I looked at Brightpaw with sad eyes as Cloudtail and Fireheart sat beside me. We watched her chest rise and fall as she breathed in raspy gasps. Her face was bandaged with herbs and cobwebs. Cinderpelt was checking her heartbeat every second as she looked at her with worry. Oh, Brightpaw… I'm so sorry you had to go through this… you didn't deserve any of it... Cloudtail beant to touch his nose to Brightpaw's shoulder. "I don't care what Bluestar says. You will always be Brightpaw to me." he murmured. I closed my eyes in grief. "Your name is not who you are… you're more than just a cat with a scarred face…" His voice lowered into barely a whisper and I couldn't hear what he said. Cinderpelt nudged me and I looked at her.
"Let's go back to the nursery. Cloudtail needs time alone with her." she murmured. I nodded and followed her out. I settled in my nest and Cinderpelt checked my stomach. She gave me a soft smile. "Your kits will be here soon, Leopardstorm." she mewed. I couldn't bring myself to smile as I thought of Cloudtail and Brightpaw. Happiness stirred in my heart but grief stayed in it's place. Willowpelt looked at me with a comforting smile while Sorrelkit and her brothers, Rainkit and Sootkit, pounced on each other's tails.
"There's finally good news in the clan." Willowpelt mewed. I sighed and looked at my belly.
"It's a shame they'll be born at a time like this." I murmured. The two she-cats murmured in agreement. Cinderpelt nudged my shoulder.
"Don't worry. Brightpaw will be fine. You'll see." she mewed. Willowpelt gave a prayer to Starclan under her breath. I looked at the sky in thought. Starclan couldn't have abandoned us. I won't believe it. Cinderpelt followed my gaze with a sigh. "Bluestar is going through a rough time right now. She's lost and confused. Just give her some time and-"
"I've been giving her some time." I snapped. "She needs to act like a leader. Not an elder who forgot her way home." Cinderpelt shook her head and made her way out the nursery. Mousefur took her place.
"Did you go see Lostface?" she asked. I scowled at the name.
"Yes, I did see Brightpaw. She's doing fine." I said. Mousefur's ears twitched with unease but she settled beside me.
"I heard Cinderpelt talking about your kits. I'm sure they will be lovely." she murmured. I gave her a soft smile.
"Thank you." I mewed. I watched Willowpelt's kits play with the old moss in what was once Speckletail's nest. I sighed as I thought about the old queen. Ever since Snowkit was taken away by that hawk, she hasn't been the same. I looked at Willowpelt and saw the same look in her eyes as she watched her kits. Then Fuzz stuck his head inside the nursery.
"Are you alright? Do you need anything?" he asked. I rolled my eyes and flicked my ear.
"No, Fuzz. I'm perfectly fine." I said. Then Whitestorm squeezed into the tight space. The kits abandoned the moss and scampered to their father.
"Whitestorm!" they squealed. I grunted as Rainkit's tail slapped me in the eye while the other kits climbed over my back and head. Mousefur chuckled as the kits tackled Whitestorm to the ground. I growled at Whitestorm as his hindpaw kicked me in my jaw.
"I'm going out!" I announced in a slightly annoyed voice. I bumped my way out of the nursery and sat beside Fuzz with a huff. Fuzz chuckled and licked my ear.
"You alright?" he purred.
"Yeah. Just need some more space in the nursery." I muttered as I licked my paw. Whitestorm's playful growl sounded behind me.
"Let's go get the big nasty cat!" he sneered. Then I felt tiny paws attack my back. I let out a yowl of surprise and jumped to my paws. Sorrelkit squealed in laughter as I dragged her into the air.
"I got her, I got her! I got the big nasty cat!" she squealed. I gave an annoyed look to Whitestorm as he chuckled.
"Good job! Don't let her get away! She's a feisty one." he warned playfully. I shook Sorrelkit off my back softly then walked off to join Goldenflower underneath the sun's rays.
"She got away!" Sootkit squeaked in dismay.
"It's ok. How about we attack the big nasty cat's mate?" Whitestorm purred. Fuzz laughed as the kits turned on him. I rolled my eyes and sat beside Goldenflower. She looked at me with a loving gaze and licked my ear.
"I saw Cinderpelt walk out of the nursery. What did she say?" she mewed.
"My kits are due soon." I said. Goldenflower purred in delight.
"You better start thinking of names then." she purred.
"I can't choose their names yet!" I chuckled. "I don't know what's their gender or what they look like. I have to wait." Then I heard a snarl. My fur bristled and I dug my claws into the earth. Goldenflower was licking her paw like nothing happened. "Did you hear that?" I asked. Goldenflower looked at me in confusion.
"Hear what?" she mewed.
"That snarl. It sounded like a dog." I said. Goldenflower narrowed her eyes and shook her head.
"You're probably just hearing things, Leopardstorm. Calm down." she chuckled. I looked at the entrance in thought. The snarl sounded again and lingered in my ears.
"I'm going for a walk." I murmured. Goldenflower stopped me.
"You can't! Didn't you see what happened to Swiftpaw and Lostface? I don't want the same thing to happen to you!" she cried. I licked her ear reassuringly.
"Would it make you feel better if you came with me?" I mewed. Goldenflower looked at her paws in unease.
"You need to stay in camp." she said. I sighed and looked at the entrance.
"But I have to take a walk!" I insisted.
"You're not leaving and that's final." Goldenflower stated. I scowled and lashed my tail in annoyance.
Howls filled the air as I slept in my nest. The moon was high in the sky and the clan was settled in a peaceful sleep. I clawed my nest in fear as the howls and snarls grew louder. Why am I the only one hearing all this?! I flattened my ears to my head and closed my eyes tight but the noises still thundered through my brain. I growled in frustration and walked out the nursery. Fireheart and Fuzz were guarding the entrance. I narrowed my eyes and looked around. Then I saw the dirt place. I crept through the shadows and looked for the tunnel. "Chilly, isn't it?" Fireheart's voice mewed. I looked over and saw the two toms talking. I sighed and continued feeling my way for the tunnel. Then I felt air hit my paws. I sighed and stumbled through the tunnel. My haunches got stuck as I made my way through the tunnel. I growled in annoyance and yanked my body out. A patch of fur got stuck in the brambles and a stinging itch was on my flank. I rolled my eyes with a sigh. That's gonna take a while to grow back. Then the howls sounded again. I narrowed my eyes and followed them. Snarls were behind the howls as I gotten closer. I crept over logs and rocks until I finally reached Snake Rocks. The howls and snarls stopped and an eerie silence gripped the air. My fur began to bush out in tension as I looked around.
"Hello?" I called. No answer. I took a step forward and heard a pebble hit the ground. I swirled around but didn't see anything. I took a deep breath and continued making my way through Snake Rocks. I heard paws pattering around me but all I saw were shadows. They're too big to be cats… My breath came out in quick breaths as fear and panic began to creep in. "Hello?" my voice came out in a cracked whisper so I cleared my throat. "Hello?" I called again in a more clear voice. But I couldn't hide the fear that made my body tremble.
"Leopardstorm…" a voice whispered. I pricked my ears as my whole body froze and my fur stood on end. I looked at a hollowed cave as the voice came again. "Leopardstorm…"
"Who's there? Show yourself!" I snapped. A wind ruffled my fur and swayed me on my paws.
"Come closer…" the voice hissed. I widened my eyes in fear as a fast moving shadow began to approach me. "Watch out!" Then a heavy weight crashed into me. I was flung into a rock and I jumped to my paws with bared fangs. Fuzz and Fireheart were looking at me with wide, worried eyes. I sighed in relief as Fuzz ran over to me.
"What are you doing here? Are you alright?" he asked in a quivering voice. Fireheart came closer as his fur slowly stood on end.
"We need to leave." he said. I narrowed my eyes as he stared at a ledge. A dog was standing on the rock with blood thirsty eyes. "Now!" The dog let out a battle howl and thundering paws came from the cave. I gasped as more dogs crashed out the tunnel. Fuzz shoved me forward as Fireheart darted out into the forest.
"Come on!" Fuzz snarled. I shook my head and ran after Fireheart. I heard the snapping of teeth as they barked and aimed at us. I jumped over a log with Fuzz beside me. His eyes were bulging out of his head with fear and determination. Fireheart was standing in a tree.
"Up here! Hurry!" he called. I felt Fuzz fling me onto the trunk as he climbed beside me. I struggled to claw my way up the tree as the dogs began to gather around. I let out a yowl of agony as a dog slammed it's jaws around my tail. My front paws buried themselves into the bark as the dog began to pull me down. Fuzz looked at me and hissed at the dog.
"Let go of her!" he snarled as he slashed the dog's muzzle with glistening claws. The snarled in pain and I took the chance to climb up the tree and out of reach. Fuzz hauled me onto a branch in between him and Fireheart. I panted in relief as the dogs leapt at the tree but couldn't reach us. Fuzz was trembling beside me while his tail lashed out behind him. "What were you doing out of camp? Especially at night? Don't you know how dangerous it is?" he scolded. I flattened my ears and looked down at the dogs.
"I heard noises. I went to go check it out and… I heard a voice." I murmured. Fireheart's ears pricked at this and he looked at me. "It was calling my name and telling me to go in the cave… I didn't know the dogs were in there."
"Did the voice sound familiar?" Fireheart asked. I narrowed my eyes in thought.
"It… kinda sounded like…" my eyes widened in realization. "Tigerstar." The dogs were snarling below us as they clawed at the trunk. Then they walked off into the bushes. Fuzz began to crawl down the tree but I stuck my paw out to stop him. "Wait." I beckoned to the bushes the dogs went in and saw glaring, amber eyes. Fireheart sighed and settled down on the branch.
"Are you sure it sounded like Tigerstar?" Fireheart asked. I scoffed and flicked my ear.
"I know the sound of my-" I broke off as I remembered my vow. "His voice." I snapped. Fireheart sighed and looked back at Snake Rocks as if he was trying to look for the Shadowclan leader. Fuzz was scowling as he glared at the dogs.
"We can't just sit here in a tree all night!" he spat.
"What else can we do? Those things will kill us!" I snapped.
"Not if I get to them first." Fuzz muttered. I sighed as his tail lashed behind him. He's right. We can't just stay in a tree all night. Then thunder sounded and I growled as rain plastered my fur to my skin. The dogs shook themselves and growled as they ran back to Snake Rocks. We waited in the tree a while then climbed down to the floor. I followed Fireheart and Fuzz to camp while the sky thundered above us. "Don't let me catch you do this again." Fuzz meowed. I rolled my eyes.
"Alright." I muttered.
"I'm serious." Fuzz snapped.
"Alright! I get it!" I retorted. Fireheart lifted his tail for silence as we walked into camp. I sighed and made my way to the nursery. I settled down in my nest and looked at the sky. The howls and snarls finally stopped. I narrowed my eyes but lowered my head on my paws and went to sleep.