She was woken by Graystripe

Tawnypelt

She was woken by Graystripe.

"Movement outside," he hissed in her ear.

Silently she rose from her nest and woke who else could be woken. They moved into the shadows of the cave, waiting. The nests with sleeping cats were hidden from the view of the entrance. But the four who were awake readied themselves for a fight.

The noises from the outside grew.

The only light in the cave was given by the tunnel to what was the Cave of Pointed Stones. The rest was shrouded in darkness. Waiting. Waiting. The noise hushed, every breath was held in.

A shape appeared in the entrance. Two eyes glowed white in the night. The scent of wind blown prairie grass floated in on the air. Slowly, as if stoking a mouse through the thick brush, the shape emerged fully. It was flowed by another shape whose body glowed white as snow; the scent of oak trees and underbrush then mingled with the scent of the grasses.

From the cave, a gray body prowled its way up the slop. A better look, a better sight, a better scent; it matched that of the white pelt's. While its pelt blended into the dark stone walls. It paused, waiting, wondering. Still another body joined the two. It was almost lost in the darkness of its pelt and the night. Its steps more cautious, its ears more alert, its mouth open to scent the air. They were the only that entered the cave while the four stayed as quite, as if death hung in the air waiting to strike the first that spoke. It seemed that moons passed before a single word was uttered.

"Graystripe?"

Into the dark the smallest of voices asked the smallest of questions.

"Jayfeather?" a voice called in return, answering the question. Before another word could be uttered, a third voice called out. "Who all is here?"

The first she-cat voice answered its question.

"Mistyfoot and Minnowpaw, Nightcloud and Breesepelt, Tawnypelt, Graystripe, who else has survived?"

"Onestar, Dawnflower, Snowbird and Flamepaw, Jayfeather and Cloudtail and Cinderflower and Whitewing." The first of which replied.

Some sighs of relief were heard along with a gasp of joy.

"You can come in too, it's safe." The voice of the white tom spoke. With that five more shapes moved into the cave. Their eyes adjusted quickly to the light but even then the cave was dark with no moon to shine through either of the openings. The two groups moved together but silent still clung to them.

Tawnypelt moved to Flamepaw, giving her kit a silent once over. He did nothing but bury his muzzle into her fur.

Jayfeather was the first to speak, "Are there any injuries that need looked at?"

Mistyfoot replied. "Breesepelt's legs are broken and unmoving; we assume an injury to the spine, while Nightcloud has a large splinter in her tail. She won't let anyone look at it. Minnowpaw just won't wake up." No one seemed to want to answer her.

"I'll check them now, where are they?"

"Shouldn't you wait till morn…?" She faded off remembering the medicine cats' blindness; morning light would not help this cat.

Graystripe silently directed him to the wounded cats, the others still stayed quite. This time it was Nightcloud who disturbed the silence, "Do you know of any more who are dead?"

"Too many, far, far too many are dead." She had been silent throughout the trip and at every body; she could hold it in no longer, "StarClan where have you gone?!" the wail echoed around the cave before it fell into silent once more.