CHAPTER SEVEN:
When finally Skypaw crept into camp and into her nest, it was nearly moon-high. She curled up in the moss, nearly asleep already, when Lilypaw shifted over and pressed her pelt against her's without a word. Comforted, Skypaw willed herself to sink into a dreamless sleep.
Dreamless, however, was not what StarClan had in mind. Instead she found herself strolling through the forest, sunlight glowing on her pelt. Pleased by the bright day, she picked up her pace until she was racing through the trees, not really paying attention to where she was going. She purred, enjoying the primal feeling of just running, and, as she inhaled, caught the stench of ShadowClan and blood.
Then she heard the yowls.
Racing back to camp, Skypaw slipped on blood as she entered the hollow. Across the clearing, she could hear the squeals of kits crying for their mother. And, for some reason, Skypaw needed to get to them. To protect them. To kill whomever touched them. They were her's. But before she could reach them, everything turned shadowy and faded into blackness.
"No!"
Skypaw woke with a gasp, her heart still pounding in fear for the helpless kits. Grasspaw paused at the entrance to the den, obviously about to leave for patrol. "No?"
"Sorry. Bad dream." Skypaw blinked, trying to get rid of the images and smells.
It didn't work.
Grasspaw hesitated before offering, "You could come on the dawn patrol with me, if you'd like?"
"Yes. Thanks, Grasspaw," meowed Skypaw gratefully. But as she stood, she winced as something kicked her belly.
"Are you sure you should do it?" asked Grasspaw with concern as they left the den.
"I've got a moon to go before I kit; I think I'll be fine," Skypaw snapped. Then, seeing her friend's face, she added, "Sorry. I know you're just concerned. I just... I didn't want this."
"I know."
They joined Firefur and Blizzardclaw near the thorn tunnel and the four of them raced out of camp and into the mist-shrouded woods. Skypaw couldn't help but be grateful for Grasspaw's silence. Yes, she loved Lilypaw dearly - she was very understanding, and she was always there when you needed advice - but Grasspaw was more down to earth, and while she understood, she also didn't press and worry. She let a cat make their own choices.
The WindClan moor was practically invisible in the gloom, and Blizzardclaw actually stepped into the stream accidentally before hastily backtracking. "It's getting colder," he grumbled.
"Or you're just getting older," Grasspaw meowed with a straight face. But when the warrior whipped his head around to glare at her, neither he nor Grasspaw could hold it and they both broke down into rough purrs of laughter.
"Good morning, ThunderClan!"
Startled, the four cats looked up to see three WindClan cats breaking through the fog only a few fox-lengths away. Skypaw was relieved to see that it was Eaglefeather leading the trio, and not Scarstorm. Out of all the WindClan cats, Eaglefeather seemed to be the most eager to keep peace.
Firefur, however, didn't feel quite the same way. "What do you want?" he growled, sinking his claws into the damp turf.
"We're on dawn patrol," Pebblefall, their newest warrior, calmly meowed. "I assume you're doing the same."
"Yes."
An awkward silence stretched between them for a moment, finally broken by Eaglefeather who mewed, "This is Wildpaw. She started training recently." He beckoned forward a timid, small-framed she-cat who looked anything but wild. In fact, she looked positively terrified to see an entire patrol of ThunderClan cats.
"H-hi," she murmured, her eyes on the ground.
"Hi," meowed Skypaw, since her three Clanmates were still gazing mistrustfully at Eaglefeather and Pebblefall. "My name's Skypaw."
"I've heard about you." Wildpaw glanced up; her eyes were incredibly blue. She looked down quickly once more, obviously embarrassed. "I-I mean, the elders talk about you a lot."
"In a good way I hope," meowed Skypaw wryly. But when Wildpaw looked even more embarrassed, she added, "Don't worry; the elders in my Clan are old gossips too."
Wildpaw purred shyly.
"We'd better be on our way then." Eaglefeather glanced at Wildpaw, then at Skypaw, before finally addressing Blizzardclaw and Firefur with a respectful nod. "We'll see you at the next Gathering."
"Very well." Firefur waited for the WindClan cats to head upstream before leading his patrol down towards the lake. "Did he seem a little... overprotective of that apprentice?" he questioned abruptly after a few minutes of silence.
Blizzardclaw gave him a withering look. "Yes, and for good reason. She's his daughter."
"How do you know?" Firefur meowed, surprised.
"He's spoken of her before at Gatherings."
"Oh."
The rest of the patrol was relatively quiet, broken only by a few quick words. Near the lake, Skypaw caught a water vole, giving her an excuse for silence. Why the others were quiet, however, she didn't know, nor really care.
As they veered towards camp, Grasspaw fell into step beside her. "I thought I should tell you... Thunderpelt wants to talk to you when you get back to camp," she meowed quietly, hesitantly, like she wasn't sure she should be saying it.
Skypaw just nodded, her jaws full. And, indeed, as they entered camp, the young tabby deputy padded up to Skypaw with anxious eyes. "Can we talk?"
Nodding, Skypaw dropped the vole into the nearly-empty pile and padded quietly beside him as they meandered towards the lake. Finally, Thunderpelt meowed, "What are you about thinking right now?"
"I don't know," Skypaw replied honestly, looking at him. Thunderpelt was staring forward into the trees, obviously avoiding her gaze. "What about you?"
"I don't know."
A painful pause. Then, "Are you angry with me?"
Thunderpelt glanced at Skypaw, obviously startled. "No. Of course not." Then his amber gaze softened. "Oh, Skypaw, is that what this is all about? You think I'm angry because you're having kits?"
Skypaw frowned. "Aren't you?"
"Great StarClan, no." Thunderpelt began purring. "And all this time I thought you were avoiding me because - well, never mind."
Skypaw ducked her head, forcing a purr out of her throat. She knew exactly what he'd thought. And he was partly right - her feelings for Coldtail were definitely... confusing her judgement. But when she looked up into Thunderpelt's eyes, she blocked out everything else. Duskflower and Coldtail were mates, and Thunderpelt was her's. She was having his kits, and he would be a wonderful father. And I do love him, Skypaw silently added in her thoughts. Just like I love Ashpaw. A different kind of love.
And with that, she twined her tail with Thunderpelt's, watching the mist thin and sunlight fall and glimmer on the surface of the lake.
Author's Note
Well, it was kind of a laid back chapter, but hopefully it wasn't too dull. Besides, I have a really exciting chapter coming up next! (: However, as I am going on a trip to D.C. until Thursday, you'll have to wait. Sorry! Thank you for reading and all the wonderful reviews, by the way. To log on and see that I've got a review (even a critical one) or 200+ views makes a bad day a whole lot better, trust me.
