Username: StormSerpent
Cat Name: OnyxPaw
Clan: LotusClanRank: apprentice
Gender: male
Age: 11 moons
Partner: MythzPrompt:OnyxPaw looked up at his mentor LittleNose. They weren’t just mentor and apprentice, they were also best friends. Little suggested that they head down to the river to hunt. Onyx gulped thinking about all of the ways the rushing water could kill him. LittleNose looked at him and remembered Onyx’s fear of the water “Or how about we practice battle in the training clearing?” he said smiling. Onyx nodded and followed him.
Soon the little black cat was sitting on the warriors shoulders, they were both laughing. Suddenly, Little sat up and Onyx fell off of him. “Do you smell that?” he asked, his ears pinned back. Onyx had hardly ever seen his mentor so serious. “Smell what? My victory?” he asked, giving an awkward smile.
Suddenly a strong scent hit him right in the face, he didn’t recognise it, but he hated it. “What is that?” he asked, repulsed. The grin melted off of his face, “smoke,” Little hissed. “We have to tell the others!” he said rushing back to back, OnyxPaw close behind him.
The camp was already starting to panic when their leader announced that they would be safe on the other side of the stream. Everyone stopped and started to get ready, but OnyxPaw froze. They had to cross the river. He couldn’t. He just couldn't. LittleNose looked at him and knew that Onyx would never be able cross the river. He dashed off and shorty returned with the news that TallFeather would take him around the river and they’d meet up on the other side. Onyx nodded relieved. He wished Little would be with him, but understood he’d want to stay with FernSnap, his mate.
“I’ll see you soon,” he called out to his mentor as he left with Tall.
art by mythz Onyx knew everything would be fine and he didn’t understand why everyone was so scared of this “fire” … until he saw it. A huge roaring wall of danger, the air was thick with smoke, and he coughed struggling to breathe. Tears streamed down his face as they leapt over flames and crawled under burning logs.
Soon, Tall spoke the truth that neither of them wanted to admit, “We’re lost.” Everything looked the same, blackened trees, red and gold leaping through the air. And everything smelled like death and smoke. Not much later Tall collapsed. “I can’t continue-” she coughed, “I’ll meet you after the fire has died down.” They both knew it was a lie, Tall was far too old to survive inhaling this much smoke, they should have been out ages ago. Onyx nodded and ran through the forest, his tears were now from far more than just the smoke.
Tall was dead, and it was all his fault.
Even if he somehow made it out, he’d probably die of smoke inhalation, or starve to death. He’d never see his family or friends ever again, if they had even survived the fire.
He ran until he couldn’t run anymore smoke filled the air and he couldn’t tell if it was day or night. He had no idea how long he had been running, but it felt like days. He was hungry, and his throat was so dry that he needed water and whenever he breathed in he ended up coughing as pain tore through his throat. He curled up under a rock, giving up. He lay there thinking of his family and of Tall’s thin body laying there helpless.
Until he woke up to the sound of rain, was he dead, was he in starclan? He looked up and saw the ashen remains of the forest. Definitely not starclan. The rain had put most of the fires out by now. He had no idea where he was but somehow he was alive. He limped over to the stream which he had only been a couple of fox lengths away from. And gulped down the refreshing water as his strength flowed back to him. He lept clear over the stream as it was very thin here. He lay down in the cool grass. The air was still heavy with smoke and no prey was anywhere close, but compared to the other side of the stream, it was beautiful.
Later he woke up and realised he must have fallen asleep again. He saw a worried cat leaning over him, one eye glinted gold and the other shimmered blue. He tried to ask her name but could only cough. She gently picked him up and he just went limp, unable to struggle. He soon found himself in what seemed to be the camp of another clan.
to finish the story read
Mythz's form!
