Chapter 7: Determination might cause more harm

A/n I was getting a lot of reviews, and I wondered why it wasn't counting all of them, so I went over them and counted. It appears it doesn't count reviews from guests, so I actually have more than 15! Thank you for the reviews guys! :D I really appreciate it! I am wondering whether this story is becoming too focused on Jaypaw and Featherpaw, and if it is, please tell me! It's not going to be like this the whole way through, it's only because Featherpaw is injured, that she has spent more time with him than she expects. But I'd like to know what you think! So please review or PM me!

Jaypaw's rustling in the store makes it easier to sneak out of the bramble tunnel unnoticed. I breathe in fresh air, and walk over to the nursery. Graystripe is just getting out and he looks surprised at me. "Are you ok? I heard you got really hurt."

I nod. "I'm ok now. Can we go hunting?"

"I don't think you need to, besides, look at your wounds." He glances at me, then at the fresh-kill pile, and I see it is nearly full. I look around the clearing as Graystripe pads over to the fresh-kill pile and take two mice into the nursery.

Cloudtail, Cinderpaw, Ashfur, Lionpaw and Dustpelt are heading out of the tunnel; I guess they're going on a border patrol. Making sure no one was looking; I slide out of the bracken tunnel, into the forest.

The sun is already high above the trees, and I'm not tired anymore. I ignore the stings on my side and the ache in my belly. My face is beginning to feel better and I can open my left eye. A nice cool breeze ran through my fur.

I have never hunted in my life, but I'm going to try and use what I've read to hunt. I crouch, my tail not high in the air, but just above the ground so it doesn't disturb any leaves. I get on my tip-toes and lower my rump. My ears flat back, I step forward. I scent something. Mouse! I watch it scuffle through the leaves and eating a seed. I get ready to pounce. Tucking my legs in, I spring, my eyes on the small creature as I land on it. It goes limp, and I bite it on the back. Warm blood trickles into my mouth, and I breathe in its scent.

(A/n I'm going to throw in Jaypaw's POV because I thought it might be confusing why he's acting so open to Featherpaw and being nice to her)

Jaypaw's POV

As soon as I squeeze out of the store, Featherpaw isn't there. I make my way out of the den following her flowery scent out of the camp. She's going to hurt herself! I told her not to go out, but she disobeys me right away!

I growl, frustration burning inside of me. Maybe that's why I like her though; because she's just as complicated and bad-tempered as me.

Maybe that's why I felt the way I did when I first met her. But maybe that wasn't the first time I met her.

I open my eyes to see the silver trees and sparkling grass of StarClan. A blue river flows nearby, and that's when I see a silver figure, looking into the water.

My heart jumps when I notice the long gash of blood down her side, when she shakes, I realize she's crying.

I can't help it when I rush to her side, medicine cat instincts, I guess. "Are you okay?"

She smiles at me and nods. "Yes, I'm fine." She whispers hoarsely.

I am shocked by how beautiful her eyes are; a deep sky blue, with hidden brighter blue streaks that I can only just see. Her light silver fur looks like its floating with the wind, ruffling slightly, with tabby stripes of a darker grey.

A long piece of straw is wrapped around her neck loosely, and on it, is a feather. I look up at her to ask what it is, but the darkness is beginning to close all around me, until it's just her.

And then even she disappears, fading as she whispers my name.

"Jaypaw?" Featherpaw's voice brings me back. I look at her; she's holding a mouse, her eyes brimming with annoyance.

"What are you doing?" I growl at her.

She steps back. "I was hunting! See?" she throws the mouse at my paws, and I bend down to sniff the darkness. "Why did Graystripe let you hunt? Where is he?"

She lifts her chin. "I caught that all by myself, thank you very much. Graystripe didn't teach me how to do it!"

I frown. "You shouldn't sneak out of the camp!" Rolling the mouse back to her, she picks it up, and it's in my view again. I examine it closely. Small, brown and bloody. Not a very clean kill, if you ask me. No one's going to eat prey that has dry blood all over it!

"I'm not a kit! I'm allows to come out here for some fresh air! It's not like you can talk any way, I know about all the times you have sneaks out of camp!"

She hurries past me, back to the camp. I sigh. I just don't want to see her like that. It's scary when she's the only thing I can see. When she was getting attacked, it was like darkness was hurting her. Like a Dark Forest warrior was the cause for those injuries. And I couldn't move; I couldn't do anything. Just watch her as blood stained her beautiful silver fur.

I follow her back to the camp. Her scent is taking me to the apprentices' den, and I step in.

Featherpaw's POV

Jaypaw lies down in front of me. "I'm sorry; I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm not going to get hurt just by hunting. Why do you only tell me to be careful?"

Jaypaw sighs. "Because you seem so fragile, when you were attacks, you couldn't even move. You just kept taking more and more blows."

"But you've healed me, Jaypaw. I'm ok now." I lean forward to lick his head, but I remember what Leafpool said. I pull away, and look at my paws. Jaypaw gets up. "If those wounds keep bothering you by tomorrow, come to me."

I nod. "Ok."

I manage to sleep a bit more, though the battle is still in my mind. Why didn't anyone tell me who the cat that attacks me was? I remember the dark grey fur and the blood in my eyes. I roll over, but the moss rubs against a scratch and a whimper escapes my mouth. Hollypaw stirs from her nest beside me and she looks up. "Featherpaw? Are you ok? Do you want me to get Jaypaw?"

I shake my head. "It can wait until morning, it's too late." I could barely see the black she-cat through the dark. How in the world was anyone going to get to the medicine cat den when they have to step over nests with sleeping cats and bramble tunnels with sharp twigs? Hollypaw nods and closes her eyes again. I rest my head on the side of the moss, and close my eyes.