Story Part 28 *Sharing Thoughts*

As Etharpaw strode into camp grandly, Snowstar was relaxing from her duties as leader for a few moments and enjoying peace. She was sunning herself on a rock, soaking up the last of the leaf-fall sun. When Etharpaw's shadow fell on her, she looked up drowsily.
"Etharpaw?" she asked.
"Yeah, it's me," came the answer.
"What's wrong?" Snowstar asked, still drowsy.
"You didn't tell me about the prophecy," Etharpaw mewed, somewhat annoyed. "And it was about me."
Snowstar sat bolt up-right. "Did Ashfire say that? The prophecy is about you?"
"No and yes," answered Etharpaw. "Lionflame told me."
"Well, I received three prophecies, one from StarClan, and two from Lionflame and Ashfire. The first I received has been fulfilled, and also the second. The third, I just recently got. That must be the one about you. Here it is...
'The time is coming when the two,
In all their power come
Be ready for that day, blessed day,
When your worries shall be done.

The time may be soon,
But it also may be later
So be ready, don't waver
Lest soon become later.'
If you don't get the first line, it's because it came from the first prophecy, the one from StarClan." mewed Snowstar.
Etharpaw stood there for a bit. "Confusing! How am I supposed to know what that means? I am only one cat, not two! How can it be me in the prophecy?"
Snowstar sighed. "I don't know. That's the thing about prophecies. They often speak in riddle, and are hard to understand. That's one reason why I didn't tell you about it. Also, I had only just gotten it days ago."
"I understand now," mewed Etharpaw.
"I don't understand why you got here!" came a voice behind the mother and daughter.
"Winterpaw!" yelped Etharpaw. "I'm sorry. I just had to come back right away. Did you catch anything?"
"Yep!" cried Winterpaw. "I caught that fish on the pile. I've got to go back and get Eaglepaw's now."
"Why?" asked Snowstar, puzzled. "He should be able to take care of his own fresh-kill."
"Oh, well," stuttered Winterpaw, feeling embarrassed for his brother. "He went off without it. He thought you had been carried off by an eagle, Etharpaw, and now he wants to hunt it down to save you and earn his warrior name, Eagleslayer."
Etharpaw snorted. "What a ridiculous idea. Why would an eagle carry me off?"
"Well, you know how... imaginative Eaglepaw can be," meowed Winterpaw.
"Thts rght, E hv e grt magntn," came a choked call from behind them.
What? Etharpaw and Winterpaw thought.
"Eaglepaw, put that down and answer properly," Snowstar mewed briskly.
Eaglepaw dropped the fish on the pile and padded over. "I said; that's right, I have a great imagination." He then turned to Snowstar. "I'm sorry I couldn't bring the eagle back to camp, O Great And Mighty Leader, but it was too heavy to drag back to camp. I feel ready to receive my warrior name, Eagleslayer now, though!"
Snowstar rolled her eyes. "That's too bad, Eaglepaw."
"Yeah," Etharpaw decided to play along too. "Now we'll have to name you Eaglelooser."
"What!" yowled Eaglepaw in protest. "I killed it, I just didn't bring it back."
"Fine," mewed Winterpaw. "You can be Eagleslayer-who-couldn't-bring-the-eagle-back-as-proof."
"Nah," mewed Etharpaw. "That's too much of a mouthful. I'd never be able to say that every time I needed to talk to Eaglepaw."
"I'll think of a wonderful name for you when you become a warrior, dear," Snowstar looked at Eaglepaw, and then turned her attention to her other kits. "You also."
"Thanks, mom," her kits chorused as Snowstar beamed at them.

Story Part 27 *An Awesome Day {scene two}*

"Okay...." mewed Eaglepaw slowly. "Let me get this straight, today will be awesome because we'll prove an expert fisher wrong?"
Etharpaw looked him in the eyes. "Yes." The two siblings had a staring contest. A splash suddenly made them each turn at the same time.
"Ha ha! I caught the fish!" yelled Winterpaw.
"Expert proven false," muttered Eaglepaw.
Etharpaw gleamed with pride. "I told you all the expert was wrong. What expert would give advice like that?" She looked back and forth, with confused eyes.
"What's wrong?" asked Winterpaw.
"Hmm..." Etharpaw mused. "That's very strange."
"What's strange?" asked Eaglepaw.
Etharpaw turned back to her brothers. "I just thought I heard something. And, I don't think the fish is what will be awesome about today. Something big is coming, a huge change."
Eaglepaw and Winterpaw looked at each other and shrugged. "Whatever," they mewed at the same time.
The comment didn't seem to register with Etharpaw. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the shrubs beside the river clearing shiver and then still. The river was calmly carrying on its journey through its banks. Everything seemed normal. Ah, it's probably my imagination, she thought. She padded toward the river and stood, ready to fish.
"Hey!" called out Eaglepaw. "Winterpaw and I are going downstream to fish. Are you gonna stay here?"
Etharpaw nodded, not wanting to make a sound and disturb the fish in the river. She heard her brothers' paws slightly shaking the ground, but not enough to disturb the fish.
"Etharpaw," came a soft voice.
"I thought you guys were going downstream," replied Etharpaw. "Make up your minds."
"Etharpaw, it's Lionflame." came the voice again.
Etharpaw spun around. "Lionflame! What are you doing sulking around our territory?"
"Huh! I'm not sulking around, I'm here to tell you something about the prophecy."
"What prophecy?" Etharpaw was confused.
"So... Snowstar didn't tell you." he meowed.
"I guess not, since I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Here's all I have to say, you can ask Snowstar about the prophecy later," Lionflame announced. "You are part of the prophecy. You, not your brothers."
"Okay... but I don't care at this point since I have no idea about this prophecy you told my mother. You can be sure I'll ask her about it when I get back to camp, though. Now that my curiosity has been aroused, you can't stop me." mewed Etharpaw, swishing her tail.
Lionflame purred. "I don't want to stop you. I want you to go and tell Snowstar what I told you."
"That's good, because I'm going right now," she meowed, and swept grandly into the bushes.
Lionflame shook his head. "Snowstar has her paws full with that one." Then he too left the clearing.
*     A     few     minutes     later     *
Eaglepaw bounded into the clearing with Winterpaw following him, each one carrying a fish in their mouth. Eaglepaw set the fish down. "Etharpaw! Where are you!"
"Etharpaw!" called Winterpaw, adding his voice to Eaglepaw's. After a bit he added; "I don't think she's anywhere in the area."
"You're right," admitted Eaglepaw. "Maybe she fell into the river and got swept downstream screaming her head off."
"Nah," Winterpaw shot that idea down right away. "We'd have heard her. We were fishing downstream."
"Oh." mewed Eaglepaw. "Good point. She must have been carried off by an eagle then. I must hunt it down and save her so I can earn my warrior name, Eagleslayer."
Winterpaw rolled his eyes. "Good luck. I think she went back to camp."
"Aww..." sighed Eaglepaw. "Your reasons are oh so boring."
"Yeah, but they're reasonable, unlike yours."
"Mine are funny!" snapped Eaglepaw.
"Sure sure," Winterpaw waved his tail. "I'm heading back to camp to find her."
"Well I'm going to find the eagle and bring it home for dinner." Eaglepaw headed off in the opposite direction.
A cat in the bushes shook with silent laughter as the two parted ways.

Gathering 9/11/11

Please comment at the Gathering.
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~Snowstar

Story Part 27 *An Awesome Day {scene one}*

"Hmm hmm hmm..." hummed Etharpaw. "Today's a great day."
"Why is that?" asked her brother Eaglepaw.
She looked at him sharply. "Because, I can just feel it, the warm air, the slight breeze, today will be a special day."
Eaglepaw rolled his eyes. "Yeah right!"
"You'll see," Etharpaw told him, padding daintily on her way.
*     *     *     *     *
Snowstar frowned. Something didn't look right. Ah, it's probably just my imagination. She felt like she was getting kinda paranoid since she had run into Lionflame and Ashfire by the river. She yawned and clambered out of her den. She decided to have a look around the territory for anything suspicious looking. Ugh, I'm still paranoid. Oh well, one tiny peek can't hurt... 
A while later, she returned from her one cat patrol with nothing suspicious at all to report. In fact, her whole patrol had been quite boring. The only interesting thing she had seen was the loon.
"Ah, well you can't win every day," she said to no cat in particular.
"You're right on that one," came a voice from behind her.
She turned around to see Rockblaze. "I'm worried," she confessed to him.
He snorted. "I can tell that. You went on a walk at dawn and didn't get back until sun-high. You must have been all the way around the territory. What's on your mind?"
She sighed. "Lionflame and Ashfire told me a new prophecy, and I'm worried about it. It seems that I'll have to wait even longer for some mystery character to appear and be a hero."
"Then why worry about the future?" purred Rockblaze. "Just learn to enjoy the present." He walked off, flicking her ears with his tail as he passed.
"Hmm. He has a point," she murmered to herself.
*     *     *     *     *
Etharpaw, Eaglepaw, and Winterpaw were walking along the river.
"Um... shouldn't a warrior be with us?" asked Winterpaw nervously.
"Nah, we'll be fine," mewed Eaglepaw confidently. "We're almost warriors anyways."
"If you're sure," mewed Winterpaw. "Then let's fish."
The three apprentices scanned the water's surface. It was smooth except for the slow trickle of the water. The river was broad, but calm.
"Oh oh oh!" exclaimed Eaglepaw. "There's one over there." He gestured with his tail.
Etharpaw cleared her throat. "Hear the advice of an expert fisher. A viewed fish cannot be caught."
"If we can't see the fish, how can we catch it?" asked Winterpaw.
"Yeah, whoever said that was mouse-brained," commented Eaglepaw.
"Exactly," replied Etharpaw. "We'll prove the "expert" that they're wrong. That's why today will be awesome."