Whispers of the Ancient Spirit

Written by Fallenpaw, and created for Sunny and Eagleclaws' Fanfiction contest.

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A light breeze flowed through the hollow I made my makeshift nest in, and snow was falling lightly outside. It was light, yes, but it already blanked the soft, green grass. The world was slowly turning white.

I shifted, tossed, turned, but couldn’t myself comfortable. I couldn’t get sleep to find me.

It was lonely in this hollow. I was far, far away from the Clan I was born and raised in. The place in which I was loved, and the place I loved in return.

I killed our leader. Our mouse-brained, cowardly leader, Badgerstar. Oh, don’t get me started on him. He pretended to be brave. He pretended to be courageous. But he was a liar. He was a rotten, fox-hearted liar. That’s why I’m in a cold, lonely hollow, instead of being surrounded by warm, furry bodies sleeping in nests of moss and leaf and twig.

I finally got sick of sitting here, being wishy-washy like my old leader. I got up, stretched, and began to pad outside of this dark hollow.

I squinted at the snow, which was bright and shiny, as it was reflecting moonlight. I glanced up at the sky, and the moon was making it’s climb up the black and yellow sky.

“Stormwave!” I heard a familiar voice call out.

Probably Hazel. I thought to myself.

A light brown tabby she-cat emerged from a tunnel behind my hollow.

“Are you okay?” She meowed. “You should be sleeping.”

I twitched my tail in irritation. “I’m fine. My question is, what are you doing in the middle of the night.”

“Hunting,” She snapped at me. “What does it look like?” She hissed, gesturing at the rabbit she dropped at her feet.

“How was I supposed to know? Can I read minds?” I said, sarcasm heavily coating my voice.

“I doubt it, now, stop being a fox.” Hazel snapped at me, with annoyance.

'  Go to the cave… go to the cave… go to the cave… go to the cave…. ' I jumped in alarm, jerking my gaze everywhere. “Did you hear that?” I asked Hazel anxiously.

“Hear what?” Hazel meowed, a little boredily.

“I need to go…” I meowed to her sheepishly, and bounded off.

I followed the dirt twoleg path toward where the sound came from.

' You hear me. Good. ' I stared into the cave where the sound was coming from. Fear knotted my chest. My instincts screamed run, but I need to see what I’m hearing. Then, the thought struck me: What if I’m going crazy?

I dismissed the thought, although it still lied in the back of my mind.

I stepped into the cave, and yowled. “Who are you?”

Laughter came. '  You know who I am. ' I lashed my tail angrily, and unsheathed my claws. I asked again, in a angry, irritated voice: “Who are you?!”

'  I’m the cat who knows your every move. The cat who sees when you dream, walk, run, hunt… ' “Stupid prankster.” I muttered furiously. “Probably a stupid kit.”

Loud crumbling sounds came from behind me, and the rocks above the cave came crumbling over, blocking the exit.

“Fox-dung!” I cursed angrily. “This day just keeps getting better!” I lashed my tail grumpily. Then I asked the voice this: “What do you want from me?”

 Follow the trail… follow the trail… follow the trail…  I stomped my way along the stony ground. I squinted my eyes, trying to see the path ahead.

The path was getting thinner, and more closed off. I could feel walls all around me, and slight panic rose through me.

I arrived in the a clearing in the middle of the cave. A small hole in the roof allowed dim moonlight to enter the cave.

'  Behind you. ' The voice laughed at me. I whipped around, ready to think I would see an apprentice or kit behind me. Instead, I saw something very different.

A tall, lithe, silvery-blue, she-cat with stars in her fur had appeared behind me.

“Good job.” She meowed, slight amusement in her words. “You found your way here… unharmed.” She meowed with a flick of her tail. “Now, your trials begin.”

My heart rate sped up. “Trials? What trials?” I asked scrambling around trying to get out of the cave.

She flicked her paw, and a rock blocked my path. “You can’t leave, Stormwave. StarClan demands this.”

“What happens i-if I leave?” I stammered nervously.

“Then you’ll die in here and rot, alone forever.” She meowed simply.

“W-what do I-I have to d-do?” I stammered, and anxiousness filled my voice.

“First, go kill that badger.” She grinned at me, then disappeared in cloud of smoke.

A angry roar sounded from above, and a large patch of ceiling on the other end of the cave fell away. In it’s place, a large, angry badger.

I fought for what felt like hours, when I finally bit it into it’s disgusting neck, and snapped it. It fell to the ground, and the spirit re-appeared.

“Very good, very good.” She meowed with satisfaction. “You passed the first trial.”

“Now, next trial. Answer these riddles.”

“Seriously? Riddles?” I meowed in disbelief.

“Watch your tone.” She meowed dangerously. “What’s moves all day but cannot walk, what’s more powerful than cat-kind but weak in many ways?”

“I have no idea.” I shrugged. “A snake? What is this even?”

“A snake is the answer.” She sighed at me. “I told, these are riddles. Now shut up and listen to the next question. “What’s rule-bound but always breaking?”

“Uh… a… Clan… cat?”

“Very good, and unfortunately your kind always are breaking rules you have. Why do you even have them?”

I glared at her with a mix of annoyance and impatience. “Get on with it.”

“Well, you passed the trial. Now.. what else can I have you kill..”

“Please. Not. Another. Badger.” I growled at her. “I’m sick of badger.”

“Well, another badger trial would be redundant. Now, be. QUIET!”

I jumped in alarm. “O-okay.”

“Go kill that patrol.”

“WHAT?! KILL A GROUP? BY MYSELF?”

“Have fun!” The spirit meowed cheerily, and disappeared. I defeated the patrol after a while, and the spirit let me go. StarClan came to me later, and told me, because of what I did, I was able to return to my home. I lived with my Clan again, and one day later had a mate and kits. I guess that Spirit worked some wonders.