Gathering 12/20/10

Okay, today's the full moon gathering, which seems strange to me because my calenders both say that the full moon is tomorrow, on the winter solstice, with a total lunar eclipse.
Anyways, anyone online can come to the gathering... http://moonstargathering.blogspot.com/

New Cats

Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath IceRock for a Clan meeting!
In today's news, we have five new cats joining FrostClan.
Let us welcome Brightfeather and her kits Lionkit, Mousekit, Sunkit, and Foxkit.
Thank you for joining!
Brightfeather! Lionkit! Mousekit! Sunkit! Foxkit!

~Snowstar

Story Part 11 *The Truth, Section 2*

Eaglepaw and Etharpaw trudged the snow.
"Why did it have to snow right when we left camp?" complained Etharpaw.
"Well," meowed Eaglepaw, "I would have said StarClan was mad at us, but they were the ones who probably sent us the dream that convinced us to leave camp. I'm guessing it was just bad luck."
"VERY bad luck," added Etharpaw, but they trudged on through the drifts. "We'd better find those cats in our dream fast! The only problem is WE HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO LOOK AND WE'RE PROBABLY ALREADY LOST!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Yep, that's our only problem," replied Eaglepaw in a dull voice. "I'm already bored with this quest."
"Don't be bored."
"Well, you're the one kinda telling me to be bored, Etharpaw," announced Eaglepaw.
"What are you talking about?" she replied. "I didn't say anything."
"But, you told me 'don't be bored', didn't you?" asked Eaglepaw.
"No," she answered.
"Then who said that?" he asked. "The two cats we are looking for?"
"I didn't hear ANYTHING," she responded. "It must have been a message from StarClan to you."
Eaglepaw didn't answer, so they kept padding on straight. The cold, icy wind whipped at their pelts, and stung their faces. A tall tree stood in their way.
Etharpaw squinted at it through slitted eyes, "Haven't we seen this tree before?" she asked.
Eaglepaw squinted at it through slitted eyes also, "I don't remember," he answered honestly. His eyes widened. "We're so tired! We'd better stop and rest some."
"Good idea," she answered, and suddenly all her tiredness crashed down upon her. "We should dig into the snow and make a cave to keep us sheltered from the wind."
The two siblings dug into the snow, and curled up by each other to stay warm. The snow, though cold, kept them much warmer than they would have been if they had been exposed to the wind.

*   Snowstar   *

Snowstar was having a deep, dreamless sleep, when suddenly the blackness gave way to light. Her wide-open pupils burst with light, and she squeezed her eyes shut tight. When she opened them, she saw the cause of the sudden light. A huge fire leaped and sparked in front of her. She backed away warily. It's just a dream, she told herself, just a dream. In the fire, red-amber eyes gleamed back at her. Cat's eyes. A cat charged out of the fire, his fiery red pelt looking as if the flames of the fire themselves danced upon him. Is this cat in charge of the trouble with the foxes, thought Snowstar?  Snowstar looked into his eyes, and saw a fire of ambition gleaming in them. As she gazed upon him, the fire behind him suddenly blazed higher and a second shape darted from the fire to stand by the first. His pelt was an ashy gray, and his eyes too were gray. Or is this the one? Or, she thought, are they BOTH responsible for the plight of the foxes? Either way, if they came to camp, they would certainly cause a lot of trouble for her and her Clan. Brackenheart's words echoed in her brain: 'The two may not be who you think they are. Do not fear, though, for the two will come when they are needed most. They will have the power to stop this disaster in the Clan. StarClan has forseen this.' 
"But what if the two are gone?" she whispered, her eyes felt damp. The dream was gone. She was in her den with Rainwhisker. No one else. No fire, no two cats, "No Eaglepaw or Etharpaw." she whispered again.

Story Part 11 *The Truth, Section 1*

Snowstar gaped at the evil eyes all around her. After a bit, she saw one of them blink slowly and deliberatly. She bounded over to the eyes, which disappeared as she came towards them. She sniffed the wind, and tasted fox. She followed the footprints. They lead to a huge cave, so she went in. All through the cave, she could only smell fox. She went down one tunnel, and found a huge opening that formed a cave inside a cave. At least fifteen huge foxes were in it! Snowstar gaped at how huge they were. All of them were nearly two times the size of a normal fox, and barking away.
Suddenly, Snowstar felt a draft besides her, and as she looked, Brackenheart appeared by her side. "They are on the edge of your territory." Then he touched her nose, and suddenly the barking was translated.
"Those cats on our territory must be gotten rid of." snarled one.
"Yes"
"Yes"
"Yes"
"All in good time," came the smooth reply of a black-coated fox. This fox was like none Snowstar had seen before, even larger than the others. "First, we will spy on them, and figure out an ingeneus plan to take over their 'camp'." This fox was obviously the leader of the others.
Brackenheart touched her nose again, and the words faded into barking again.
"The two will save us from this, right?" meowed Snowstar.
Brackenheart nodded, and then began to leave the cave. Snowstar followed numbly. But two of my kits left. And they were the two I thought most certain to be the two. I guess I was wrong. When she looked up again, she was back in the snowy camp. She climbed back into the warriors den and sealed up the entrance.
*   The   *   Next   *   Morning   *
It was snowy, but that didn't stop Winterpaw from trudging through the white flakes to the elder's den, where the elders had relocated to after the storm.
"What's the truth?" questioned Winterpaw. "Can you really speak twoleg?"
"Yes, I can," answered Shortwhisker. "I learned it by sneaking into a twoleg nest day after day and watching the moving-picture box, with sound too! I saw the pictures, heard the sounds, and began to understand." At this, she let out a harsh call, a sound Winterpaw had only heard come from twolegs. "I just said 'cat' in twoleg," she answered, looking at the puzzled expression on his face.
*   In   *   The   *   Apprentice   *   Den   *
"It's true," announced Winterpaw to Lilypaw. "Shortwhisker really CAN speak twoleg."
"Wow!" gasped Lilypaw. "She should speak to them more often! She would be able to convince them not to come on our territory!"
"I don't think so," meowed Winterpaw. "The twolegs would probably think she was crazy, or that it was going insane."
"You're probably right again," she answered. "Snowstar is so upset about Eaglepaw and Etharpaw disapppearing," she continued in a whisper. "Do you think we should have told her the truth? I feel so guilty."
"No," Winterpaw whispered back. "You know she would probably be even more upset. She would feel like she has to help them."
"You're probably right AGAIN!" she exclaimed. "Even though, I wonder how Eaglepaw and Etharpaw are."

Story Part 10, Section 3 *Snowstar's Snowday*

 *Sun-high the day after the last story part*

Lilypaw looked at Snowstar. She felt really bad about her mother not knowing about Eaglepaw and Etharpaw, but what could she and Winterpaw do? If they told Snowstar, she would most likely send out a search party that was a total waste of time and energy. She padded over to Snowstar.
"Come on, Snowstar." mewed Lilypaw, with worry in her voice as she pushed a piece of fresh-kill toward her mother. "Have this mouse." Her mother hadn't eaten since the night before.
Snowstar glanced at Raincloud, who was sharing tongues with Hawkfeather. He's being strong for my sake, she thought. I should try to be strong for all of us. Next she looked at Winterpaw who was staring off into the distance. They all miss Eaglepaw and Etharpaw. It's not just me. I'm the leader of the Clan. I have to keep going, if not for my sake, for theirs. She accepted the mouse that Lilypaw offered her, and took a bite. The mouse's flavor hit her tongue full blast, and she suddenly realized how hungry she was. The mouse disappeared in a few more bites.
Snowstar began to pad towards where her deputy Skypelt was eating with some other warriors, when suddenly a sharp gust of wind hit her. Her fur ruffled up, and she gazed up into the sky. Some glints of white floated down from the air.
"Snow!" she gasped. All the warriors and apprentices, even those who had been in dens earlier, came out and watched the snow, mesmerized. "We need hunting patrols, quick, before the snow sets in. Shadowflower, Hawkfeather, Cinderpelt, Fuzzypelt, and Jingletail. Please take your apprentices with you to hunt. We need the fresh-kill pile stocked up before the snow bars us in our dens. Everyone else, move the leftover prey into the warriors den. We'll ALL stay in there. It's the biggest den. Let's find some brambles and bracken and cover the entrances to the other dens, so snow doesn't get in there. If it does, it will take forever to get out." Giving these orders made her completely forget about Eaglepaw and Etharpaw, as she threw herself head-over-tail into Clan business.
She worked as hard as all the warriors and apprentices to move the elders', apprentices', medicine cat's, medicine cat apprentice's, and her own nests into the warriors' den. It was hard work, but the cold snow made them cool, not hot. Thank StarClan that we have no queens or young kits to move, she thought. That would have been very difficult. It was only when she was done moving nests and the hunting patrol had come in that she remembered Eaglepaw and Etharpaw. I hope they're okay out in this snowstorm.
She peered out a gap in the baracaded entrance to the warriors' den they had left to let fresh air in. The snow was so thick it was hard to see anything. They've never seen snow before. I'm not sure they'll be okay. If only I knew.
"Snowstar." came a voice from behind her. She turned and saw Raincloud, with pain deep in his eyes. "I hope our kits are okay."
"That's exactly what I was thinking." she mewed, with sorrow filling her voice.
Winterpaw looked at Lilypaw. He looked so sad. Snowstar saw the exchange and, thinking they were feeling bad about their littermates, tried to console them. "I'm sure Eaglepaw and Etharpaw will be fine. They always knew what to do at camp."
Winterpaw replied, "Yes." That one sylible meant more to Snowstar than all her words before.
*   That   *   Night   *
Snowstar went out into the darkness, squeezing through a small gap in the barrier that she made bigger. She plowed through the two-tail lengths of snow covering the ground, with only her head above the snow. The darkness pressed down on her, until suddenly a bright light made her squeeze her eyes shut. When her pupils had adjusted, she looked up and saw...
"Brackenheart!" she purred when she saw her father.
"Snowstar, you make me proud the way you handled this snowstorm. But that is not what I came for." he meowed.
"What did you come for?" she asked him.
"Your two missing apprentices, Eaglepaw and Etharpaw. They are safe, and StarClan is watching over them, just as we watch over you. Do not worry about them. Even now, they travel on the destiny of the prophecy. The very prophecy I gave you what seems like so long ago." He meowed in reply.

"'There shall be four of your kin,
Of whom two shall win
The favor of StarClan and their friends
They will stop at naught to make an end
To trouble in the Clan'"

"Yes," she answered. "I remember that prophecy. They must be searching for the end of the trouble in the Clan. But, what trouble? I don't - I haven't noticed any trouble in FrostClan! Why did they have to leave?"

"All will be found out in good time. All I can tell you is the two who will end the trouble have power. Power far beyond anything we can imagine. They too will find themselves within themselves. Their true power." her father replied.

"What exactly to you mean?"

"Now is not the time to tell you. StarClan does not like to interfere in the Clan much. Live cats must rule their own life. We just give a little help along the way. Just like your kin will aid you along the way. The pathway to eternity."

"Pathway to eter-" she began, but Brackenheart had suddenly vanished. She glanced around camp for him, but only saw a pair of evil-!!!! Evil eyes! Evil eyes staring back at her!

Story Part 10, Section 2 *Etharpaw's Decision*

"What!" cried Lilypaw and Winterpaw in unison.
"How?" questioned Lilypaw. "I would have guessed Eaglepaw was dreaming."
"No." answered Etharpaw. "I'm sure I saw two tom cats. Was one fiery red and one ashy gray?"
"Yes!" replied a stunned Eaglepaw. "Exactly right."
"I was there the whole time, right behind you." she meowed. "You were so focused on what was happening in front of you that you never saw me. What do you think those cats were waiting for?"
"I - I don't know." stammered Eaglepaw.
Etharpaw sighed. "You need to learn how to read between the lines. Or should I say... LISTEN between the lines. One of them said 'If one of them comes, then yes.' We must be one of 'them'. After all, we were the ones who dreamed of them, not Lilypaw or Winterpaw."
"Yeah!" exclaimed Eaglepaw. "Now I... kinda get it." he finished, his voice dropping at the end.
Etharpaw sighed again. "You really DON'T understand, do you." Eaglepaw opened his mouth to respond, but Etharpaw continued. "I'm stating a fact. And, one of them said they were waiting for adventure. Who are we? We love adventure. This is why it must be us."
"And what do you suggest? Snowstar would hardly let us get out of camp free to find two strange cats in who knows where!" Eaglepaw meowed.
"And that, is why we need to sneak out of camp!" announced Etharpaw triumphantly.

*     The    *     next    *   night   *   ...   *

"Quick, this way!" hissed Eaglepaw, noticing that the camp guard padding off around the camp perimeter. "The entrance is clear!"
"How's it over there, Winterpaw?" whispered Etharpaw. Winterpaw and Lilypaw had decided to help their littermates sneak out of camp.
"All clear," he whispered back. "What's up over by you, Lilypaw."
"Nothing I can see." she called back quietly. "Okay, so we don't know where exactly you two are going," she called to Etharpaw and Eaglepaw. "Which means we can truthfully answer Snowstar and our clanmates when they most certainly will ask us 'Where are Etharpaw and Eaglepaw?'. 'We don't know! Why?'. I've got it all planned out."
"Should work like a charm!" whispered Winterpaw.
"What's a charm?" Lilypaw asked.
"I don't know. It just sounded right in the sentence." he answered. "Like 'the early bird catches the worm.'"
"I thought it was 'the early cat catches the prey."
"Say! What do you call a frozen volcano?"
"What's a volcano?"
"A giant heap of rock that spews forth hot stuff."
"You've been listening to Shortwhisker's nonsence tails."
"What! They're not nonsense, they're awesome! Anyways, the answer is an icebox!"
"Ha ha ha." she mewed, rolling her eyes. "That's so funny I forgot to laugh. It sure would help if I knew EXACTLY WHAT AN ICEBOX WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"That's easy. It's a thing twolegs store food in."
"Who'd you hear that from?"
"Guess!"
"Shortwhisker"
"Ding ding ding, we have a winner!"
"Where'd you get that from? Oh, let me guess, Shortwhisker."
"Yeah! Shortwhisker may be cranky, but she sure was adventurous when she was young. She told me she had heard that from a talking picture box in a twoleg nest-"
"She understands twoleg? Anyways, speaking of adventurous, where did Etharpaw and Eaglepaw go?" Lilypaw hissed at Winterpaw. "They were just here a minute ago!"
"They must have left while we were chatting." he replied.
"Oh well." sighed Lilypaw. "Now we'll be SURE to be telling the truth when Snowstar asks us 'Where are Etharpaw and Eaglepaw?'. 'We don't know! Why?'. I've got it all-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You explained that already."
"I did? Oh, yeah. Quick," she hissed to Winterpaw. "Let's get back in the apprentice den before the guard notices we are gone." And with that, they both slipped quietly into the apprentice den.