"The Dream"

-- no more passing out, waking up. again, follow my lead. this is where it gets interesting--

It seemed like only moments, but it could have been hours since he had passed out. Waking up, Shadestar's head felt sore, perhaps where he hit it? He felt groggy as well. Wondering what even happened, he stood up shakily, putting one foot on the rock one by one and standing up. What met his eyes scared him to his core.

The wolves were all collapsed as if they were dead. Every single wolf. What could have even caused this? But that wasn't what alarmed him the most. All the trees, all the foliage, everything.... Was burnt to ash. Gone, like that. He couldn't have been out that long could he? Stepping down from the rock, he trotted to the edge of the clearing. Something didn't feel right here, as though it was a dream, though it felt real enough certainly. It was just something didn't fit right in his mind. Perhaps he was just attempting to cope with what happened. All of his home, everyones home, gone in the course of a second. What the heck was going on? Confused, he ran back to the rock and stood there, his golden gaze protectively watching the rest of the collapsed wolves, especially the ShadowClan ones. They would have to come together, whether they wanted to or not.

Skypup felt consciousness coming back to her slowly. She opened her eyes with some struggle but when she did she wished she hadn't. Not only was every wolf passed out, looking dead, but everything was black and ashy.

Jaystreak woked angered by what happened. She complained, "Who did this!? Woah wait... Why are the trees burned?" She looked around seeing everything she knew gone. With the trees burned, they must work together.

Silverpup stiffled to a slow wake. She felt rested yet anxious she blinked. Silverpup stretched her legs but she couldn't stand something or someone was on her. She wiggled free panting looking around the clearing everybody limp and asleep. Not only the wolves looked dead but their once called home was black and gone. It wss ruined she stuttered. She took another glance around and it seemed other wolves were slowly rising. Her gaze flickered towards the dark wolf standing on the rock. She gently made her way to the foot of the rock. Although she did not fully know this wolf she was going to have to learn to trust when in need. She looked at the wolf and waited to find out what had happens.

Jaystreak looked around scared. She was so used to the forest for protection and hunting. Her nose was picking up a smokey smell. "It must of been a fire?"

Jetpup woke with a start, jumping to a sitting position and blinking in confusion. He felt like he was asleep for an eternity, and as his eyes focused, he was met with an alarming sight. Everything around the clan was burned to the ground. All the trees, brush, grass, it all was gone and turned to ash. Pinning his ears back, Jetpup recoiled in fear. Something strange had happened while they were all sleeping, and he didn't know what to make of it. Whining pathetically, he glanced around, wondering what to do.

He watched from the rock as others slowly came awake. The female who got angry earlier, for one. He listened silently to the others comments of the forest, before they seemed to notice him. "Perhaps." he replied to them. "Or... darker forces might be at work." He wasn't so quick to trust this female, especially because of her prior outburst and attempt to ruin the peace of the gathering. He could tell this wolf would be trouble already, and decided to keep a close eye on her. Shadestar noticed that only one of his ShadowClan wolves had woken up yet and silently mused of who would be the first. He nodded to Moonlightmelody as she stood up. Or what if some of them didn't wake up... at all? Who could have guessed this could have happened? Was there some kind of omen warning them? His golden eyes turned to the seemingly life-less WindClan leader. He would have been the most recent wolf to receive any full contact from StarClan, since he would have recently travelled to the Moonstone to gain his lives. Maybe he knew something? Why wouldn't he have shared it then! Shadestar snorted in annoyance.

Owlfrost woke as suddenly as she had fallen asleep, voices breaking her conciousness and she rose to her paws and looked around in alarm. Some wolves were still out, some struggling awake as she was, and some milling about surveying the change. And what a change it was: the trees and green things gone, looking for all the world as if, as the ThunderClan warrior had said, a fire had swept through.

But how in StarClan could that be? No fire could manage to sweep through and leave every wolf unharmed (for it looked to her eyes that no pelt had even the slightest singe to it, just the black and charred remains of what had once been thick foliage). "I agree with Shadestar," she said, looking to the ShadowClan leader. "What fire could have burned the plants, but left us unharmed?" A shiver swept through the generally level headed, logical warrior. Dark forces indeed.

With barely suppressed anxiety, she turned her attention to where Stonestar had stood earlier. He seemed to be among those who had yet to wake, and that realization caused the anxiety to flare momentarily. Unable to stay still, she took a step toward the great rocks, hoping that indeed, all were unharmed and her leader and clanmates, as well as the rest of the wolves, would soon awaken.

Jaystreak looked around sadly and replied, "Well. Whatever it is. We need to find out. But, what will we do if our homes are gone?" She was worried for herself and the safety of her clan. The she-wolf glanced around padding toward the Wind-Clan leader who has not woken up yet.

Black eye lids opened, and like a wave of rushing water, blurry but dark images filled his line of sight. Still uncertain as to what exactly had happened; it took him a bit of time to get back on his feet. And even then when he could stand again, his long legs seemed somewhat wobbly and weak. What exactly had happened? How could things change from one thing to the other, and so quickly? None of the current situation, or images seemed to make any sense.

With eyes now cast down below, and toward the other wolves, Stonestar spotted Owlfrost just beneath the Great rock. No longer worried about where he stood, Stonestar jumped down from the rocks with a sloppy landing. “What is this?” He calmly questioned Owlfrost, but he was certain the female warrior wouldn’t be able to provide an answer.

Letting out a breath of relief, Owlfrost noticed Stonestar beginning to stir, pulling himself unsteadily to his paws. Thank StarClan he's alright, she thought, hoping the same of the rest of the clan, but concentrating on the one nearest her for now. Catching his line of sight, Owlfrost stepped back, giving him room as he jumped down. In other situations, she might have worried about the jump, or that his landing seemed tipsy, but honestly, who could blame any wolf for being wobbly on their paws when they'd woken up to this.

Sadly, she shook her head, shoulders rolling slightly to emphasize her uncertainty. "I wish I knew Stonestar, it was like this when I woke." She pointed her muzzle toward Shadestar. "We think there's something dark at work here," it felt as foreboding to say it as it had been when the ShadowClan leader had earlier. "There's no way a fire could have come through and done this: no wolf is injured, thank StarClan, but a fire would not have destroyed the trees and plants and left us."

Jaystreak smiled as the leader awokened. She backed away slowly as she tried to examine the situation. With the trees burned, nothing was left.

Apache's eyes fluttered open, yawning the male attempted to stand, but all he managed to do was topple over. It took several more tries before the wolf could stand, but when he did Apachepaw fell down once more his eyes open wide as he gazed at the land in shock, what had happened? "A fire would kill us too." He mumbled, "Either the smoke or flames would have reached us, none would have survived."

“Starclan,” Stonestar repeated in a hushed whisper as if the word was meant only for his ears. With eyes staring blankly at what did exist around him and the others, Stonestar fell utterly silent. As bits and pieces of the dream he had been given, while at Mothermouth surfaced and played back. “I thought, it only concerned Windclan” he said again though this time his voice was a tad bit louder. Just before his eyes focused on a warrior who appeared to be from Thunderclan, and then back to Owlfrost.

Jaystreak stared at WindClan leader curiously. She tilted her head a bit wondering what the leader knows.

Standing near him, Owlfrost managed to catch Stonestar's quiet comments, despite the softness with which he spoke them. They sent a cold shiver through her pelt, one that ruffled her fur for a moment, but lingered even as the tremble eased from her frame. Had StarClan sent Stonestar a sign when he'd gone to Mothermouth? It wasn't as if the WindClan leader had had much time to process anything they might have told him--he and Skydust had arrived at camp with just enough time to turn right back around and head for the gathering.

She caught the Clan leader's gaze and gave an exhaling sigh, murmering a reply that was quiet and reassuring. "Whatever it was, it's happened. All we can do is work through it together Stonestar." And hope that whatever ill fortune had caused this was well and done. She dared not think what other havoc could be wrought. After all, wasn't this quiet enough to contend with?

Jaystreak decided it was time to quit the feuds and offer help. She exclaimed, "Sir, Stonestar, I am sure Thunderclan is willing to help. I am surely wanting to help in anyway." She smiled knowing that all the clans need to work together if anyone was going to get answers.

Awakening, the female rose to meet the dangers that surrounded the clans. In annoyance she huffed; everyone was pondering what to do but no one was telling them what to do. She raised her voice.
"Sitting ducks are dead ducks. I first suggest we get to safety and possibly loom close to water. The ground near water will be less dry than ground away from water, correct? I also believe that if a fire swept through, it probably wouldn't have gone very close to bodies of water for the reasons stated above."

I looked at the female and trotted to her ready to head out of the crowded dry clearing. Silverpup's paws yearned to feel the lush grass and moist water. She waited tor agreement from others.

Apache listened to them all talk, to stunned to do or say anything-which meant something was seriously wrong. And so he simply waited to be told what to do, subconsciously moving closer to his mentor for comfort.

Jaystreak walked toward the Riverclan warrior and nodded in agreement. "I have to agree with her. If we are to survive, staying near water will be our best bet." She smiled looking around to see who was all in agreement.