Blood Within Dreams (Adderpaw) 9

[flighty]

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[atrb=background,http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb404/InfernoLarka/Red2.jpg] Golden eyes flashed in the shadows, and a silent thud echoed throughout the ground as gentle paws landed in soft snow. The tall red she-cat found a place where the snow had not fallen, and curled up on the dry ground, her gaze flicking around lightly to examine her surroundings. She closed her eyes and a flicker of red crossed her vision, fading into silence for several long moments. Pawsteps echoed in her inner hearing, and a young apprentice padded by. Red flicked her tailtip, irritated by this, but curled up tighter to sleep anyway. Her sleep was attacked with dreams, as it always was. The flicker of red, that always crossed her vision before the future scenes would come to her (this was how she'd come up with her own name- Red being for the flicker of red that accompanied her power) And so, the scnes of future happenings began to play across the theater of her mind, as they did every night for the past 2 years. There was a slight shudder of the ground beneath the walking she-cat. She paused, whiskers flittering loosely to catch the current of the air. Her eyes narrowed; was it a large animal, perhaps? Or a monster, of the twolegs? She began to pad along again, when the shudder struck again, rougher this time, strong enough to throw the she-cat from her feet. She scrabbled to her paws as the earth rippled once more. Finally, she merely clung to the hard ground, waiting out the tremors. When they slowed, the red stole her vision again, releasing her in the middle of a hollow, with cats running around and screeching to eachother. A she-cat wailed for her kits, a young cat dashed around, screaming for help, cats lay beneath fallen rock, yowling in horror and in pain. The vision was gone in a flash, replaced by the same cats, running for the lives as molten, fiery lava began to spill from the volcano that their home was nestled beneath. As the bloody red screen overtook the vision, once more the vision was changed. Now she was surrounded by injured cats, dead cats, cats screaming for their missing family.. it was a mess! She heard one voice stand out from the rest, screeching in terror. "Our home is ruined! AshClan is no more! Our Clan is gone!!!!" Red lifted her head with a jolt. AshClan? What was AshClan? Who were those cats? She looked out into the night and froze, fear creeping into her muscles. There, on the horizon, was a large volcano. The same one, in fact, that she'd just seen erupting in her dreams. And she knew better then to pass it off as any old dream. It was a vision. And she needed to find those cats. And she needed to warn them. Soon. "Talking" Talking in Visions Actions Visions

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[Juniper]

Cloudy gray clouds marred the eternal blackness of the night. Miniscule droplets of rain scattered their ranks amongst the dust that settled over all of the Twoleg junk. Wind lashed relentlessly against the fur of a small, but muscular, she-cat. That night, Adderpaw seemed restless. She paced the small apprentices’ den, then squeezed through the even tinier opening. As she emerged, she slanted her dark green eyes against the drizzle. She could barely make out any sort of silhouette through the sheets of stark black. The rain was making everything hazy, clouding her vision, which she really didn’t like. Her anger bubbling over, she charged her way through the growing puddles, stomping on the rainwater and cursing the storm clouds. “You’ll be going to the Dark Forest for this!” she raged. Empty threats as usual.

The tabby apprentice’s movements seemed to startle the cats huddled within their makeshift dens. Or at least, she thought that was the case, for she sensed a shifting inside. Oh well, who really cared how many cats she awoke with her ranting? Certainly not Adderpaw. In her utopia, all cats obeyed her; they worshiped her; they voiced their awe of her incredible Warrior abilities. Just not, well, her Medicine cat skills.

As the tiny sprinkles of rain began to crescendo into a volume of pelting rain, a dark scarlet shape thrust its way from the opening to a den. Caught with surprise, Adderpaw twirled around on her paws, her heart beating. Would she be told off for disturbing their sleep? Quickly, she invented, “I was having an, uh, vision. You know, the usual. Screaming cats, blood spurting everywhere…” Shut up already, Adderpaw, no one cares what you dream, she scolded herself. It was true. In fact, it was common Clan knowledge that she had not yet had a dream – not even a sign – from StarClan. She was sure that most of SoulClan deemed her unworthy to be apprenticed to Gazelleheart.

Adderpaw padded closer to the den, and recognized the fiery red pelt of Red, a loner who frequented their territory. Most didn’t know of her presence, but Adderpaw had seen her from the start. She supposed she should report her to Breezestar, but for some reason, she had taken a liking to this loner. Being a Medicine cat apprentice, she had sensed something… special… about this particular outsider.

Red seemed to stare through her, off into the distance. Curious, the apprentice copied her stare, seeing nothing but the faraway shape of the tallest volcanic mountain in AshClan. Strange that the loner would be gazing at that. “Red…?” she prompted, her forest green eyes sparkling with curiosity. Had something occurred in AshClan territory? If so, what would it mean? Would it… would it mean that SoulClan would have the opportunity to steal parts of their territory? Now her eyes positively gleamed with anticipation. Whatever happened, she was sure her powerful Clan could benefit from it. And… if she were the one to ‘predict’ this? Then her Clan would realize…

…that she was competent enough to be a Medicine cat after all.

Word Count 515
Tags Red
OoC So excited about this plot!

[flighty]

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[atrb=background,http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb404/InfernoLarka/Red2-1.jpg] Lost in her thoughts, Red did not notice Adderpaw padding by until the apprentice called her name. Her amber gaze shifted to the Medicine Cat apprentice, noting the excitement in her deep green gaze. "I've been expecting you, Adderpaw." She mewed quietly, slipping all the way out of her den and sweeping around the young she-cat. "Go on, get out of the rain. It's plenty large enough in there for both of us." She suggested, flicking her tail toward the opening. She often wondered about Adderpaw. She knew the apprentice had seen her before, and this was clearly proven by the fact that her name was known to the young tabby, yet her prescence had not been given away to the cat's friends. I wonder why that is... What would she have to gain by letting a loner roam free on her land? Red thought absently. Any other cat would've tried to attack her, tried to run her off. She, of course, would have seen that she was unwelcome here before any attack happened and would promptly leave. But she had seen no sign of any cat coming to drive her out, even though an apprentice knew she was there. Could she trust Adderpaw? She decided to go with it. "I'm going to jump out on a limb here and pray that I can trust you. How much do you know of me?" She asked, her golden eyes searching Adderpaw's gaze for any flicker of emotion, any sign that she knew more then she was letting on. "And what can you tell me about the cats that live by the volcano? They are in trouble, and I need to warn them before their entire Clan is destroyed." She shut her eyes tightly, trying to block out the memory of her vision, ice prickling down her spine like claws as she recalled the cats screeching in pain, and the one white she-cat yowling about her Clan being destroyed, about AshClan being no more... Red shook her head to clear it, thinking about other things now. "And how did you know my name was Red?" She asked, tilting her muzzle. Her whiskers flicked, absently solving the question on her own. Of course. Any cat who saw me often would dub me Red, for my fur. Duh. She blinked, her amber gaze flashing briefly. She'd risked a bit, telling Adderpaw about the looming disaster, but if her predication was true- and it always was, probably due to that uncanny ability to see the future- she could trust the apprentice to keep her mouth shut and to help her out. It should be worth it. For a long moment, Red fell silent as the shady red haze fell across her vision again. What? I'm not trying to see anything and I'm not dreaming! Her thoughts screamed. But the vision claimed her anyways. Quiet. Dead quiet. Darkness everywhere, weary pawsteps now echoing into the silence. The same tom from before, leading a small group of roughed-up, bleeding cats trailing behind him. None were uininjured, most were limping, some had to be dragged by their fellow travelers. The lead cat no longer had that same fierce determination in his gaze, and a small blue-grey she-cat limped up to fall in beside him. "Breezestar, where are we going?" The cat mewed, her voice a cracking whisper. "I don't know, Blueflame. I don't know. You heard the other Clans. They won't shelter us." The brown-and-white tabby tom mewed lifelessly. "But we aren't cursed by StarClan! A-are we?" The blue-grey cat protested at first, but her voice at the end was weak and quiet. "No, Blueflame. I don't think we are. We might be. But the other Clans think so, and they won't allow us to 'taint their Clans' with our disgrace. We just have to keep walking..." As the hazy red took over again, fading to give Red her sight back, it felt as though her blood had been replaced by ice. "It's worse. It's happening, soon. They need to be warned. Their Clan will be destroyed.. They won't be able to find shelter in the other Clans. Their own Clan's destruction will be seen as a curse from StarClan. AshClan, all of them, will be destroyed." Her voice was nearly inaudible, but it's strength seemed to echo throughout the shelter were the two cats were settled. [glow=red,2,300]AshClan, all of them, will be destroyed...[/glow] Thinking "Talking" Doing Visions "Talking Within Visions"

[Juniper]

Although she had felt a sort of kinship with this loner, Adderpaw still flinched as the fiery-pelted she-cat approached her. Repulsed at her rudeness, she kept her odd twitching behavior, blaming it on a tick that was disturbing her. “Stupid flies, you know. I’ll have to go get some more of that vile mouse bile, or ask Gazelleheart – that’s our Medicine cat – to do it since it’s hard to by myself,” she lied quickly, her heart churning. Red’s eyes were glazed with emotion – terror it seemed – so she doubted she would even hear her, much less comprehend her thoughtless gesture. And even worse, the loner demonstrated her politeness by offering the apprentice shelter.

The tabby gray she-cat stumbled as she padded into the makeshift den, still keeping up the tick ruse. Her nose poked the lengths of the shelter, exploring its every nook and cranny before settling down. Her misty gray fur shuddered and trembled, its every hair sticking up in a most uncomfortable position – how much like a porcupine she must look!- as what little warmth there was seeped through. But it barely made a difference; here, the temperature was still chilly and miserable. For a heartbeat, concern wove its way into her muted green eyes as she cast Red a sympathetic stare.

The loner entered, her eyes distant with thought. A slight head tilt as Adderpaw wondered what she could possibly be thinking. Anyways, what did that matter? The Medicine cat apprentice was still puzzling over how she could be expecting her. Such creepy behaviors surely only belonged to Medicine cats? Her thoughts side-tracking, she recalled the countless times her mentor, the tawny-colored Gazelleheart, had crept up on her. She herself had attempted this move, only to be met with failure. Adderpaw sighed. This was yet another way of the Medicine cats she had not mastered.

Suddenly, the scarlet she-cat spoke of trust, which for some reason frightened Adderpaw. Taken by surprise, she stuttered, “Y-you mean AshClan? They’re in… trouble?” What other Clans did she know of who resided by volcanoes? Then her jade green eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Wait, why do you care so much about AshClan?” she queried bluntly, her eyes now slits. Strange that a loner should be so concerned about Clan affairs. And further, why should she trust this stranger? Shouldn’t StarClan have contacted Adderpaw or her mentor regarding this?

The tabby apprentice’s confused thoughts continued to swell in such a fashion as Red squeezed her eyes shut. “Are you alright, Red?” she inquired more kindly. She fervently hoped the loner hadn’t fallen ill. But the loner only responded by shutting her eyes again. Tremors leaped in her body, which was almost convulsing. She must be having a vision. A vision… whereas Adderpaw didn’t even have any sort of dream at all this past moon! Oh, the injustice of it all! She had to admit, she could barely suppress her rage for StarClan. Those contemptuous- Those evil- It did no good to insult the oh-so-wise felines of StarClan. The gray tabby must simply wait for those greedy beasts to accept her.

Adderpaw, her dull green eyes glinting with flushed humiliation that a loner would have visions while a Medicine cat’s apprentice didn’t, stared at Red. Her claws twitched, aching to sink them into a warm body; her fangs glistened with the saliva of vengeance. How easy it would be to kill Red now… But no! She couldn’t do that. Red, despite being a stranger to her still, was her friend.

Soon, Red aroused from her dream, her expression a mask of horror. When she spoke, her voice was shaky and so very quiet, like death. Adderpaw had to edge closer to hear her story. “The Clans will be destroyed? Curse from StarClan?” she echoed in a murmur. She had always known that StarClan was trickier than every Warrior was led to believe. The Medicine cat apprentice’s eyes burned with fury. “I’ll stop them!” she vowed in her usual, arrogant way. A low growl emitted from her throat as she pounced out of the shelter. Sharp droplets of rain pierced her back as she waved her tail, signaling for Red to follow. “I’ll take you to AshClan right now,” she called back, before disappearing into the darkness of the night.

Word Count 715
Tags Red (and possible some AshClan cats)
OoC I hope that them going to AshClan is the direction you want the plot to go (I can add some drama by Drop Canyon though!).

[flighty]

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[atrb=background,http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb404/InfernoLarka/Red2-1.jpg] Red flicked her ears as Adderpaw mumbled something about ticks; the sleek russet loner knew it was just an excuse. She smiled slightly, her ears pricking up and twisting around as Adderpaw began to stammer out a couple of questions. Her gaze flickered around, landing on the volcano again. "Relax, Adderpaw." She mewed softly, resting her tail on the tabby's shoulder, noting a flicker of violence in the young cat's eyes. "Killing me would do no good. You'd be no better off. What would murdering a loner do for you? And besides...." Her voice trailed off as she glanced over at the apprentice. "I've not had a claw touch me for quite a while, though I've been in more fights than you can imagine." Her voice was soft, but sharp at the same time as she sat up. Her eyes were narrowed golden slits, tailtip flicking idly as she recalled the vision. "AshClan is led by Breezestar, correct?" She mused, not really asking a question; it was more of a statement. "I'll have a heck of a time insisting that they're in trouble...." She shook her head, remembering the last time someone had refused to believe her warnings. Everything she'd predicted had come true, and dozens of cats had died because of one cat refusing to listen. Red ignored Adderpaw's question at the moment- she'd explain why she needed to help AshClan later, once she knew that the tabby she-cat was going to help. No point in telling her idle stories without knowing whether or not she was in. There were some things that were just out of Red's reach- things that escaped her mind and refused to come to her. Sometimes the future did not want to cooperate. Red let out a heavy sigh as Adderpaw bounded out into the shadowy night. She raised her voice, sitting calmly where she was, not following the apprentice quite yet. "I'll need your help, Adderpaw." She meowed, her whiskers flicking. "Breezestar won't believe me when I tell him my story. I know that for a fact. I also know that the volcano is going to erupt, and a countless number of innocent cats will die. All of AshClan, actually. Cats will die beneath avalanches, and be burned by the molten rock, and then the rest will perish when the other three Clans refuse to give them shelter. They'll be cursed by StarClan to everyone else's eyes, though it's just a happening of nature." She paused, taking a deep breath, and, for once, her voice was shaky. "Does that answer your question as to why I want to help? I believe your warrior code tells you that you are not to turn away a kit in need, despite it's background. You would not let a helpless kitten die, so why should I let an entire Clan die when I know that I can prevent it?" She stood and padded forward into the night, the shadows swallowing her fiery pelt and the rain plastering her sleek fur to her sides. She found Adderpaw quickly and fell into step beside the apprentice, her ears flat against her head, a deep growl in her chest. "Rain is no place for a cat to be, especially one of my importance." She did not raise herself cockily, nor make it seem as though she were the Queen of everything. It was just a quiet statement, acknowledging the fact that she had important responsibilities, and they were not much use in the dark, cold rain. "And Adderpaw? Please do not ask me questions about how I know what's happening, alright?" She asked, her eartips flickering up. "Back to where you come in, though.... I don't know if I should follow you into their camp. They might find it a bda intrusion... So, I'll need your help, and maybe you'll benefit from it, too." Her stride hesitated for a moment before continuing on. "Let's say you've had a dream from StarClan. There's a terrible disaster, and all of AshClan will be drowned in their namesake unless they escape in time. You need to convince them to leave their territory and to stay in everyone else's...." She stopped suddenly, ice traling down her spine, and it wasn't because of the frigid rain. She cursed under her breath, lashing her tail furiously. "The other Clans will need to let them in, and they won't believe that they need to, unless..." Her golden eyes lit up as she got an idea. "Let's say, in the middle of the night, a ghostly... apparatus... appeared to each leader, whispering secrets about allowing new warriors into their camp, for just a little while? They'd have to believe us, then." She bounded foreward several paces, lifting her muzzle to the air. "We can save AshClan..." Red whispered, a smile trickling into her muzzle. "Come on, Adderpaw! Lead the way!" She called. "And let's hurry!" Thinking "Talking" Doing Visions "Talking Within Visions"

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[Juniper]

Once again, the tabby apprentice flinched as Red passed her a piercing gold stare, then echoing Adderpaw’s precise thoughts. How did she know…? Considering that her ability might possibly have to do with reading minds, she gave an involuntary shudder. Life was bleak when even your thoughts were not your own. And the loner’s reassurances for her to relax were not much help. “Relax? Me? Hah, fat chance of that,” she muttered crossly under her breath. Withholding her instinct to claw the other she-cat, she resorted to a sharp glare. What did she know anyways of her battle prowess?

The arrogant young she-cat continued to fume, her claws flexing but her heart not really into harming the flame-colored loner. Then Red spoke again, her voice barely audible with the tempests rolling their harsh noises. Adderpaw’s jaws opened to reply but she hesitated, sensing the inquiry was more of a rhetorical question. Red continued on, her words shaping her furious emotions. A thoughtful expression entered the apprentice’s face. “What if… What if I said I was the one who had that dream or vision or whatever?” she suggested hesitantly, her dark forest eyes gleaming. It was the perfect solution. AshClan would be convinced, which would ease Red’s conscience, and Adderpaw would be seen as the hero of her Clan! She waited, her face a mask of anticipation.

So eager was she, that she leapt out of the makeshift den in her haste to begin her first real Warrior’s mission. No, she corrected herself, her first real Medicine cat’s mission. A bright smile crossed her face as she dreamed beneath the storming night. She imagined breaking the shocking news to a rival Clan, head and tail held high as she delivered their fateful verdict, the stares of jealousy crossing the faces of all the cats present (and most especially the envious glares of Dappleshade and Ripplepaw). But she – she would be the picture of calm, she would be like a member from StarClan itself. Her fur would faintly glow and her tail would flow out…

But Red’s stream of words droned on, interrupting her reverie. Small gray head snapping back, she exclaimed, “But…! They’re all going to die?” Horrific sounding, yes, but what she was more concerned about was how it would affect the balance of Clans. Four Clans – one for each season – that was how the system went. And to eliminate one Clan in such a way… Devastation. Utter destruction. Desolation. All of these terrifying images flitted across her mind, each scene more graphic than the next. “That would suck,” she murmured. A huge understatement as usual.

Adderpaw glanced at the distant Ember Mountain through the thick darkness. It stood solidly and calmly. Suspicion clouded her jade green eyes. “And how would you know anyways?” she hissed, glaring again. She was so frustrated. Who gave StarClan the right to lavish this loner with all these visions and withhold them from her? Her anger smothering her common sense (or what little was left of it), she gave a low and menacing growl. “I for one don’t want to help such a stupid Clan as AshClan. Stupid name too,” she declared suddenly, her eyes growing beady.

At last, the loner padded out of the shelter place, her ears flattened as if that would shield her from the relentless rain. Adderpaw waited patiently for her to approach, her silver tabby tail flicking. She turned her muzzle upwards, relishing the cooling sensation of crystalline droplets of rain sliding down her face. Each prick felt calming for her, and at last her temper was even enough that she could stand listening to Red’s plan without ranting about StarClan. She listened, her eyes watching the varying expressions visiting the russet-scarlet loner’s face. “Ghostly apparatus?” she echoed skeptically. But then, she was always skeptical as far as dead things were concerned. She slowly shook her head. No. “There has got to be a better way,” she insisted. Another thoughtful look, her eyes screwed up in concentration.

No sudden plan entered her mind. Adderpaw was completely blank. Again shaking her head furiously, she pounded away. She would make up a plan as she ran. She always did. Impromptu schemes always worked for her.

Word Count 705
Tags Red
OoC Ugh, lost a bit of muse halfway through, sorry!