I didn't know how long I had been unconscious. It could have been hours, or days. However long it was, I remember the pain that had awoken me. My left hind leg was on fire. I tried to move it from underneath the boulder it was stuck under. It took a lot of pulling, but it finally came loose. I dragged myself towards a light I could see ahead of me. The tunnel narrowed as I approached the light. I forced my legs to push up my body. It was hard on my three good legs.
The sunlight was blindingly bright after the long hours of darkness. I was on the far edge of WindClan territory. If I went north, I would eventually end up in the territory of the Tribe of Rushing Water. But I didn't want to see the mountain cats. Not yet. I needed time away from the Clans and their so-called code. They broke the code as much as they enforced it.
Hypocrites.
Instead, I went northwest. I started through the grassy, rolling hills for a while. When the mountains started to get close, I made a sharp turn west. The landscape changed as I traveled further west. The ground became less rocky. Trees were closer together. I realized with a jolt that I was in the same forest as ThunderClan territory. I was just much higher than were the territory ended. I didn't scent any cats around here; just the smells of plants and prey. It seemed peaceful here. It was a good spot to settle, even if only temporarily.
As the sky darkened, I felt myself wear out. I caught a mouse, ate it, and then decided it was time for sleep.
My dreams were haunting. I saw StarClan cats scoffing at me, hissing " You're not one of the Three! You're just a pathetic little mouse!" I saw Lionblaze and Jayfeather , letting out mournful cries. I saw a mysterious looking gray she-cat stare at me intently. She had a powerful air about her. I didn't even know who she was. Her green eyes seemed moons older than she actually was.
It was a relief when I woke to see that I'd only been dreaming. Everything's fine, I told myself.
It was amazing how wrong I was.