Sunday, December 16, 2018

fading echoes: part one

Breezepelt spars against Hawkfrost until Tigerstar calls an end to the fight. He reminds Breezepelt to use his strengths, which in his case is his speed. Darkstripe and Brokenstar are also there, offering their own advice. Tigerstar is short with Darkstripe, and when Brokenstar talks Darkstripe mocks him for being unable to kill Jayfeather. In fighting aside, the cats work on Breezepelt's insecurities, reminding him how everyone - including his father - has betrayed him and how he deserves revenge. Hawkfrost is eager to practice again, but Tigerstar tells him that instead he must recruit another apprentice who has great power. He tells Hawkfrost to go walk in her dreams and teach her that their battle is her destiny. He tells Hawkfrost that she is ready.

Dovepaw wakes up from a nightmare about Rippletail. She leaves the den and casts out her senses. She sees two cats walking around the lake. She runs to Jayfeather, waking him up to tell him. He asks what clan the cats are from and she seeks them out again, discovering they are from RiverClan. She names them Mistyfoot and Mothwing. Jayfeather tells Dovepaw that Leopardstar has died and the cats are on their way to the Moonpool so Mistyfoot might receive her nine lives. Dovepaw wants to do something but Jayfeather assures her there is nothing they can do. She asks Jayfeather if a deputy always becomes the new leader. Jayfeather says yes, but tells her sometimes fighting can happen. He tells her of Mudclaw fighting with Onewhisker and how if Hawkfrost was still alive he probably would have fought Mistyfoot. Dovepaw asks if Hawkfrost is with StarClan now but Jayfeather does not answer her. She wonders if Jayfeather has seen Rippletail but doesn't ask. Suddenly Jayfeather asks her if it was Mistyfoot who woke her or Rippletail. He assures her he was not walking in her dreams, just that he can feel her grief. Jayfeather assures her that Rippletail's death was not her fault, that he was following the path laid out for him by StarClan. Dovepaw feels slightly reassured, but since she knows she will one day be more powerful then StarClan she wonders if it is really that simple. She wants to tell Firestar about Leopardstar, but Jayfeather tells her no, that Firestar must not know of their powers, and kicks her out of his den. Dovepaw leaves, unsure what to do. Brambleclaw sees her and sends her on the dawn patrol with himself, Lionblaze, Cinderheart, and Ivypaw. Dovepaw feels cut off from her clan, unable to confide in anyone her knowledge. She and Ivypaw race ahead, playing. They reach the lake and are shocked by how full it is. The warriors catch up to them and scold them for acting like kits. Ivypaw steps on a broken stick and gets a splinter. Cinderheart helps her and Brambleclaw orders the broken stick thrown into the lake. Dovepaw tosses it in and as she does she can feel Jayfeather wail in agony. Lionblaze looks at the floating sticks and looks worried, causing Dovepaw to feel worried too.

Jayfeather feels a sharp pain. He checks his side, thinking there must be blood, but can find none. He leaves his den and heads towards the nursery. Poppyfrost's kits crash into him. Molekit asks him to watch what he can do. Jayfeather feels Poppyfrost tense but Jayfeather prompts the kit even though he cannot see him. He checks him with Poppyfrost and finds she no longer fears Berrynose doesn't love her. Later Mistystar and Mothwing visit the clan. Mistystar passes on word of Leopardstar's death. Jayfeather can feel Firestar's grief, but the clan leader greets Mistystar by her new name causing the rest of the clan to respectfully greet her. Mistystar admits that things are rough in her clan because of the drought and Firestar offers her herbs. She accepts so Jayfeather and Mothwing go to his den. While there he tries to probe Mothwing's mind to see how she could do the ceremony when she doesn't believe in StarClan. He ends up seeing the entire ceremony, and Mistystar's return from StarClan - as well as her accusation that Mothwing did not join her. He sees Mothwing confess to Mistystar that she does not believe and he also sees Mistystar accept her medicine cat as she is and not as she wishes her to be. Jayfeather pulls himself from Mothwing's memory. Mothwing tells him she knows he knows the truth. She tells him he needs to accept it, takes her herbs, and leaves. Jayfeather realizes that StarClan made a good choice in Mothwing.

Jayfeather is in his den when Lionblaze seeks him out. Sensing his brother wants to talk in private, Jayfeather suggests the forest. When they are alone Lionblaze asks him about the stick. Jayfeather confesses to breaking it but Lionblaze doesn't understand why. He says he knows the stick is important to Jayfeather and asks if it is from StarClan. Jayfeather confesses it is from a time before StarClan. Lionblaze is shocked. He is even more shocked when Jayfeather tells him that the cats who lived here before, the cats tied to the stick, became the Tribe of Rushing Water. As Jayfeather tells Lionblaze about Rock living in the tunnels he wonders if his brother believes him. He probes Lionblaze's mind, seeing Lionblaze with Heatherpaw and feeling Lionblaze's grief. Lionblaze tells Jayfeather to knock it off. Lionblaze asks Jayfeather again why he broke the stick. Unable to explain why, Jayfeather just tells him that their answers do not lie in the past. Lionblaze wants to take some sort of action in regards to the prophecy but not knowing what they could possibly do, Jayfeather tells him they just need to wait.

Lionblaze and Cinderheart are out with their apprentices trying to teach them how to climb trees in the rain. Lionblaze feels if they can do it in the rain then they will have no problem doing it in good weather. As Dovepaw and Ivypaw practice Lionblaze realizes something is wrong. He pulls Dovepaw aside and she confesses to him that there are dogs in WindClan territory. Dovepaw wants to do something but Lionblaze insists it is not their place. He reminds her that they are four clans now and while it is one thing to have friends in another clan they cannot interfere. Dovepaw is upset, but Lionblaze counters that her loyalties should lie with ThunderClan. She counters that the prophecy pertains to all clans and angrily goes back to her training. Sorreltail comes along, telling Lionblaze that they are heading towards the WindClan border to patrol. Lionbalze is relieved knowing that if there is a serious issue Graystripe will take the patrol into WindClan to help. The training cats try to go back to camp traveling by trees when Dovepaw lands on a branch that isn't safe. She falls to the forest floor unharmed, but Lionblaze realizes the branch is breaking and will land on her. He throws himself at her, saving her, and tells her that sometimes he knows but but Dovepaw is still upset with him and isn't interested in listening.

Okay, I am 100% certain that Tigerstar is sending Hawkfrost after Ivypaw. I mean, yes, they tried to recruit both Jayfeather and Lionblaze so it would make sense to go after Dovepaw. But Ivypaw is clearly bitter and jealous when it comes down to her sister. And when she finds out that Dovepaw is part of a prophecy and she isn't that is going to hurt even more making her all the more ripe to manipulate.

Also, I disagree with Jayfeather and really think Firestar should be told. Especially about Breezepelt trying to kill Poppyfrost! How is Poppyfrost not telling this to Firestar?!? The whole clan is in danger and not just from the Dark Forest, but from living, breathing cats! This is a danger that everyone should be aware of but at the very least Firestar.

Lastly, ten bucks says Dovepaw does something stupid over the dog attack in WindClan.

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