Brightheart- I'm Still Running
Brightheart's POV
My eyes flew open and I gasped. My eye darted around the den, I could still scent them.
"Brightheart, are you alright?" Cloudtail asked, his eyes lit up in concern.
"I-I'm alright." I smiled, relaxing slightly as the scent faded.
"If you say so." He mewed, licking my ear.
"I'm hungry, want to get some prey?" I purred.
"No thanks, I've already eaten, I was just getting the rest of the cats going on the dawn patrol when you woke." Cloudtail answered.
"Oh, OK then." I mewed, getting up and padding out of the entrance as he woke Dustpelt.
The grey of dawn rested over camp, Firestar and Sandstorm were padding out of their den in the Highrock to join Greystripe, Ferncloud and Brambleclaw by the fresh-kill pile.
"Good morning everyone." I greeted them as I padded over.
"Hey, Brightheart." Greystripe smiled.
"Are you OK?" Ferncloud asked her concern showing in her voice, "You look tired."
"I'm fine, just had a bad dream." I answered, telling half the truth.
"Alright," Ferncloud mewed, "But if you have any more you should tell Cinderpelt."
"I will." I lied, I knew it was not just a dream.
"Come and share some prey." Brambleclaw beckoned me with his tail.
I picked up a vole and sat next to Sandstorm.
"Hey, Brightheart, want to come hunting with Brambleclaw and I?" The ginger she-cat asked.
"Sure." I replied, smiling.
Once the three of us had finished eating, we headed out into the forest.
"Alright, let's get hunting." Sandstorm mewed.
Brambleclaw stalked off to the left while Sandstorm plunged to the right. I crept forward silently and emerged into Snakerocks. I froze, it was not the bright rocks heated by the sun I had expected. It was dim, I could smell them, hear their angry bloodthirsty voices.
"Pack pack, kill kill, pack pack, kill kill." I could see Swiftpaw's body lying limp on the ground, his black and white fur reddened with blood.
I turned around to flee, but they were blocking my escape route. My eye widened in fear.
"No... No... No!" I backed up, but they kept advancing towards me, my heart sped up in terror.
"Pack pack, kill kill, pack pack, kill kill!" Their bloodthirsty chant faded to the background as half my face was ignited in a fire of blazing pain and Bluestar's voice rang out.
"You shall be known as Lostface!" The name echoed through my mind, "Lostface... Lostface... Lostface..."
I took a step forward and my paw landed in a puddle, my head snapped down and my one eye stared down at the rippling reflection. I saw Cloudtail's face as well, his blue eyes glittering with sadness.
"I'm sorry, Lostface... That this has happened to you." He sounded sad, "I won't ever call you Lostface again, it's not fair of Bluestar to call you that!" Determination ran through his voice.
Suddenly, a dog lurched toward Cloudtail, jaws snapping open.
"NO! I WON'T LOSE HIM TOO!" I yelled, rushing to try and help Cloudtail. The dog had its jaw clammped on Cloudtail's leg. "NO!"
Without warning, I jerk out of my sleep and look around. I'm in the warrior's den, Cloudtail curled next to me, his fur warm and his pelt slowly rising up and down as he breathes. I sigh in relief. It was all a dream, just a dream. I am scared of falling asleep and having the same nightmare again. Dawn soon comes and I haven't fallen asleep after the nightmare. I stand and pad out into the clearing to eat.
"Hey, want to do a hunting patrol?" Firestar asks, emerging from his den and padding up to me. Cloudtail and Brambleclaw have both emerged from the warrior's den, and are waiting behind him.
"Sure." I say, quickly finishing my prey and giving my pelt a few licks before joining them. I pad out of camp, following Firestar and Brambleclaw, looking around the forest.
"What can you smell?" Brambleclaw asks.
I sniff, and my voice becomes high with alarm, "Dog!"
"Don't worry, it's stale." Cloudtail says, stroking his tail along my flank to calm me.
"That's not the point, they could come at any moment," I fret, "They're still in our territory, we need to drive them out!"
"I know you have a fear of dogs, but they won't come back, Brightheart, I promise." Brambleclaw mews soothingly as Cloudtail licks my ear.
"They're right." Firestar agrees.
"Okay... We should carry on then." I'm still a little shaken, images of my nightmare flashing through my mind.
"Alright, what else can you smell?" Brambleclaw inquires.
'Great StarClan, stop treating me like a kit!' I think, slightly annoyed, but scent the air anyway. "Vole, thrush... And a few mice. Plenty of prey about." I tell them.
Cloudtail purrs. "Great, let's see if we can catch some." He goes into a crouch and stalks past a bush. The mouse that is sitting there carries on eating, not sensing Cloudtail until it's too late.
"Great catch, Cloudtail!" Firestar praises.
Cloudtail's blue eyes shine through the sunlight. Since Cloudtail is also Firestar's nephew, they have a closer relationship than most of the warriors in the Clan. I continue sniffing and stop dead.
"What's up, Brightheart?" Cloudtail asks, padding up to stand next to me.
"It's there again!" I exclaim.
"What's there again?" He inquires, concern lacing his mew.
"The smell of dog, it's all over here!" I yell.
Firestar looks anxious, "I can smell it too. Brambleclaw, Cloudtail, I want you to go see where the trail leads to." Firestar commands.
The two warriors nod and bound into the forest, following the scent of the dog. I stare after Cloudtail in worry, hoping he will come back.
They come back soon and I sigh in relief, waiting next to where Firestar and I have buried the prey we caught while waiting for them to return.
"Thank StarClan nothing happened to you." I whisper, nuzzling him.
"I told you nothing would go wrong. Let's go back to camp." He mews, walking ahead.
I realise something's wrong with his leg and gasp, "You're limping!"
"It's nothing." Cloudtail waves it off with a flick of his tail.
"What happened?" I demand, sniffing it.
"I slipped and my leg got caught in some brambles as I fell," He mews, "That's all."
"If you say so..." I say.
We walk back to camp and Cloudtail walks to the medicine den to get his leg checked over. Firestar pads up to me.
"You shouldn't be so worried about Cloudtail, Brightheart." The ThunderClan leader tells me.
"Well I'm sorry that I care about my mate!" I yowl, padding back into the warrior's den. I hear Firestar and sigh. He has a mate too.
That got me thinking, did he have nightmares?