The mentor and apprentice came back to camp, both tired out and their paws freezing from the snow.
"You can get something from the fresh kill pile." Birchtail said to Yewpaw, who hurried gratefully to get a peice of prey.
Birchtail glanced up at the sky. Its was almost dark, but she didn't want to sleep. she decided to guard the camp so she plopped down outside the warriors den and watched the camp.
Birchtai's clanmates gradually disappeared into the dens as the sky darkened. Birchtail fluffed her fur out and glanced up at the sky again. she saw a blazing bright star, one that sent a feeling of dread through her. Am i sleeping? did i fall asleep?" she thought frantically as she jumped to her paws. the star was getting bigger, and her fur pricked in panic. it kept getting closer, the sharp details of the fire behind it coming out.
"Wake up!" Birchtail yowled. "Now!"
Cats exploded out of the dens, but it was too late as the comet grazed the surface of the Earth, spraying dust, ash, wood, trees, and smoke everywhere. It was chaos as the fire lit, raging through the camp. Birchtial couldn't see anyone as she blindly fought her way through the debris towards the entrance-or what she thought was the entrance. she cought harshly, the smoke singing her lungs. she could barely see through the clouds of dust and ash, but she kept running, she crashed into something, a tree probably, and she let out a yelp as she stumbled away, but started to run again, her lungs screaming in protest. she could hear muffled yowls from every direction, but she couldn't make out specific voices.
Birchtail stumbled on, determined to live, and to not let the smoke overpower her. her breaths grew shallower, and the last thing she saw was the shape of a burned oak falling towards her as she collapsed.
~~
The stars swirled around her in a dizzying motion, she squeezed her eyes hut and waited for her death as she gave up hope.
"Oh no, Birchtail." a faintly amused voice purred in her ear. "This is not your time. You have much more to do..."
Hm-hmm? She could not make sense of the cat's words, but she didn't have time to think about it as she fell with a jolt, landing on hard ground.
~~
Birchtail awoke, coughing and sputtering. she looked around through dim and hazy eyes, trying to make sense of her surroundings. a faint stir of ashes was in the air, turning it a brown color. she tried to stand, and realized that she was engulfed in the burned branches of a small oak tree, which is what had saved her. a fire couldn't burn through something already burned. she crawled out from under it and stood up, straightening stiff legs. with a shriek of fear she jumped back, remembering the hideous fire. but as she looked around, there was no fire near her, but she could see the thick black smoke all across the forest towards camp. her heart thudded uneasily, and she looked around, still not able to see clearly.
AN: again, kind of short.