Whitepelt's POV
As soon as I close my eyes, the sounds of roaring water fill my ears. My fur is drenched, and black water fills my mouth. I struggle to stay above the raging current, and my heart drops. A brown tabby struggles in the river ahead of me, fighting for one last breath before he is submerged again.
"Grassclaw!" I yowl. I thrash helplessly against the waves before it am sucked under. My lungs burn as I am tossed beneath the waves. I'm no longer sure which way is up or down, and dark spots cloud my vision.
The water blurs around me, and I am standing on solid ground. I let out a sigh of relief, but my heart drops when I notice the scene unfolding before me.
I see Grassclaw, barely identifiable through the blood that clots his fur and seeps into the sandy bank of the gorge. Grayheart stands over him, his yellow eyes gleaming in triumph. His claws are buried deep into Grassclaw's neck, and bloodcurdling screams fill my ears. I feel Grayheart's claws in my neck, and the more he tortures Grassclaw, the more pain I feel.
I collapse onto the ground, and watch the blood stain my white fur.
"I'm… sorry… Grassclaw," I manage to choke out before my vision goes black.
I am awakened by a slight prodding in my side. I gasp and open my eyes, searching for Grassclaw, or the river, or-
"Shhhh! Don't say anything, or you'll wake up everyone else," I hear a voice say. I look up to see Stonetail standing over me, his gray tabby fur outlined against the dark sky, green eyes glowing through the darkness.
Stonetail steps aside, and I slowly sit up. I can make out his silhouette by the entrance of the den. He flicks his tail for me to follow. I hesitate before standing up and slowly padding after him.
We walk silently through the forest, me staring at my paws while he leads me through the trees. Snow still dapples the ground, stinging my paws as we walk.
Stonetail beckons me into a clearing, and I draw in a sharp breath. Stars shine against the darkness, and the moon illuminates the sky. Stonetail sits beside the edge of the cliff, grinning at me through the night.
I remember with a sudden sense of dread clinging onto the edge of the gorge, and Grassclaw giving up his life in order to save me. I shudder and back away from the clearing.
"It's alright, Whitepelt. You can-" Stonetail starts.
"I…I ca-can't," I stammer.
Stonetail walks over and stands beside me. "Afraid of heights?"
"Um…" I breath. I can't bring myself to talk about Grassclaw. It was my fault he died, and I can't forgive myself.
Stonetail gently sets his tail on my back and I shudder. "It's not so bad," he says, slowly walking me to the edge of the cliff. I reluctantly follow him, and I sit near the edge. He sits down closer than I expected him to, but I don't complain. We stay perched there in silence until the sun rose, bringing dawn to the forest and melting away some of my frozen heart.