Chapter 24
A/n I'm going to reply to reviews from now on! :D I'm starting from my last chapter:
Wolf that howls at eclipse: Thank you! I really appreciate that you are enjoying my story so far :) I have plenty more to come.
Maxiln997: Yes, things will change a lot, but for the better! :D Most of the time! I can't promise anything though... Mwahaha!
Foxstar- Leader of FoxClan: I actually didn't really like Hollyleaf either... I guess I like it when cats break the rules, heehee! I am mean, but I thought it'd be interesting for how it would effect Featherpaw and give her a bit more character in the chapters to come :)
Swiftwing1: I'm actually going to have a poll for Featherpaw's warrior name later in the story cause I am really indecisive. Featherheart does have a nice ring to it though! :)
Day 26
I plunge into the depths of twisted dreams that are playing with my emotions as I try to run away; scene after scene of darkness, things that are my fault, things that wouldn't have been if it weren't for me. Jayfeather's love for me, Hollyleaf's death, Lionblaze and Heathertail's late night visits, Cinderheart sitting all on her own, so many other things I've messed up. And it's all because I didn't plan properly, I didn't think about the consequences that would follow my stupid hurried actions.
Then maybe Leafpool wouldn't have realized it was I who knew so much in the Clan. Maybe she would've dismissed the thought, never insist I am in the prophecy. Because I'm not.
I can't be.
Eventually, I manage to wake up. I shouldn't have fallen asleep. I should've stayed by her side and kept vigil, spend this one night in her memory. Guilt. It's the second emotion, after realization, realization of the fact that I'm a terrible friend, who can't even stay awake for one night to honour her best friend.
My aching legs press against the hard cold floor. A faint light fills the clearing, dawn is here. I lay next to Hollyleaf like I would every morning; beside her, facing her slightly. Watching the sky, I remember us sitting there, when I was up early for once. We spent that one time silent, completely engrossed on listening to the birds in the trees and watching the sky change colour as morning turned to day.
Around me, I see the bodies of other cats. Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Cinderheart, Mousewhisker, Icecloud, Brackenfur, Leafpool, Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight and Firestar rest around the clearing, their slow breathing nearly convincing me that they're asleep. My family. I think. These cats are my family.
I get a day of rest today. Graystripe said I should, even when I insisted that I want to go on a patrol with him. It only makes my more guilty to know that I did get a full night of sleep, just like him. I don't deserve this day off.
I try anyway, only because I still am really tired. Sleeping on the floor isn't exactly comfortable. My back and neck ache, and my mind flickers to Sol briefly. But my fatigue is enough to dismiss any violent thoughts of him, so I fall into my nest of rainbow feathers.
It's the screech of a bird outside that rouses me from my dreamless sleep. The orange ray of light shining into the den tells me that it's dusk; the sun must be only just setting. A growl in my stomach unsettles me and I give in to its demand. Padding to the fresh-kill pile, I hear the murmurs of other cats in the Clan.
Maybe it's just me, but I feel as though they've lost trust in me. They've lost trust because I didn't save her. I didn't save her…
I pick the smallest creature on the pile, a limp robin, whose ruffled feathers makes me wonder if it'll be worth adding to my nest. I shake my head. There's no point.
The cats escape to their dens, one by one. I watch them leave until it was only me left. After burying what was left of the robin, I allow myself to slip out of the camp, through one of the hidden tunnels. No one can blame me for wanting revenge, but that means no one can find out. Once I kill Sol, I can come back and help get this prophecy straight; show Jayfeather and Lionblaze Dovewing is the third cat.
Just as I turn to the right, I hear the bushes rustle. The fear of getting caught makes my heart race and I dive into the bushes, hoping the shadows will conceal my silver pelt.
I swallow the irritated growl rising in my throat. Sneaking through the forest, glancing around to be sure no one is there, Lionblaze creeps out of the secret tunnel I just went through. I don't know if it's his excitement, his inobservance or understanding that keeps him from noticing where my scent trail leads to, but whatever it is, I'm grateful.
He walks straight past me, and I step out of the bushes, licking my shoulders. Going to the scene of Hollyleaf's death will be painful, but helpful. I need to pick up Sol's scent. It's cool, an expected temperature for a summer night. The dark blue sky is dotted with white, sparkling stars, glowing against the wide blanket of night. Small, thin clouds threaten to cover the half-full moon, but its light helps me hide in the shadows of my own territory. How dreadfully secretive of me.
When I reach the small clearing that is not far off from the WindClan border, the strong scent of blood hits my nose with such a force, it sends me into unforgettable memories that I wish I could shake away. The smell of her blood… It's something that makes me gag, not because of the actual scent, but the thoughts that come with it.
I sniff around the area, trying to ignore the cries and screeches that fill my ears, reliving the entire scene in my head. How stupid I was to turn away from her while she was dying, take my eyes off of her when she was in need. She was in denial, but the plea in her voice was so clear. She wanted me to get us out of there.
Maybe she meant she wanted to get out of this huge mess that is called life. But it only turns into a mess when you don't play the game correctly.
A flicker of hope mixed with desperation sparks in my chest like a flame in the middle of winter. I found it.
That unforgettable scent that is marked with the name 'Enemy'; it fills my nose and mouth, but I breathe it in. I have a chance to change it, to kill him and feel at peace with myself.
To know that Hollyleaf's death is not something I will let slip.
And then the bushes rustle behind me in the still air, causing my heart to stop completely.
A/n Cliff hanger! Mwahaha Who is this mysterious creature spying on Featherpaw as it hides in the shadows? I know! :D The more reviews, the quicker I update my next chapter, that is just dying to get out here :) I'll reply to them too! :D I got the idea off some other fanfictions I read, and I thought that was a good idea! :) So please review! Thank you for reading! :DD