Here is the next chapter! sorry for the delay, but this one is longer then the others.
Reviews!
"GraystreakTheWarrior"- I suppose you'll find out who did it in this chapter:)
"Wyldclaw"- you wondered right or wrong, 50% chance you are right, 50% you are wrong:)
"Bookworm45669"- Poor Graycloud, everyone doubts her, though I will tell you it wasn't Berrypool, she will do some bad things, just not yet.
"Howlsong13"- Ahh... your find out if you read the first... 4 paragraphs!
"warriorcatsrock"- Hmm, interesting theory, I love it! but Greyear isn't that evil, in fact, I added a part in his POV to shine a different light on the situation
Moonblaze- Tanks for the kits, though I didn't use Tansykit, because there's already Tansyleaf in that clan.
Flamewing- I love you reviews! you're one of my favorite reviewers! and if you read the first little bit, your find out!
Chapter 28
Blueshadow silently and swiftly followed the scent trail, feeling her anxiety building as the trail wound its way along the gorge. She wouldn't! would she? sheer terror gave her the energy to sprint faster then ever before over the slippery, narrow trail along the gorge. Blueshadow leaped over a fallen branch in her way, but as she landed her back paws slipped and skidded over the edge.
She strained her forepaws as she struggled to get a grip on the slippery rock, she could almost feel the gorge trying to pull her down, and felt the spray on her fur. Just as she was slipping, her long, hooked, claws caught the edge of a rock, she clung on and heaved herself up, feeling even heavier as her thick fur clung to her lean frame. She paused for a moment to get her breath back, her sides heaved and she stumbled as darkness pressed around the edges of her vision.
Blueshadow shook herself and blinked the darkness away, placing her paws on the slippery trail she raced along more slowly then before, but her anxiety kept her from dropping into a walk. Her fur prickled along her spine as she entered WindClan territory, she certainly wouldn't be welcomed here if a patrol found her. She quickened her pace along the gorge as the scent of her kits grew stronger, but almost fell over herself as a thin, pitiful, wail blew across to her on the wind, Redkit!
Blueshadow sped up and sprinted across the moor, legs outstretched, belly low, and her muscles pumping faster every heartbeat. She broke through a tangle of heather and saw her, Graycloud held Mosskit by the scruff and was dangling her over the edge of the gorge. "How dare you!" Blueshadow snarled at Graycloud, who stared at her with terror in her eyes, but to Blueshadow's fury, no regret.
Graycloud opened her mouth and Mosskit fell into the water with a cry, Blueshadow stared at her kit in horror then back at Graycloud who had Splashkit and Volekit by her tail, Volekit and Splashkit were staring at Graycloud with wide, terrified eyes. Blueshadow lunged for Graycloud, and with a vicious swipe, sent her reeling away from the kits.
Blueshadow pushed her kits into a pile of heather, and without hesitation, ran along the gorge until she spotted Gorsekit and Redkit clinging together on a branch. Blueshadow dived into the waves, she could see where the water in the gorge fell down into the river, I need to do this quickly, or I might lose one of them.
Blueshadow swam until she had almost reached the two soaked kits, as soon as they saw her they immediately called for her and tried to swim to her, "stay where you are!" she gasped as they started to splash toward her. She reached the branch and started pushing it with her nose toward a ledge in the steep sides of the gorge.
She grabbed Gorsekit and placed him on her back, where he instantly clutched her with his small, but sharp claws, causing her to wince. She then grabbed tiny little Redkit in her teeth, and kicked out for the ledge, but felt the current pushing her past it. Terror and exhilaration raced through her veins as she saw the mouth of the gorge, she glanced up and saw Graycloud looking down at her with sadness. Blueshadow ignored Graycloud, feeling fury and frustration swell up again, how could she do this to me? To my kits?
Blueshadow let the rage flow into her limbs, giving her strength to fight the storm swelled current. She strained her forelegs out of the water and gripped the earth with claws that sank deeply into it. She dropped Redkit on the ledge, then twisted her head around and grabbed Gorsekit who was clinging desperately on her back. She grabbed the kit and placed him by his sister.
She heaved herself onto the edge with them, and pressed them against the side of the gorge so that they couldn't fall off. She looked around the gorge for Mosskit, she hadn't seen the kit since Graycloud dropped her into the gorge. She felt her horror freeze her, causing her to shiver uncontrollably and making her feel dizzy.
She sat down on the narrow ledge and tucked her head into her chest, but brought it up as a thin wail drifted to her ears above the rush of water. Blueshadow narrowed her eyes against the rain that came pelting down again, and jumped to her paws and scanned the black water. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw Mosskit's dark tortoiseshell fur being tossed along in the dark water.
Blueshadow stared in horror as Mosskit neared the mouth of the gorge, she leaped in after her kit and kicked strongly toward Mosskit. She pushed off the wall of the gorge and dived for Mosskit who had gone under the water. She dove under the waves and reached for her kit, she brushed soft fur and grabbed it, she came up gasping for breath and in front of her was Mosskit.
Relief washed over her, but it soon turned to horror as she saw the sides of the gorge disappear, and saw the opening just ahead of her. She grabbed Mosskit by the scruff and tucked her into chest as she felt herself nearing the edge. She shut her eyes tight as she fell over the edge, down, down, down.
She hit the water like a rock and the current swept her and Mosskit along, over and under, back and forth. Bumping into rocks, debris, and scraping the riverbed as the current hurtled them along, she felt dizzy, tight, and was out of air as the tug of the current lessened. She struggled to pull herself above the water, but her legs were to tired and she seemed to grow weaker so that even Mosskit felt like a rock in her mouth.
Blueshadow rolled her eyes, looking for light but found none, she closed her eyes and drifted along in the soft, warm, black water. Suddenly their was a rush of water from beside her, she numbly felt strong teeth grab her scruff, but was to weak to do anything more then tighten her grip on Mosskit.
Then suddenly her head was above the water and the cold air brought her to her senses. She opened her eyes to blurrily see a pale grey cat pulling her to shore. Her eyes were to full of water to see clearly, and her other senses were to dull from being under water for so long.
Though she did know that Mosskit was still in her teeth and breathing, though it was very faint, but still strong enough to ensure her that Mosskit would survive. Blueshadow slowly moved her paws through the water, trying to help her rescuer, but was to weak to be any help. "Stay still," the pale grey cat murmured through her scruff, he sounded gentle and…familiar.
She felt rocks rub against her legs and knew that she was on the bank of the river, the tom laid her down on the pebbles and started massaging her chest. She started coughing up mouthfuls of river water and when she had stopped he did the same with Mosskit, who coughed up three tiny mouthfuls before laying down limp on the bank. Blueshadow breathed a sigh of relief as Mosskit's breathing returned to normal, she rested her head on the tom, who started licking her fur to dry it.
She lay there with her eyes closed as rain pelted down on her and the tom, finally, she slowly lifted her head and opened her eyes. She stared at the tom who had rescued her and her kit, or should she say, their kit. Greyear looked at her with a mixed look of relief, regret, and raw sadness in his blue eyes, she gazed back, to shocked to say anything, then looked at Mosskit who was trying to get to her paws.
Blueshadow grabbed Mosskit by the scruff and stood up on her shaky legs, "thank you," she mewed quietly, feeling her heart ache as Greyear nuzzled her softly and whispered. "Just because we can't be together, doesn't mean I don't love you," Blueshadow looked at him for a moment in confusion before answering, "then why did you attack me? And threaten to kill me? If you loved me you could've trusted me not to say anything."
Greyear looked straight into her green eyes before dropping his head and padding back into the river, Blueshadow watched as he swam across and disappeared on the other side. Blueshadow slowly made her way back up the gorge, and stopped when she reached the place where she had hidden Splashkit and Volekit. They were still there mewing frantically, and she put Mosskit down in between them, "I'll be back in a moment with Gorsekit and Redkit," she whispered.
She padded along the gorge until she reached the ledge, she leaned down, her back legs straining as she reached for her kits, who had fallen asleep. She grabbed Redkit, then reached down for Gorsekit, grunting a little at the weight of the large kit. She herded them forward with her tail to the other kits, then started herding them all toward Fourtrees. She wasn't going to take five kits down a narrow slippery trail next to the gorge when they were all so tired.
They crossed the ThunderClan border, and stumbled tiredly through the territory, the kits were to tired to be excited at seeing the territory, and followed her quietly through the wet forest. Blueshadow stiffened as they padded through the clearing where she had fought and killed Tangleclaw, it seemed like a life-time ago now, but it still worried her. She glanced up at the sky, the rain had passed, and the clouds had broken apart to reveal a starry night sky.
I haven't hardly rested since two nights ago, and haven't eaten anything since dusk yesterday. Blueshadow carried her kits one by one down the ravine, panting and dragging her paws by the last kit. She nudged them forward through the gorse tunnel, the guard, she guessed, was circling the camp, they made their way to the nursery and she settled the kits in her nest, who then immediately fell asleep.
She wanted nothing more then to curl up around her kits and sleep for a moon, but she forced herself to her paws and sleepily padded through the fern tunnel to the medicine-cat den. "Darkflower," she hissed softly into the den, a moment later a pair of green eyes opened up from the dim-lighted den.
"Blueshadow? What are you doing here? You look half-drown and asleep on your paws!" Darkflower's confused voice turned to one of worry and shock. "Can you check on my kits? They went wandering around the forest, and it took me all day to track them down," Blueshadow lied, as much as she was angry with Graycloud, she didn't want her former apprentice to get exiled.
Darkflower nodded and padded swiftly out of the den, Blueshadow followed her on aching paws, head drooping, and tail dragging in the muddy ground. Darkflower was checking the kits when she arrived, "the kits will be fine, just keep them quiet and warm for a few days to make sure they don't get a chill, I gave some feverfew to Mosskit, she's got it the worst out of all them. I'll be back in the morning to check on them, and as for you," Darkflower turned her green eyes on her.
"Get some rest, I'll have some cat bring you fresh-kill in the morning, and here's some borage for you," Darkflower pushed a pile of green herbs toward her. Blueshadow slowly lapped at the herbs, to tired to complain about the taste. "Now into your nest," Darkflower ordered, Blueshadow yawned and curled up in her nest, "thank you Darkflower," she murmured sleepily. "It's my job," Darkflower returned with a soft purr, then she left, saying she would be back at first light.
Blueshadow was completely exhausted, but two thoughts kept her from falling asleep, one was Graycloud, I know she was upset about something, but she tried to kill my kits! Why would she do that? I know her, she was my apprentice. She always did do the right thing in the wrong way, but how could killing kits be the right thing? Did she think that they shouldn't be in ThunderClan? I will have to confront her about it in a few days, and I will make her tell me.
With that thought taken care of, she only had to think of Greyear, he saved me and my kit, why? He also said he still loved me, he sure didn't act like he did at the last gathering I went to, and he took a new mate! His other kits were born a moon before mine were, so he must have been close to Cloudyblossom for some time, and he never told me why he attacked me. So, she decided, I'm grateful for what he did, but nothing is resolved between us, he is still nothing more to me then a rival clan deputy.
For some reason Greyear worried her more then Graycloud, she shook her head and rested her chin on her paws to watch the stars for a while. That's another thing, why did StarClan try to get rid of me? What have I done that is so terrible? Maybe it wasn't all of StarClan, maybe Ferretclaw was just angry with me because I killed him, but he should know that I didn't have much of a choice, it was I killed him, or I got killed. Though I'm not that surprised with Tangleclaw, he was always reckless and bloodthirsty, though I had thought he had calmed down a little before he died.
Blueshadow sighed and closed her eyes, she quickly fell asleep, but what she dreamed off that night wasn't a silver world like she usually did, but of dark things. She first dreamed she was fighting long dead StarClan cats, who thought she was to dangerous to be kept alive. Then she dreamed she and Graycloud were fighting each other on the edge of the gorge with a storm raging around them until they both fell down into the foaming water below.
Finally, she dreamed she was watching herself with Greyear, she and Greyear were padding along the border between their territories, snow fell softly around them, dappling their pelts. She was wounded, a deep gash close to her throat, but she didn't seem to notice, though Greyear glanced at it worriedly. They weren't talking, just walking, she noticed that they looked older, as if it were in the future, though she padded as silently as ever over the snow, with Greyear at her side.
...
Greyear's POV
"Come on Streampaw! Your going to get left behind," Greyear snapped angrily over his shoulder at his apprentice, it was raining heavily and he was cold and tired from going to the gathering and then leading a hunting patrol. They were heading back now, their jaws filled with the fish they had caught during the break in the storm.
Streampaw bounded up to his side, her blue eyes flashing with anger, Greyear sighed at his hotheaded apprentice, she had almost caused a fight at the gathering last night, making some cats think he wasn't a good mentor. Anyone would have trouble teaching a cat with fluff in her head! he huffed angrily as his patrol crossed the water surrounding the island where their camp was, the water was rising up and swirling angrily around the cats.
Cloudstorm stumbled on a loose rock and almost fell in, she will probably move to the elders den before Leaf-bare, he thought mildly as he watched the senior grey she-cat limp forward through the water with her chin up and her eyes daring any cat to comment. The thought of the elders den grieved him, both Blackwing and Robinfeather had died this Green-leaf they had been his mothers parents, and had been kind to him when he was an apprentice, and he suspected they had known he had been meeting Blueshadow, though they had never said anything.
They also had three cats who had moved the elders den that Green-leaf; Dewstep, Honeytail and White-ear. And then Minnowclaw would move to the elders den when she had finished caring for her new kits, Icekit and Rushkit. As they padded into camp and went over to the fresh-kill pile to deposit their prey, Greyear saw Shellpaw and Lakepaw scuffling over a large trout.
The new apprentices were kicking up mud onto the prey in their fight, "stop it! Your getting mud over everything!" he spat as he laid his prey down. Lakepaw got off of Shellpaw and shuffled her paws in the mud, Shellpaw sat up and shook out her silver fur, then with a defiant look at Lakepaw, grabbed the trout and sprinted to the apprentices den. Lakepaw glared after her sister and snatched a pike off the pile. Greyear sighed as Streampaw turned and joined Beechtail at the edge of the clearing.
He looked around at the nursery, it was filled with the noise of Tansyleaf's, Cloudyblossom's, and Minnowclaw's kits. I suppose I should visit my kits, even if I don't love their mother, he padded into the nursery and, carefully stepping over Tansyleaf's kits who were playing with a ball of moss, padded over to Cloudyblossom's nest.
Cloudyblossom was sleeping in her nest, she was beautiful, he admitted, her silky white fur glowed in the dim light, and her soft plumy tail curled softly around her. But she didn't love him, she had only taken him as her mate because he had been made deputy. Blueshadow loved me for me, she didn't care that I was deputy, or that I was Troutstar's nephew, he thought bitterly. His kits, Iriskit, Blazekit, and Strikekit were mewing quietly in the corner of the nursery.
Greyear strained his ears to hear what they were saying, "come on Iriskit, it will be fun!" Blazekit mewed, his orange eyes blazing in anticipation and his silver fur was bristling in excitement. "I don't care! If we get caught our apprentice ceremony might be delayed, and its wet and cold outside, and how would we get off the island anyway? The apprentices can barely cross the water," Iriskit snapped back.
"Your right Iriskit," Greyear mewed stepping out from behind the bramble tangle where he had been sheltering. Strikekit and Blazekit looked down at their paws in shame, but Iriskit looked up at him, her purple eyes glowing in the dim light. "We aren't in trouble, are we?" she asked, Greyear purred, in spite of Iriskit closely resembling her mother, he loved her more then the other kits for her honesty and generosity. "No, you aren't in trouble, but I don't want to find you plotting to get out of camp, at least until you apprentices," he purred.
They nodded, and he mewed a goodbye before exiting the nursery, this time stepping on Tansyleaf's kit, Songkit's tail. He paced around camp, he wasn't tired anymore, and he wasn't hungry, but didn't feel up to a hunt, and the borders had already been patrolled twice today. Usually when he felt like this he would go to the ThunderClan border, and see if he would see Blueshadow.
But I can't do that anymore, she hates me now, and it's my fault, he thought sadly, then he shook his head, you wanted her to hate you! That's why you attacked her! the memory of that night lay heavy on his heart. Why did I attack her? I could've made her understand without threatening to kill her! But what's done is done, I can't change it now.
He sighed and made his way out of camp and toward the river, it had started raining again, but he didn't feel annoyed like before, because he remembered that Blueshadow loved rain and storms. I hope she's enjoying this from the ThunderClan nursery, he sighed again as he remembered that she had recently had Foxtail's kits. She moved on as well, maybe she didn't love me as much as I loved her, the uncertainty pulled at his fur, making him break into a run along the bank of the river.
He paused and sat down, panting from his run he stretched after a moment and started padding back to his territory when something in the river caught his eye. He scanned the raging river and saw a scrap of dark blue-grey fur spinning around in the black water, Blueshadow! horror gripped him as he watched her tumble around the river.
He raced after her as she was hurtled past him, he sped up, trying to get ahead of her so he could reach her. He saw her get thrown against a tree branch and saw a trickle of blood on her head as she was thrown upward before being pulled down again. He quickened his pace until he was in front of her, then he leaped into the water, and started swimming to her.
She came up for a moment and Greyear dived down for her, he grabbed her firmly by the scruff and came up above the water. She blinked open her eyes, and Greyear again felt startled by the rich beauty in her green eyes. They seemed to hold every season in them, the energy and life of New-leaf, the rich beauty and warmth of Green-leaf, the cool briskness of Leaf-fall, and cold beauty and clearness of Leaf-bare.
He waited for her to speak to him as he struggled to drag her over to the ThunderClan bank, but then noticed a tiny tortoiseshell she-kit in her grasp. One of her kits, he thought sadly, I wish she were our kit. he looked back at Blueshadow, her eyes were confused as she looked at him, doesn't she recognize me? then he was how blurry and scratched her eyes were, she can't see clearly! I really hope that doesn't last, he thought worriedly.
He was struggling to keep Blueshadow above water as they neared the shore, he felt Blueshadow moving her paws, it hardly helped, and obviously was wearing her out. "Stay still," he murmured through her scruff, she looked surprised when he spoke but obeyed, and he pulled her onto the bank. He laid her down so that she was mostly out of the water, though her long tail still drifted in the water.
He started massaging her chest, it was what they did if a kit fell into the water and hadn't been trained to swim yet. Blueshadow coughed up several mouthfuls of river water, then he moved onto the kit, she also coughed up three mouthfuls and lay panting. Blueshadow, who had lifted her head to watch her kit, set her head down on his flank.
Greyear, almost unconsciously, started licking her fur to dry it, her breathing turned from rapid panting to the long slow breathes he remembered from when they had slept together. When he had finished, Blueshadow opened her eyes, they were now clear, and stared at him, expressionless. But he felt many emotions surge through him, mainly relief that she was okay, but also regret and sadness as if he had ended their love that very day.
Greyear looked at the kit, who was struggling to get to her paws, Blueshadow sat up and snatched the kit before she could. Blueshadow stood up on shaky legs, Greyear could almost see her trembling. "Thank you," Blueshadow murmured softly through the kits scruff, Greyear couldn't bear the pain in her eyes, he stepped toward her and nuzzled her, "just because we can't be together, doesn't mean I don't love you," he whispered, knowing that for the first time that day he wasn't lying.
Blueshadow stared at him in confusion, her eyes looked tired, and Greyear felt a pang as he noticed the lost sparkle she had always had, what happened to her? he blinked his eyes and noticed how tired and scrawny she looked, and the new wounds the river had failed to conceal. "Then why did you attack me? And threaten to kill me? If you loved me, you could've trusted me to not say anything," Blueshadow mewed sadly.
Greyear looked deep into her worn out green eyes, and found he couldn't bring himself to tell her why he had done it. He dropped his head and slipped back into the river, he quickly crossed the river and padded into the reeds, before turning his head back to watch Blueshadow as she padded up the gorge, what is she doing? She should go back to camp.
He hesitated, deciding he should leave her be, and he needed to get back to camp to send out the dusk patrol. But as he padded back to camp he couldn't shake off how much her appearance had worried him. He sent out the dusk patrol, and dully shared prey with Fawnleap and Rushclaw, he padded to his nest earlier then usual. And curled into it, but couldn't get comfortable, he padded out of his den again, the clouds had broken apart and had revealed the starry night sky, though the moon was still covered.
Blueshadow loved the night, she was so enchanted by the stars and silver moon, especially in Leaf-bare. He padded out of camp and let his paws carry him, and only noticed where her was when he saw the maple tree and rise on the other side of the bank, where he used to meet Blueshadow.
He sighed and settled down on a rock, remembering when Blueshadow had hidden behind it when the dawn patrol had almost found them. He curled up, feeling more comfortable in the cool night air then in the stuffy warrior den.
He closed his eyes and dreamed he was watching himself and Blueshadow pad along the boundary between their borders, it will always divide us, he thought as he watched snowflakes dapple her fur. He noticed a deep gash in her chest, and immediately felt worried, what does it mean? but Blueshadow didn't seem to notice, though he did, and watched her carefully as they padded out of his sight.
He sighed and lay down in the snowy dream forest. I miss you Blueshadow, and nothing will ever change that I love you, though I can't ever let you know that I love you.
So how do you like how I made Greyear not as bad as I first made him seem, also, remember the dream, its important, probably.
Also, I'm having a little contest, whoever can guess my three favorite colors by Blueshadow's description can name an important kit! just put it in you review!
And, I think the song, "What hurts the most," by Cascada, fits Blueshadow and Greyear, what do you think?
anyway, please review, it gives me ideas and motivation to continue writing!
