Spark and Fire

He was standing in the hollow at Fourtrees, only now the oaks were alive, more so than he'd even thought in the waking world. "Bluestar?" the small black cat called.

"I am here," whispered a voice out of the stillness. A gray-blue cat stepped out from under the Great Rock.

"It's you," said the black cat. "Are you going to tell me how to find my Clan?"

Bluestar nodded. "Look towards the fields, Ravenpaw."

There, on the open moor that used to be WindClan territory, was a strange tom. But he was also somehow familiar. He had Firestar's coat, Bluestar's eyes and the long talons of Tigerclaw.

"Is that the one?" asked Ravenpaw, awed.

Bluestar made no reply. She was staring with a wistful longing at the tom. "It has been so long," she said, with a sigh.

Someone was shaking Ravenpaw awake. He rolled, trying to savor the dream, but a hefty paw buffeted him. "Wake up, Raven. We've got mice to catch."

Ravenpaw shook his narrow black head.

The paw prodded him. "I said get up," Barley repeated.

Obediently, Raven opened his eyes. He shook his head again, this time to clear the lingering dream. He stretched slowly.

Curios, Barley stared at him. He hadn't been the same since those Twolegs knocked the old forest down. Poor tom. He'd even shortened his name, dropping the "paw" that distinguished him as an apprentice.

Raven saw him staring. "I saw Bluestar," he explained.

Barley said nothing.

No fair! Kyte got to it first and changed it! Oh well... Here's the rest as best as I can remember. * I left the notebook in the car and my mom took it to work. * Here goes!

Chapter One


The next morning, Barley popped his head in the barn door. "Some strange cat is here. Goes by the name of 'Spark.' "

Raven gaped at Barley. "Spark! He was mentioned in my dream! I must go meet him!"
Raven raced out of the barn, bowling Barley over.

"Someones in a rush! Slow down, young'un. Life doesn't go any faster if you do, ya'know." Spark meowed, amused. "I'm not that famous, am I?"

"Have you heard of Bluestar?" Raven asked, breathlessly.

"Might, might not. Why?

"Because, I dreamed about her. She said 'Spark will lead to Fire.' You are Spark, are you not? you match the cat in my dreams."

Spark's pelt bristled, Raven had seen his dream!
"I- Yes, I am Spark. I don't know your 'Fire,' " Spark protested.

"I do." Raven's eyes were shining. "It means I can go home to the clans- to Firestar ."

"Hold your tail, Raven. What are you talking about? I don't know any 'clans.'"

Raven's heart sank. "But... but you're a traveler! You should..."

Spark interrupted, "No, I shouldn't. How should I know where your clan is. You lost 'em."

A growl rose in Raven's throat. "I didn't have a choice! Tigerclaw would have murdered me!"

Barley appeared in the doorway. "Are you two at it already?"

The two cats stared at each other, looking abashed. Raven lowered his eyes first.

"Didn't mean anything," he muttered. "I saw your reaction. Did you know Tigerclaw?"

An uneasy feeling stirred in Spark's chest. There was something out of his reach her, lurking in his twilit mind. "Knew him? Is he dead?"

Raven looked uncomfortable. "Yes," he admitted.

"Oh," said Spark, delfated. "You said... you said he would murder you? Why?"

Sensing an insult, Raven bristled again. "I didn't..." he began hotly.

Barley tapped his tail against Raven's flank.

"Anyway," went on Spark, "that's in the past. I don't want to know what happened, to you or to him." He steered the conversation back on topice. "How do you propose to cross..." he waved his tail at the mountains, "yonder?"

Amused, Raven notice that his accent was less stressed now. Perhaps, he thought, it was affected to lure others into thinking him a simple country cat. He said, "It will be hard, yes, but not impossible. If four Clans could make it..."

"It's possible," put in Barley. "Well, let's get ready now." At their looks, he added, "I'm coming. That's final, young 'uns."

Okay, I've got the notebook back. By the way, this Climber and Kytes joint username. From now on, we will post this story under fire_of_dawn. This is Climber posting.


The gray kit floundered through chest high snow, fur ruffled by the wind. He let out a thin, terrified wail. "Mother! Father!" His cries were lost on the wailing wind.

Spark woke, shivering. At his side, Raven rolled over. "What is it?" he grumbled.

"Nothing. It was just a dream."

Raven grunted and sat up. "It sounded like a nightmare." He stretched, arching his back and extending each foreleg in turn. "Want to talk about it?"

His friend flicked his whiskers in a negative gesture. "If we leave now, we can be a ways form here by sunhigh."

Truthfully, Spark didn't want to talk about it. The dream raised too many questions. Was the blue-gray cat his mother? Why didn't she want him? He had a vague memory of searching for his mother when he was a kit, but that memory was overwritten by the present.Beside, rogues didn't need mothers.

ookay. the first part is a dream, no(question mark) but then you don't tell us what kind of animal was ahiving the dream.... I got kind of confused reading ti. work on being lucid.
Cheers!
==Voxina

You're right. I'll clear that up.

usually, tom refers to a tom cat.... But whatever. Have you read the Warrior books?

They had not been traveling long when Raven cried out, "My paw!"

"What is it?" asked Spark irritably.

"I think I cut my pads on a stone."

Spark inspected the wound. "It's not bad; can you walk?"

"Yes, if I have to."

"I wish I knew where to find a druid..."

Raven's face soured. "A what?"

"A druid is like a Clan medicine cat, but she keeps to herself. She'll cure any wound for a few mice and a story."

He hesitated, then said, "Sit down. I'll be back in a heartbeat."