Chapter 11
A/N: Don't worry, I'm still alive. )
Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.
CINDERPAW'S POV
Cinderpaw was floating, somewhere she couldn't see. Darkness crushed down on her, and her paws felt as though they were made of stone. She opened her eyes, but saw nothing. She twisted around, but nothing greeted her.
"StarClan help me!" She yowled.
A whisper began to reach her ears. It sounded so far away, but Cinderpaw followed it.
"Do not be afraid…"
Cinderpaw emerged from the darkness into a clearing swathed in starlight. A group of cats sat around a pool at the bottom of the ledge, and more than one of them looked up as she neared them.
A tortoiseshell tabby rose to her paws, her amber eyes gleaming. Cinderpaw recognized this cat as Spottedleaf. The former ThunderClan medicine cat dipped her head to Cinderpaw.
"Hello, Cinderpaw," Spottedleaf meowed. She beckoned with her tail, and Cinderpaw felt a strong urge to follow her. Her paws took a step, and she was surprised when she felt lightheaded and healthy, as if she had never been sick. Cinderpaw looked down at her paws, and the shock of what she saw felt like a thousand wounds.
Her paws were swathed in starlight.
"No!" She yowled, twisting away. She couldn't be dead. Not yet. It wasn't happening! Terrified, she tried to turn away, but to no avail. The StarClan cats seemed to be chanting her name.
"Cinderpaw…"
"Cinderpaw…"
"Cinderpaw! Wake up!"
Cinderpaw blinked open her eyes to find Berrypaw and Leafpool standing over her. She let out a sigh of relief. Then, with a grunt, she rose to her paws. Not only was she stronger than before, but her paws were perfectly normal.
LEAFPOOL'S POV
Leafpool smiled down at Cinderpaw. "You're a lucky cat, Cinderpaw. I think you might just recover."
Leafpool couldn't miss the look of happiness that flashed in the gray apprentice's eyes. Cinderpaw's eyes gleamed, and Berrypaw pressed his body against hers, purring. Leafpool held back a smile. Every cat in the Clan knew that Cinderpaw and Berrypaw were very, very fond of each other.
"Mind you," Leafpool interrupted. "You'll need to stay here for the next few days, until I know the sickness is past." Cinderpaw looked put down at the though of being confined to camp, but Berrypaw cheered her up.
"Come on! It won't be that bad!" He meowed. "I'll bring you the juiciest piece of fresh-kill every day, alright?" Berrypaw purred.
BERRYPAW'S POV
Berrypaw stumbled into the sunlight. Cinderpaw was going to live! He hadn't taken more than two steps when Hazelpaw, his sister, stood in front of him. Her eyes were shining.
"Guess what?" She meowed. Berrypaw motioned for her to go on.
"Ferncloud just kitted!"
Berrypaw purred. The young queen had been expecting for a while now, and it was good to know that ThunderClan had more cats. As Berrypaw turned, he spotted Dustpelt disappearing into the nursery, a squirrel in his jaws.
Seeing the look on Berrypaw's face, Hazelpaw meowed "We'll go see them later." Berrypaw nodded. After all that had happened over the past few days, Berrypaw just wanted to curl up and sleep for a moon. He waved his tail to say goodbye to his sister, then trotted into the apprentice's den.
He curled up and closed her eyes, wishing Cinderpaw was there with him, her gray fur mingling with his, the steady rise an fall of her chest as she slept…
Berrypaw fell asleep quickly, the image of Cinderpaw never fading.