Chapter Eleven

Nightmare

Beware! This certain chapter has some parts that may be too disturbing for people under ten or eleven.

After teaching Airpaw the basics about being a great member of FrostClan, she had gotten a bite to eat, then she went to bed. She slept next to her mother, Shiversong, and a new warrior, a tom named Wolftooth, a dark gray tom with sharp teeth. She wasn't afraid of him, instead, he was very caring and wanted to be friends with her.

She fell asleep quickly. She was at a place where she had no idea of. Close by, she heard crunching and yowling. It got louder, and she felt pain in her chest.

Snowsayer bolted awake, then, shocked by fear, ran to the Moontunnel, following her father's scent.

She felt that her dream symboled him dying. She heard paw steps behind her, and when she turned around she saw none other than Pantherpaw.

"What do you want?" Snowsayer snapped.

"I saw you storming out of camp! I-Is something the matter?" He stuttered.

"Nothing you'd care about."

"Come on, Snowsayer. You can tell me."

She hesitated. "It's my father. I had a nightmare. He could be dead, and I'm wasting time being here!"

Pantherpaw stared at her. "If you're leaving, I'm coming with." His eyes were steady, unflinching.

"Fine, just don't slow me down."

She ran swiftly, still smelling for Cloudwing. Pantherpaw caught up to her, his fur almost brushing hers. She stepped to the side a little then ran faster. She wasn't comfortable with him following her.

After a long time, they had past many Clans in search of Moontunnel. It was nighttime, and Snowsayer was beginning to lose her energy.

"Let's sleep." Snowsayer yawned.

Pantherpaw agreed, then laid down onto the soft, cushy grass after Snowsayer. He put his chin on Snowsayer's head, then closed his eyes.

"Oh, what, now you want to be close? I cannot believe you! How about you go back to camp?" Snowsayer growled. Pantherpaw got up and followed her. "Maybe I'm not feeling so tired. Sleeping is just wasting time, anyway."

"Snowsayer, wait!"

"I WON'T WAIT!"

She was almost there. She could feel it. As she neared Moontunnel, she could smell blood. She was fearful. Her pace fastened and she was now storming up to Moontunnel.

As she arrived, she saw her father, Cloudwing, clawed, bitten, trampled on, and beaten. His ears were torn off and all four of his paws were twisted horribly. Snowsayer could see the bones in his sides, and his tail was snapped off.

Somehow, he was still breathing.

"Cloudwing!" Snowsayer yowled.

"Help... m-me..." He cried in heavy gasps.

"Pantherpaw, you're a medicine cat's apprentice! Do something!" Snowsayer screamed at the frightened black tom.

"Okay... um, the least we can do is give him poppy seeds if he does die, he can die without hurting as much.

Snowsayer frantically searched for a poppy flower. She saw one a little far off. Pantherpaw spotted it, too, for he ran swiftly to it and picked off the poppy seeds.

He ran back in a heartbeat and fed the seeds to Cloudwing. He gulped them down painfully.

Pantherpaw was rushing around, searching for cobwebs. When he found them, he rushed back over and pressed them to Cloudwing's wounds.

"Snowsayer, Pantherpaw, wait. I won't make it. Even if I did, how could I live with all of these paws broken and twisted? Please, just leave me." Cloudwing rasped.

"Cloudwing! Don't die! Who did this to you?"

"It was..." He started to cough. "E--" He went limp and fell with a sigh.

"Who, Cloudwing? Cloudwing, please! You can't die! Who will protect us?" Snowsayer yowled.

"Snowsayer, he's dead. He can't come back." Pantherpaw told her sadly.

Snowsayer buried her head into Cloudwing's fur. It began to rain. She began to cry, and she didn't care if Pantherpaw heard her or not.