SkyClan's Revival/Chapter 2

            As Swallowflight and Honeyleaf padded out of the gorge, the latter let out a sigh of sadness. The Clan she had served for many seasons had met its end. As a kit, she had dreamed of one day leading her Clan. And just when she was about to do so, it was ripped away from her. Now, all she had left of SkyClan was her name and Swallowflight.

         The black tom had always been a loyal warrior. Swallowflight was a cat Honeyleaf was proud to travel with.

         “Those fox-hearts. I can’t believe they’d become kittypets!” The tom spat. Honeyleaf didn’t reply, instead she kept walking, thinking of the Clan she was leaving behind.

         “I hope I never see any of them again. I’ll rip them apart.” Swallowflight went on. “I’d never eat those nasty pellets or let a Two-leg hold me!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.284;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">This time Honeyleaf replied, “We can’t let bitterness take hold of us. I wish more than anything I could have become leader and led our Clan. But that isn’t StarClan’s will. We have to move on and do our best Swallowflight.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.284;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The black tom growled, but said nothing.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.284;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The two cats continued downriver, past the Fallen Tree, onward to hopefully better hunting grounds. The pair traveled until it was dark, then found a gorse bush to rest under.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">As Honeyleaf curled up to sleep, she silently prayed to StarClan for the remaining cats in the gorge, and for her and Swallowflight.

<span style="font-weight:400;font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:rgb(0,0,0);white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-weight:400;font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:rgb(0,0,0);white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-weight:400;font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:rgb(0,0,0);white-space:pre-wrap;">Honeyleaf woke up in a starry forest. The air was cool, and the trees slowly swayed in the gentle breeze. Honeyleaf looked around, but there was no sign of any cat. Surely this was a dream. Honeyleaf padded through the trees, looking for sign of prey. If she was going to dream, it might as well be pleasant.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.284;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“It’s not your time to hunt in StarClan.” A deep meow came from somewhere in the trees.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.284;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Honeyleaf froze, frantically looking around.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.284;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">A muscular ginger tabby stepped out of the trees into the light of the moon. “I’m Redstar.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.284;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Honeyleaf didn’t reply, she instead stared at the tom, waiting for him to continue.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.284;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I was leader of ThunderClan when SkyClan… left the forest. We heard SkyClan had met its end. I came to see if it was true.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.284;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Honeyleaf stared blankly at the tom. She’d heard of him before. Elders and queens had mentioned his name when telling of SkyClan’s exile from the forest.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.284;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“What do you want?” Honeyleaf’s voice was icy.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.284;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I cannot let my mistakes be the end of a Clan. You must revive SkyClan Honeyleaf. It may take moons, or even seasons, but you must save your Clan.” The dark ginger tom froze, and then a deeper voice came from him, as if all of StarClan was speaking.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.284;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">'''“Revival lies in the paws of strangers. Do not be afraid of what you do not know.”'''

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.284;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">          As he finished speaking, Redstar began to fade.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">        <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Garamond;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Wait! I…” Honeyleaf began, but it was too late. The former leader was gone.