The midday sun shined brightly, rays of sunlight filtering through the forest leaves as they rustled in the wind. A young tom paused in his pawsteps to enjoy the cool breeze ruffle his fur. He closed his eyes for a moment to listen to the beautiful sound of a bird's song echoing from deep in the forest and enjoy the warmth of the sun on his grey pelt. He took a deep breath as he opened his faded eyes and walked through a thorn barrier feeling calm. Unfortunately that was going to change.
"Jawpaw!"
The sharp voice that rang through the camp made the tom flinch. Jaypaw let out a sigh. His high of tranquility and peace began to fade upon hearing Leafpool. What does she want?
"Where have you been?" Leafpool demanded, walking up to him by the entrance. Jaypaw didn't immediately respond. His blind gaze drifted to the side. He sensed a heat rise up in Leafpool's chest as her annoyance with him grew into a mild fury. He inwardly purred to himself. "Well?"
"I… uh…" Jaypaw couldn't think of anything to say. In truth, he'd spent the day by the lake curled up in an abandoned badger den with the stick he'd found all those moons ago. He couldn't explain his obsession with it. It just called out to him. Quite literally. As he absentmindedly ran through his duties each and every day, his thoughts were always on getting back to the stick so he could listen to the mysterious whispers that came from it.
But, of course, he couldn't tell his mentor that right now. She'd think there were bees in his brain but he couldn't think of a good excuse. I should have picked up some herbs on the way back to camp… then I could pretend I was out herb gathering. She couldn't get mad at me for that. That wasn't true. Leafpool always seemed to find a way to get upset with him. She'd probably say we already had a good supply of whatever herb I gathered.
Leafpool let out a sigh but Jaypaw sensed it did not relieve her tension. "You're a medicine cat, Jaypaw. You can't just waste your day lazing about."
"I wasn't lazing about," Jaypaw said defensively.
"Well whatever it was you do when you wander off like that, it's not more important than your duties. You can't just ignore them," Leafpool told him. She sighed again and looked out at the forest through the thorn barrier thoughtfully. "I may need to start telling Thornclaw or whoever is on guard duty to let me know when you leave camp."
"What?" Jaypaw said in shock. Anger welled up in his belly. How dare she? She couldn't stop him from leaving like some kit!
"Or maybe even an escort," she murmured to herself as if she hadn't heard him.
"I don't need an escort!" Jaypaw hissed and whipped around to stalk out of camp.
"Jaypaw, wait!" Leafpool called after him. There wasn't any crossness in her voice this time, she had a faint note of genuine concern in her voice. That's even worse. He hated when cats worried about him like that. They didn't have that tone with anyone else. Just him.
All they see me as is poor, blind, helpless Jaypaw, he thought bitterly. Well I'm not! I'm just as strong as they are and the only one not blind here is me. They know nothing!
A voice in the back of his mind told him that he wasn't being fair but he was too upset to care. He felt he had good reason. As a kit, like any kit, he had always dreamed of freedom. He understood why kits were confined to camp but that didn't make it any easier.
He knew cats looked at him different due to his disability but when he was young, he never thought it would stop him from doing anything until one day he heard his parents discussing the first time he'd leave the territory. They were considering taking him out before becoming an apprentice so he could familiarize himself with the territory.
They hadn't known he was listening, they never found out, but hearing those words from them stung like a blow to the chest. He dreamed of freedom but that day he realized he would always be restricted. Becoming an apprentice would not give him what he longed for.
And, of course, he later gave up the path of a warrior. He was better suited to be a medicine cat but he soon realized that choice was like taking a big step backwards. Medicine cats had even more rules and responsibilities.
And now Leafpool was speaking of stripping away even more of his freedom. Taking his one escape. Jaypaw couldn't find the words to describe how that made him feel.
Jaypaw realized he was back at the lake when he felt the dry earth of the forest turn to the damp lakeside mud. He hadn't intended to come back here twice in one day but his legs brought him here while he was too wrapped up in his thoughts to steer them.
Now aware of his movements, Jaypaw walked to the water's edge and followed it towards the old badger den where he hid his stick. His scent from earlier was still pretty fresh, it hadn't been very long.
When he ducked into the den, he immediately sensed something was wrong. He reached out with his paw to feel around. He only felt dirt. Where is it?
Trying to ignore the alarm trying to take over his body, he turned around and swept the ground with his tail. His tail did not touch the smooth wood of the shaven stick he was searching for. Where is it?
The feeling of alarm had escalated into full blown panic by now as Jaypaw frantically scratched at the ground and nosed through the dirt in an effort to find his beloved stick. Where is it? Where is it? Where in the name of StarClan are you?
The blind apprentice sat back on his haunches and tried to calm down. He closed his eyes and titled his head so his chin rested on his chest. He felt it rise as he took a few deep breaths and inhaled the earth scent of the abandoned badger den. It did little to calm his nerves and the musty smell suddenly made him feel trapped. Getting back to his paws, he walked out of the den.
His anger with Leafpool was long gone. He knew now would be a good time to head back home and talk things out with her but he knew his anxiety would run rampant through his mind and body until he found his stick. He just had to find it. That stick was his only friend and his only escape from living in the clan. He couldn't understand its whispers but they comforted him and the stick always listened when he had something to say and it certainly never treated him differently for his blindness.
Jaypaw felt often felt ridiculous for having a friendship with a stick but he honestly did not care right now. All he cared about was getting it back. He just had to.
Logic told him that the stick was in the surrounding area, that he must've left it somewhere and forgotten to hide it but something was pulling him in another direction and Jaypaw broke into a run towards WindClan territory.
The second his paws left the ground, he knew where the feeling was telling him to go. The tunnels. He knew in his mind that it was impossible but he just had to check.
Jaypaw was slightly out of breath by the time he reached the tunnel's entrance. Thankfully he was naturally lean but being a medicine cat didn't really give him many opportunities to exercise. He couldn't remember the last time he had run.
Ignoring the shortness of breath, Jaypaw padded down into the tunnels. He was hit by the same earthy, musty smell that was in the badger den but this scent was laced with wetness. Memories of the flood followed by a flash of fear struck him but he pushed it aside, far too focused to worry about something like that.
The tunnels were cool and he had the feeling of darkness surrounding him. He always felt at home here like this but he could never figure out why. Maybe it was because he was blind. Down here, that did not matter. If anything, it made him stronger.
That too was not something to concern himself over at the moment. His stick, he had to find his stick. That was all that mattered right now.
Jaypaw sniffed, hoping to catch the scent of something but all he could smell was the familiar underground air. Slight frustration found a place beside the stress that had long since covered his body. He pawed the ground knowing that wandering aimlessly did him no good but too restless to stay perfectly still.
His sense of smell wasn't going to help him. Jaypaw once again lowered his head but his time he pricked his ears, hoping to hear something. After a few moments, the distant sound of flowing water filled his ears. He knew he was far from the underground river but that still brought back unpleasant memories.
Jaypaw closed his eyes and concentrated a bit harder. Where are you? Where are you? Jaypaw felt pressure building on his forehead. His head was starting to hurt a bit from focusing so hard but he didn't let up. He knew that if his stick knew he was looking for it, it would whisper louder. Oh StarClan, let me find it.
His prayers were answered. He could barely hear it but for a split second, he heard voices. His heart rate sped up in excitement. He was briefly worried that he wouldn't be able to hear the whispers over it but the sound increased in volume.
"I'm coming!" Jaypaw yowled. His voice echoed in the caves but he could still hear the whispers cut through the echoes. For some reason, they did not have echoes of their own.
Jaypaw bounded deeper into the tunnels following the voices. They never seemed to get closer or farther but that made sense to him even though he didn't know why. It just did.
Jaypaw began scenting again, hoping that now he could smell the scent of the wood. He picked up something but it wasn't what he was looking for. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what the scent was but it was unfamiliar. He chose to follow it.
The ThunderClan cat followed the scent even deeper into the tunnels. He quickly realized it was a scent trail and followed the scent through the twists and turns of the labyrinth like he was navigating a maze. He eventually realized he was making his way back towards the entrance.
Finally, the scent trail stopped. Jaypaw, nose to the ground, followed it as it lead right into a wall. He cocked his head in confusion, unsure of how to proceed. He lifted a paw and tapped it against the wall. Like nearly all of the tunnel walls, it was made of a compact dirt. He felt some rub off on his paw. It was damp.
Jaypaw continued to run his paw against the wall until his paw hit air. Feeling around, he realized there was an opening in the wall.
Dropping to his belly, he poked his head through it. Immediately, he was welcomed by the sound of his stick's whispers.
"I'm coming," he whispered in response. He inched forward and tried to get his shoulders through the hole. The hole wasn't too big, it was barely big enough for him to fit through. He was sure that if his brother Lionpaw was down here, he wouldn't be able to fit through. It was pure luck that it was just the right size to fit a small cat like Jaypaw.
As Jaypaw squeezed through, he felt loose dirt land on his back. Worry prickled his pelt but he was too close to back down now. He reached out with one paw and felt around before him. He felt one of his toes brush a familiar wood.
Jaypaw scooted forward a bit and tried to get his paw to solidly land on it. He didn't unsheath his claws for fear of damaging the stick.
Jaypaw tried to push himself forward a bit more but his entire body up to his haunches was deep in the tunnel. Actually, it was more of a hole in the wall. It wasn't big enough to be considered a tunnel.
Jaypaw shifted his weight onto the paw he wasn't using and lifted himself up a bit. Immediately he regretted it. The hole didn't have the height for him to stand so holding himself with his belly just barely off the ground was incredibly difficult but it increased the length of his reach a bit so he forced himself to hold the awkward position.
Jaypaw pushed his back into the ceiling. Behind him, his tail lashed wildly as he tried to keep his balance. Finally, he brought his paw down flatly on the stick. He began to move backwards using his hind legs to drag the rest of him out.
Once out of the hole, Jaypaw flopped down tiredly and curled up beside his stick, happy to be reunited. He purred as the sticks whispers filled his ears.
"How did you get all the way out here?" he asked softly despite knowing that the stick could not respond. Picking it up gently in his teeth, Jaypaw rose to his feet and tried to reorient himself so he could find a way out.
A strange sound filled his ears. He felt something fall from above and hit him in the back causing him to jump in surprise. To his relief, it was just dirt. He shook his pelt, sending the dirt flying.
Jaypaw felt the ground shake beneath his paws which was followed by a loud thud. He reached out with his paw again to feel the wall. The soil flaked at his touch and he couldn't find the opening that he had squeezed through. His suspicions were confirmed, the small tunnel had collapsed.
Another chunk of dirt fell from the ceiling and landed beside the apprentice with a splat. I must've weakened the support when I messed with that tunnel,Jaypaw realized. With his stick still in his jaws, he began moving towards the exit that he knew was nearby.
He heard the walls rattle as he ran by them, his fur brushing the loose dirt. He didn't have time to lick it off, he knew he had to get out and fast.
Another shake seized the tunnels. This one was so powerful that Jaypaw had to stop moving and crouch, widening his stance to support himself. The shaking grew stronger. Is there an earthquake?
Realizing that the trembles weren't going to stop, Jaypaw straightened himself a bit with the intent of continuing towards his destination but he was quickly swept out off his feet and he slammed into the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of him, making him gasp and nearly drop the stick.
Jaypaw tried to get up again but found he couldn't balance and the tremors weren't letting up. Lying flat as a snake, Jaypaw began creeping forward on his belly.
Jaypaw heard a loud splat beside. Something wet hit his fur as it splattered upon hitting the ground. Jaypaw instinctively flinched and began moving faster.
He heard several more splats over the roar of the shaking earth. In a moment, he knew what was happening. The tunnel's structure was wet and failing. It was going to collapse.
Breathing rhythmically to calm his racing nerves, Jaypaw rose to his paws and launched himself forward in a powerful leap in an effort to make a break for it but he only made it about a fox length before he was knocked off his paws by the forceful trembling.
A sound like claws on stone filled his ears and a loud crash echoed from behind him through the tunnels. Jaypaw didn't stop to try and figure out what it was. If anything, it was just a sign that he had to hurry up and get out of there. He rose to his paws to try again.
This time, he was able to run for about two tail lengths before falling again. He grit his teeth, careful not to damage his stick. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, overwhelmed. The stick's voices whispered encouragingly.
Jaypaw heard another crash, this one closer. Seeing that running in these small bursts wasn't working, the apprentice resumed inching forward. Yet another crash sounded behind him, pushing him to move forward.
Eventually, there was a crash so close that when the falling object hit the ground, it sent up a shower of mud, drenching Jaypaw in the cold, wet dirt. He suppressed a shiver and moved onward.
He heard claws on stone once again. Jaypaw looked up, sensing something above him. A flash of light filled his vision and he was suddenly able to see. In any other circumstance, he would have been overjoyed but the sight before, or rather above, him filled him with a bolt of fear that struck him down to the bone.
Thundering down from above him was a massive chunk of stone. Time seemed to slow as the rock pummeled towards him. Jaypaw had believed he was panicking before. He know knew that what he felt earlier was nothing like true fear.
Jaypaw felt his heart rate increase tenfold and a hot feeling rise from his chest and consume his body, making him tremble just as hard as the tunnel. His now sighted gaze locked on the rock coming towards him.
Time regained its usual speed and Jaypaw felt a sharp pain before he even knew what hit him. He let out a strangled cry and tried to push himself away but a stream of pain shot up through his body so extreme that his vision was filled with black spots.
Jaypaw felt a warm liquid running across his skin. He knew in a moment that it was blood. He suddenly felt very weak lying there on the tunnel floor. His eyes drifted off to the side in search of his stick but his eyes rolled back and his mind went dark as he fell into unconsciousness.