Ember's heart raced as she struggled to run from the snarling monster. She could feel it's breath on her tail.
"Help me!" She called, but nobody answered. Thinking quickly, she dived into an alleyway. "Is anyone here?" She asked, fear beginning to fill her from nose to tail tip.
"Only us." A voice growled. Silhouettes of many cats began appearing all around her, and for the first time she realized she could see. She tried to back away from the angry cats, but the snarling monster was behind her again, its mouth dripping with drool.
"Help me!" she called again, hoping someone from BloodClan would hear her. All at once, the snarling monster and the cats attacked her. With a last try to get toward the entrance to the alley, she noticed a shape staring at the scene in horror. It was a calico and white she-cat, her almost white blue eyes pleading. She looked as if her own mother was dying before her.
Suddenly, Ember was blind again, blinking open sightless eyes. It was only a dream. She thought, but couldn't help wondering who the she-cat watching her dying was.
Scenting the air, Ember realized she was alone. How long did I sleep? She made her way out from beneath the dumpster, the sun warming her pelt. The air was still chilly despite it being Greenleaf, so Ember guessed it was still early morning. Only a few cats were around, including the three other resident apprentices.
"Over here Ember!" Scorn called. Ember bounded up to them.
"I was wondering something." Gazer mewed. He seemed embarrassed. "Did you know what happens to the leader's apprentice?" He asked. Ember tilted her head.
"When the leader dies, their oldest kit becomes leader. If they have no kits, like Kit, their apprentice becomes leader." Rebel explained. Ember tilted her head. She would become leader when Kit died? She didn't even want to think about it, let alone know she would have that pressure on her shoulders the rest of her life. She was tempted to announce she was blind, but figured that would be a bad idea.
"You'll make a great leader." Scorn comforted. Ember nodded nervously. But something other then the news of her future leadership nagged hard at her mind. Where was Kit? Ember couldn't scent her in the clearing, and what little scent was there was faint, as if she left no later then moonhigh.
"Was Kit still asleep?" Scorn asked. "Nobody has seen her all day." She added.
"She wasn't around. I was hoping she was out here to do some battle training." Ember admitted.
"I wonder where she could be." Rebel voiced her thoughts.
"Have you seen Tansy's kits yet?" Gazer asked, changing the subject. Ember nodded.
"They are adorable. Panther tried nibbling my toes." She purred.
"I wonder if we will get one to mentor. It will be any day now that we will end our apprenticeship." Scorn meowed thoughtfully.
"You might, but I won't. I still have a while yet before I learn enough to stop being considered an apprentice." Ember sighed.
"Unless Kit dies. If she does before you are no longer considered an apprentice, you become leader-in-training for half a moon. It is like a rushed apprenticeship. All the older BloodClan cats work together to teach you what you need to know to top being an apprentice." Rebel noted. Ember sighed bitterly. Why did they keep bringing this up? Rebel seemed to notice Ember's annoyance. "But I doubt Kit will die anytime soon." She added hastily. Ember rolled her eyes.
"I'm going hunting. Anyone want to come?" Ember meowed, already almost out of the empty lot.
"Not right now." Scorn mewed. Gazer and Rebel nodded. Ember padded down the concrete path alongside the faster monsters. She could feel the wind they left behind them tearing at her pelt. Thoughts of her dream kept pushing to the front of her mind. It seemed so real, so lifelike, as if not a dream at all. She remembered seeing the eyes of the snarling beast, vicious and bloodthirsty. She remembered the eyes of the young calico, watching on in horror, unable to move. Could it be that this was some sign of doom to her? Could it be her kit, or her apprentice, watching her die? But then she remembered her sight. If it were a sign of doom, she would have been blind there like in actuality. Now, she had a different thought of the pale eyed calico in her dream. Could it have been her, watching the death of someone close?
Ember shook the thought from her mind. It was just a dream after all. She had them all the time. Why would this be any different? Ember brought her mind back to what was around her. She hadn't realized how far she had wandered. Though she was still within BloodClan's vast territory, the ground was unfamiliar. Every pawstep seemed to be going into no particular spot. Her step lost the rhythm she had grown to know. She knew that on her own, unfamiliar ground was dangerous. She didn't know what was around her; where every monster, every tree, every crack in the concrete was. It was as if she was lost in a never ending darkness.
Suddenly, a terrified yowl split through the air. Ember couldn't recognize the voice, but her pawsteps seemed to be moving on their own as she bounded toward the yowl. She ran faster and faster, her paws barely skimming the ground beneath her.
Ember skidded to a halt. Memories of her dream returned to her mind. The snarling, hissing and jeering of her nighttime attackers echoed as she slowly made her way. She paused in front of an alleyway. The ground was familiar now, the same spot she had found she could see. She turned to the source of the snarling. This time, she recognized the scent as dog.
"Help me!" Ember recognized kit's voice. She couldn't move. Her paws were frozen to the ground. The calico she-cat was her. She was powerless to help. Struggling to breath, Ember finally made a decision. She had to try! She was the only one who could help the BloodClan leader now.
Shooting forward, Ember slid beneath the dog's paw. She could feel the hard blow of its paw as it hit the ground, barely missing her tail. She grabbed the tail of one of the other cats.
"No Ember. This is pointless! We have to run." Kit panted. Ember nodded. She could tell Kit was close to death. She was barely sure she would make it. Fighting off the attackers as they backed away, they made a run for it; toward the BloodClan camp. Ember could tell by Kit's faltering pawsteps that she was struggling to keep at the pace.
"I can't make it." She panted, her pawsteps slowing to almost a halt.
"You have to!" Ember insisted, bounding back to try and pull the injured cat. Kit shrugged her away, collapsing with a light thud.
"I-I'm sorry, Ember. Don't blame yourself." With that, Kit gave one last, faltering breath, and Ember could no longer hear the breathing against her own heartbeat. Ember let out a yowl of grief. Kit was dead.