Chapter 3: Moving
"You're leaving the clan?"
"No—not like that, Tinystar," said Rockspark. "I'm just going to find a cure, then I'll be back. If I didn't come back, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of even going?"
It was sunset, the long rays of blood-red sunlight illuminating camp in a glow that Rockspark did his best not to connect to his memories of the Foxes' Battle. He was standing with his sister outside her den, breaking the news of his decision.
"It sounds like you're leaving," replied Tinystar grudgingly, sounding to Rockspark like an apprentice again.
"No—Tinystar, look," he said, "the clan is peaceful. They're happy. It's Newleaf. There's plenty of fresh kill, and plenty of warriors. The apprentices are doing fine, and... Well... The... One apprentice is doing fine, but the other one isn't. That's why I have to go. It'll be fine. I know that StarClan will show me the way."
He was thinking of one StarClan cat in particular.
Tinystar looked grudgingly convinced by his reasoning. "I suppose... When will you leave?"
"Tomorrow morning," replied Rockspark instantly.
"So soon...?" said Tinystar wearily. "Well, go if you must. I know you'll go no matter what I say, so may StarClan light your path. I will tell the clan when the evening patrol returns."
"Thank you," he said, relieved. Rockspark dipped his head awkwardly and withdrew, leaving his sister alone in her shadowy den.
"Do you know where we are?" Branchfeather prompted Eaglepaw again, who had remained silent.
"Um..." His son looked puzzled. "The... SkyClan border?" he suggested.
"Yes, that's nearby," agreed Branchfeather, "but do you know where this is? What this place means?"
"Erm... no," answered Eaglepaw awkwardly. "what—what does this place mean?"
His response boiled inside him, and Branchfeather felt the words rise—This is where my best friend died saving Rockspark, because she loved him, and look at you, you would turn tail and run if you ever saw a fox, you cowardly kit, you won't be becoming a warrior anytime soon, I can guarantee it, complaining because your dying sister isn't helping you do your chores, how lazy and insensitive can you be?! But Branchfeather swallowed hard. A sudden thought had occurred to him. Sparkpaw never visited him in his dreams... What if she hadn't gone to StarClan? Or was she angry with him for something? What?
"This is where—Sparkpaw—she died—loved—not a warrior—" he stammered. Eaglepaw's eyes widened to the size of the setting sun.
"You—she died—you don't love Mom!" he gasped, his voice rising. "It was her! You loved her! Am I even Tinystar's kit?!"
"I—what?" spluttered Branchfeather, caught completely off-guard. "I didn't love her, not like that! of course you're Tinystar's kits! She—Sparkpaw was just my friend, since we were kits—"
"I knew it!" shrieked Eaglepaw hysterically. "You always loved her more than Mom! You thought she was better! You always talked about her like that, My best friend, Noble spirit, Braver than the fiercest leader, Risking her life for those she loved, you don't even care about us! You don't care!"
Branchfeather started back, alarmed. "That's not what I—I would never—" he protested. But he hardly believed his own words.
"Why don't you just go die so you can be with your stinky friend and leave us alone? Then you'd be happy!" yelled Eaglepaw mutinously, starting towards his father as if to claw him. Then he collapsed, covering his face with his paws and shaking.
"Eaglepaw!" Branchfeather dropped down beside his apprentice. "Are you alright?"
His son groaned.
"You know that isn't true," Branchfeather said quietly, trying to keep his own pulse under control. "of course I care about you and Splashpaw. And I love your mother more than any cat I've ever known. I loved Sparkpaw, you're right, but I loved her like you love Splashpaw," Branchfeather faltered, a slight smile on his face, "Even though you don't always show it. Of course you're Tinystar's kit! I would never lie like that to you! And of course I won't die: I'll serve my clan till my last breath."
Eaglepaw's eyes were hidden, but he a few heartbeats, he nodded, pebbles scrabbling beneath his head. "Okay," he croaked, "I believe you."
Branchfeather wished he believed himself too.
"What happens if I send them a dream in the daytime?" asked Sparkpaw. "Is it like a vision?"
"Yes," replied Echosong patiently.
"And no one else can see it?" added Sparkpaw.
"That's right," the medicine cat answered, smiling. They trekked through the lush forests of StarClan, towards the Speaking Stone.
"And..." Sparkpaw continued a relentless flow of questions as they crossed the river and climbed the rocks beside the waterfall, emerging in a dark clearing. A single beam of moonlight lit the Speaking Stone in its center. Sparkpaw fell silent.
It was a clearing surrounded by tall, dark trees with moss draped over their branches, like curtains hiding what lay among their shadowy trunks. The ground was covered with a thick layer of moss and some stray rotting leaves. An eerie silence hung around it but for a whispering wind, and the bird calls and splashing river fell silent behind them as they entered the shadows. Beams of sunlight from outside stopped at the edge.
Sparkpaw lifted her head and saw a starless, moonless sky, and yet a single beam of silver light illuminated the hulking boulder. "Creepy," Sparkpaw said, breaking the heavy silence. A single wailing cry echoed from the forest.
"Who's in there?" asked Sparkpaw curiously, starting towards the trees. Echosong stopped her.
"Don't go in there," she said in a low voice, sounding shaken. "No matter what, do—not—go—in—there."
"Okay," said Sparkpaw, puzzled. She was already dead, what could harm her? "What's in there?"
"Darkness," replied Echosong, turning back to face the Speaking Stone. "Endless, inescapable darkness."
"Eaglepaw, you need some sleep. Go to bed."
"Okay," said Eaglepaw, badly disguising a yawn as he padded from the Medecine Den. Branchfeather watched him go to make sure he did.
"I'm still not sure he's doing what you say," muttered Rockspark, who was sitting next to Branchfeather, sharing prey. "One emotional confrontation doesn't change the moons you've known him."
"Maybe it does," snapped Branchfeather, who was feeling shaken and abandoned. Sparkpaw hadn't spoken to him, and Rockspark was leaving for who knew how long. His son was resentful of him, his daughter was dying, and his mate seemed depressed. Today had been a bad day.
"I'm going to bed too," he told his denmate roughly, standing up and stalking off. He felt like an apprentice again, having this sort of squabble, but he needed sleep and he needed it to be tomorrow. He needed today to be over.
"Have fun!" called Rockspark irritably as Branchfeather stalked off. "See you tomorrow—oh wait! I'm leaving! So bye! See you in a few moons!" He grumbled moodily, looking down at the rabbit he hadn't finished. He wasn't hungry anymore. Getting up to bring it to Patchfoot, who was probably asleep anyway, he grumbled incoherently about his friend's bad mood.
Patchfoot was getting old, but he was still awfully sprightly for his age. At least he wasn't a crotchety elder like the ones they usually talked about. He wouldn't take offense to being brought food as if he couldn't fend for himself.
The bloody sunset had sunk below the hills now, hiding the memories he didn't want to acknowledge. At least that was something. Naturally, as soon as he thought that, he thought of Sparkpaw and the Foxes' Battle all over again, and the now-familiar feeling of heavy, lonely guilt pulled him to a stop beside the river.
He watched the water, passing with hypnotic steadiness. Light refracted off every thread and every ripple, and little droplets lapped at the edges of the riverbed. What was ahead of him was a long and aimless journey, with no path set out. Yet.
The last dregs of sunlight vanished behind the hills, and Rockspark rose slowly, walking towards the warrior's den.
"When do I do it?" asked Sparkpaw, looking at her teacher. "Now?"
"Whenever you want," replied Echosong.
"What if he's doing something weird?" she said. "What if he's talking with other warriors and then they think he's gone crazy when he starts talking to me?"
"It's nighttime there. He'll be asleep," Echosong assured the apprentice.
"Now?" asked Sparkpaw.
"If you want," Echosong replied.
"How about..." Sparkpaw turned her gaze back to the Seeing Stone, her eyes narrowed as if she were about to pounce on prey she had cornered. "Now!"
She pressed her paw against it, closing her eyes to let herself be dropped into her old friend's dream.
Instead, with a cry, the rock disappeared from beneath her paw and she was pulled inside it.