Chapter 15.

The next few days for StepClaw were a blur. She could barely do anything. Eating was a chore, thinking was a chore. A part of her, the small sensible part wanted her to snap out of it and continue to work to become a warrior to prove the worthless father of hers wrong. However the sadness pushed down on all of her thoughts.

She had always thought of herself of being strong. Invincible even. Nothing could touch her. SunTalon's death. That changed everything. She knew she was venerable. It could have been her dying out there but it wasn't. Because of SunTalon she was still alive.

The funeral for SunTalon….when had that happened? Was it that night. Yes. That was when it was. SunTalon's funeral ceremony was short since there was no body. Could he truly find his way to the Spirit Wind without the help of the alive cats?

"StepClaw?"

StepClaw broke out of her thoughts and looked up at SharpTyphoon. The warrior had been chosen to become StepClaw's new mentor. He had been trying to get her to come outside and continue her training for the past couple of days but to no avail. She looked to the side.

"StepClaw!" he said again. This time louder. "Get over yourself. We are all saddened by SunTalon's death but you have to move forward. For the past couple of days all you've been doing is sulking around the learner's den. Don't you care at all? You barely eat. You're worrying your mother and friends. Maybe think of them-"

"So what?" asked StepClaw, her voice hollow.

SharpTyphoon's eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth to say something else but SpiritCave called him to stop. "SpiritCave!" he snapped angrily as the spiriter approached. "This has gone on long enough. She's not going to get anywhere like this."

SpiritCave shook his head. "I have told you before. She will be ready to return to training when she is ready."

"Is it the spiriter in you saying that or the brother part of you?"

SpiritCave did not back down. "Both."

"Fine," snapped SharpTyphoon storming away. Probably off to complain to his siblings about his worthless learner.

SpiritCave sighed and turned his attention to StepClaw. The young she-cat looked up at him in defiance. His eyes were gentle. "Do what your heart tells you to. That is what the Spirit Wind tells me."

StepClaw's eyes widen, a first real emotion shown in a long time. She was about to ask him but SpiritCave was already gone. Probably off to attend to other spiriter things.

"Could it be true?" she thought, "Could the Spirit Wind actually be allowing me to do this?" She looked around the camp filled with her tribemates. What else was left for her to lose? Even if she did die in the progress, StepStorm and StepLight would get over it and FastFlight could have another kit with WaveWhisker if she wanted to. Her mind was made up. She would go through with it.

When the sun had set on the horizon and the tribe cats were heading to sleep StepClaw slipped outside. The night was cooler and a nice breeze pushed against StepClaw. She wanted to think it was SunTalon telling her it was okay to do this.

With a purpose that had been lost for the past couple of days she headed down to the ocean water. The reports of her tribemates for the past couple of days have spoken about a shark swimming around the reef.

She stepped into the warm water and then stepped again. The wave pulled her towards the ocean and then back to shore. She kept walking until she couldn't feel the sand underfoot.

"StepClaw?"

StepClaw flinched and looked back to the shore. StepStorm was watching her with tired eyes. Oh yes. SpiralClam was seriously ill. StepStorm had been helping HealingWave and HerbRain as much as she could and that explained the tiredness. She was probably out here looking for herbs or something.

"StepClaw? What are you doing?" The tortoiseshell took a tired but worried step towards StepClaw. She flinched as the salt water clung to her paws. "StepClaw!"

StepClaw could feel the emotion ringing out in StepStorm's voice. However this was something she had to do if she wanted to return to the way she was before. "Don't worry about me!" she called back to her friend. "I'll be fine."

"No!" cried StepStorm. "Come back! Come back here!"

StepClaw turned and began swimming. She had to get this done before StepStorm could get some warriors to try to stop her. She stayed just below the surface of the water. She only stopped swimming every now and then to get a breath. She passed over the reef and swam towards the hole in the rock face. To the cave SunTalon had shown her. She didn't go into it when she saw it.

Instead she stayed near the surface as her eyes scanned the water lit by moonlight.

There.

A shark with just healing claw marks swimming nearby. The reports from the warriors were correct. That was something StepClaw was grateful for. She unsheathed her claws. Well it was time. She would either die here or come out victorious.

StepLight

"Help!" screamed StepStorm running into camp.

StepLight looked over. She was about to go to get some sleep but StepStorm's voice made her run over to her friend. "What's wrong?"

Warriors were looking over as well. ShiningFeather and SpiritCave were the closest and rushed over as well.

"It's StepClaw!" she cried. Her eyes were filled with sorrow. "I…I was out getting herbs for SpiralClam and then I saw StepClaw heading for the ocean. She…she didn't tell me what she was doing out there! I'm afraid that-"

"StepClaw!" screeched FastFlight. The mother tore out of camp like a shark was on her tail.

"Let's go," spoke ShiningFeather. "WaveWhisker you come with us as well."

The black tabby blinked in surprise but agreed. StepStorm and StepLight didn't ask for permission. They just followed the small group of cats as well.

The moonlight seemed to shine brighter than usual. The beach was aglow. FastFlight was already stepping to the water to go after her kit when the others caught up to her.

WaveWhisker grabbed FastFlight by the scruff, holding her back.

"Let me go!" she screamed. "My kit! My kit is out there!"

"Calm down," said SpiritCave, his voice soothing like he was speaking to a kit who had a bad dream.

FastFlight turned to her son, her eyes wild. "How can you say that? Your sister is out there! Let me go WaveWhisker. Let me-"

StepLight looked out at the water. What could StepClaw be doing out there? It couldn't be. She couldn't be….

"Wait! Look out there!"

FastFlight stopped struggling as something was swimming towards them. When it got closer they saw it was StepClaw. She was swimming funny, like she was holding something heavy.

"My kit!" screeched FastFlight. "She's…." FastFlight trailed off as StepClaw stepped out of the water and dropped something to the ground that was probably the reason for the weird swimming.

"What is…what is going on?" asked WaveWhisker in pure shock.

StepLight stepped forward, towards her friend. "StepClaw. Why…"

StepClaw looked up at her friend. Her eyes were filled with the same intensity from before SunTalon's death. She had some injuries but it was nothing. "I killed this shark," she said, kicking the body at her paws. "It was the one that killed SunTalon."