This chapter fought me all though it till the very end, which I found, turned out quite nicely. Jaylion's name took me forever though. First it was Jayfeather, the Jayflower, then Jaythroat, then Jaytiger until finally Jaylion fell into place and plot. So anyways, this chapter's a tad boring but now since it's summer, I'll start updating bunches more! -♥ katklaws


Chapter Seven: Good Night

Sunny swayed dangerously as the adrenaline rush caught up to her. Suddenly there were cats around her, all of which brought a sweet yet sharp scent with them. The she-cat looked about bewildered until her vision was no longer swimming and she saw something that made her gut twist in fear.

Three more wildcats! Where on earth are they coming from? Sunny thought mournfully as she stepped forward a pace to place her body over Roscoe's. The kittypet summoned up all the strength and courage she had left and gave an unimpressive snarl.

Much to Sunny's guarded surprise, the largest of the cats, a massive gray tom, dipped his head down in submission and the other two mirrored his movement as he spoke, "Young she-cat, we bring you no harm. Myself and my mentor are wise in the ways of healing. There is nothing we can do for your father but we can't leave you untreated."

It slowly registered that they referred to Roscoe as her father and Sunny felt a wave of grief and regret sweep through her. The hostility left her frame and she longed to be protected by the paws of her own kind. She slumped back several steps, a cornered, desperate gleam in her eyes, as if trying to run away from the death of Roscoe, her shoulders shaking as sobs racked her body.

The tom flicked his tail to warn the others to stay and he came forward, around Roscoe's body to Sunny's side. She had subsided from crying into silent shaking. The gray medicine cat gently laid his tail about her shoulder and spoke in a soothing, calm voice.

"We're going to take you to our camp to treat your wounds. Leafpool and Cinderpaw are going to bury him here. Is that okay?"

Sunny considered helping them but almost immediately knew she wasn't strong enough, physically or emotionally, to do anything of the sort. So, for the second time in two days, she let herself be led into the lair of the wildcats.

In too much of a daze to do little more than put one paw in front of the other, Sunny noticed a sudden dip in the ground after a while and the gray cat before her wriggling through a barrier of thorn bushes. Sunny followed gingerly, her injuries stinging fiercely and body simply aching. Upon entering, Sunny took a moment to see busy cats bustling about and several stopping to stare at the strangely-scented she-cat.

The gray tom lead Sunny across the clearing bleached in sunlight to a separate area with a sandy floor and a tiny pool. Sunny let herself be guided to a nest of grass and moss. She was too numb with shock to resist, too, when she was given tiny black seeds to eat.

Waiting for the strange kittypet to drift off, the medicine cat slipped out to give his leader the news.

:-;-:

Sunny awoke at the start of moonrise, alone in a strange cave-like place filled with sharp but sweet scents. As if on cue, an orange cat appeared, laced with battle scars on his rough coat, along with the gray tom and his gentle-looking friend.

The orange tom seemed to radiate calmness and wisdom as he dipped his head in greeting. "Hello, stranger. Are you well enough to sit up?" Sunny felt as if burning embers had been pressed into a particular wound on her left haunch but she nodded anyways and sat up slowly.

Suddenly, as this older tom asked her what happened, she remembered that yowl. She looked down at her chest in shock and wondered about the freedom she'd felt as the sound had ripped from her throat. But as she looked up she found that whatever had allowed her to speak had vanished. Sunny looked up, disappointment fresh in her gaze, and she once again was a mute.

Taking her silence as incomprehension, the orange cat tried again. "It's alright, take your time. Meanwhile, I'm Firestar, leader of this clan, ThunderClan, and our medicine cat here is Jaylion. Leafpool and Cinderpaw have laid your friend to rest. I apologize that you couldn't share tongues one last time."

Sunny looked up at peculiarity of the term then sighed resolutely. Time for another game of acting. The golden she-cat looked to the medicine cat then looked in startled realization at the brilliant blue color of his blank eyes. Firestar followed her gaze then blinked in understanding.

"Jaylion is blind, though this doesn't inhibit his abilities, if that's what you're thinking," the leader said sternly but Jaylion gave a wry smile laced with amusement.

"Ah, I see now," the gray tom whispered quietly to himself. Then he looked straight at Sunny, startling her once more, though it seemed more like he was gazing through her. "You are the silent one."

Firestar looked up in surprise then it suddenly seemed to dawn on him. He then stared hard at Sunny, looking her up and down and meowing quietly to himself so that Sunny could just barely catch what he said.

"The silent one, to bring the chaos and the night. The silent one, to save us all."

Sunny fell asleep with the assurance from the leader that she'd be safe and that ShadowClan wouldn't get away with what they did. She wondered how they knew about her and how they knew what happened to Roscoe even though they weren't there, and the more she wondered, the sleepier she became. It wasn't long before the silent one was wandering down the corridors of dreams.