body surrounded bright blue eyes. The blue orbs held the knowledge of a cat that had been trained specifically trained to kill the creatures of the factions.

Was this really him? Could this cat staring at him really be his reflection?  A sarcastic grin quirked the edge of his mouth upward. The grin made his blue eyes twinkle with mischief. Eaglepaw's mouth dropped open, yet even with his jaw dropped the reflection still grinned. "Take care of my body," The cat chuckled. The young cat's voice was heavy with the thick accent of the Alliance. Eaglepaw hadn't noticed the difference in his own speech until now. He had been taking like them!

Eaglepaw so caught up in the reflection he didn't notice Night trotting back with a thick dark brown tabby tom with white paws and yellow eyes at his side. The cat in the water was not Eaglepaw, but rather it was Storm. The reflection turned its eyes in the direction of Night and Oak for a moment before it turned back. "I know who you are Eaglepaw. Don't do anything to Night that you will regret. Just follow along with the past and you will get the answers you need to solve the puzzle we all call Blackfox." A cheeky grin pushed Storm's mouth upward before the reflection rippled under the paws of Oak.

"Storm, listen to me when I call your name", The heavy accented voice of the medicine cat like solider named Oak burst in to Eaglepaw's mind.

"S-sorry," Eaglepaw managed to say. He stole a glance at Night before a frown rested on his lips. So the only reason he was here was to solve a puzzle right? He was just being used. Well he wasn't going to be used that easily. He was going to get to know more about Blackfox other than just why he had come to the clans. He wanted to know more about what was going on through the Darkclan warrior's mind.

XD Sweeeet~ x3 Of course, I'm honored that you're using Dusky, and so I shall follow this story to whatever end~

I really liked this, Ebonnie! Now then, why didn't I see this...? xD