Contains: mentions of un@living RainClan Stormshadow instinctively sat on the root of the tree that formed the leader’s den. She still couldn’t process the fact that Aspenstar was gone. “Sit on the branch, mouse-brain!” One of her brothers, Jaystripe, snapped. Leaders always lay on that branch when calling Clan meetings. Stormshadow worked her way up the tree, careful not to scratch it. She inhaled the scent of Aspenstar, the only thing reassuring her. He had been like a brother to her, an older one, but a brother nonetheless. She lay on the branch he always perched on, yet his scent was getting stale, and the branch was still warm. Stormashadow wanted to wail like a kit. How could StarClan let this happen? Her other brother, Wolfclaw, perched below her, blinking kind eyes at them. “Stormshadow, our leader, Aspenstar, was unalived today in a battle with ShoreClan. He named you as his deputy some moons ago, and so now it is your duty to take over as leader. You will be sent to the Mooncave soon, but not today, as a storm is coming.” said Jaystripe. Stormshadow sighed and leapt off the branch. She headed towards the Warrior’s den, but turned to go to her new den, the Leader’s den. Stormshadow tried to sleep on the nest an apprentice had made for her, full of blue jay feathers and cushiony moss. No matter how much she twisted and turned, she just wouldn’t fall asleep. Soon she left her den and perched on the branch above her den, Aspenstar’s scent calming her until she fell asleep. She woke up after Midday. Stormshadow leapt off of the tree and stretched. She decided that she would go to the Mooncave. Not only to see Aspenstar, she told herself, but also to get her nine lives. She would leave Jaystripe at camp. She knew the way to the Mooncave, and he was busy with the Whitecough outbreak. It wasn’t very severe, but it still occupied him. As Stormshadow neared the end of RainClan territory, she wove through the forest to avoid the border patrols. She rolled around in sand a bit to mask her scent, but she didn’t think it helped much besides making her pelt all grainy. Besides, all ShoreClan cats thought that RainClan cats couldn’t swim. And their camp was close to the ocean. She would swim to their camp. Yet just a few minutes later, she heard a few voices. “Halt.” Wetwater said. “I smell RainClan up ahead.” ShoreClan Foxpaw dropped a mouse into the fresh-kill pile, calculating how much more they needed before all the prey disappeared into their burrows. I brought back a mouse…Blackface most likely brought two voles so far…and if Mosspaw is successful with Wetwater, then both of them will bring back about three pieces of prey. He sighed. It’s still not enough. It’s never enough. Foxpaw saw a reddish-brown coat out of the corner of his eye approach him. Blackface! I thought she was on a hunting patrol? “Hello, Foxpaw. Have you checked the elders for ticks yet?” she said, cold and calculating. Foxpaw sighed. “No, Blackface. I promised to get to that after I dropped the mouse off.” She nodded in approval. “Good. Take fresh-kill to the elders, the storm is coming and we’ll all be stuck inside.” “All cats who can swim, please come to the Leader’s Den!” Dreamstar yowled at that moment, breaking off into a cough. Mapleleaf hurried to the top of the Leader’s Den, giving Dreamstar a herb. She shook her off and proceeded to start announcing. “A bad storm is coming. Wetwater will take a patrol to check the borders and for any stray fresh-kill. Coming with me are Sandstripe, Honeysong, Splashcloud, Willowfern, Blackface, Mapleleaf, Stonepaw, and Foxpaw.” While Wetwater, the Clan’s deputy, looked determined, Foxpaw was slightly concerned to see Stonepaw’s shining eyes. The calm before the storm, he reminded himself. No rain, no rainbows. He was so distracted repeating storm proverbs to himself that he almost didn’t notice Blackface nearing him. “Foxpaw,” she growled. “You’ve better do a good job. I’m watching you.” “Additionally,” Dreamstar continued. “There has been a whitecough epidemic in camp, for those of you who do not know. Our medicine cat, Mapleleaf, is trying to cure all of us, but until further notice, please stay away from infected cats.” She jumped off of the roof of the Leader’s Den. Foxpaw gulped and quickly followed Wetwater, scared of both the illness and Blackface’s threat. When they got to the border, Wetwater started to sniff the ground, but then sneezed. “Halt.” He said. “I smell RainClan up ahead.” RainClan chapter and characters written by ShoreClan chapter and characters written by cover features Stormshadow (RainClan) and Wetwater (ShoreClan) by we are proud to bring you Eye of the Storm chapter 1, after about a month of working on it! New episodes will be released every other week. hehe does make sense now project put together by 3sp Next:
