Chapter 4
Shadowpaw padded up to her mother, who pressed warmly against her side.
At first, she only felt a shock against her pelt, like a small bolt of lightning, and thought nothing of it.
Hollyleaf exchanged glances with her mate, and something passed between them. "Walk with me." she mewed to Shadowpaw, and they walked along the shoreline.
They stopped, and the shock grew into a stinging, itching pain.
"The darkness will spill over." Hollyleaf spoke.
Suddenly, the pain was icy cold.
Shadowpaw felt as if her throat were filled with water, her fur soaked and her nose and ears clogged.
"The claws of evil will rake you bare."
She felt as if stones and sticks were scraping her fur raw, and forming cuts along her flank.
"Until the sunrise comes, and chases the darkness away."
Shadowpaw's pain left her, and she could breathe again.
A thick, comforting warmth spread throughout her body, and she blinked rapidly as a sharp burst of light hit her eyes, and then her mother was gone.
"Shadowpaw? Shadowpaw!" Flarepaw cried, rushing over to meet her friend.
The rest of the patrol rounded the corner, spotting her.
She was still panting from her experience, and realized Jayfeather and Lionblaze were there as well.
Jayfeather's blind eyes clouded with relief, as the new sound of her exhausted breath hit his ears.
Lionblaze stood back, studying her, her eyes scared she may be injured, the switched to relief like Jayfeather.
Jayfeather raced to her side, and pressed against her. "You idiot, you could have died. You could have died." he snarled, compassion ayering his voice.
Lionblaze nodded. "Idiot indeed." yet he was relieved.
She was simply glad they weren't being harsh on her.
And yet, they went off and took her for granted.
"Cats hardly ever die the exact same way their parents do." she meowed.
She could feel the atmosphere change, and flicked her tail.
Jayfeather then stood back, and examined her.
"I'm fine, I- OUCH!" she cried, when Jayfeather prodded her flank.
She turned and looked as her parted her fur.
"You have a terrible cut!" Dovewing fretted.
Ivypool rushed to support her apprentice, but Flarepaw took her place.
She gave her friend a grateful glance.
Shadowpaw realized her head was hurting, the pain finally reaching her.
Her experience must have partially happened; her flank was clawed.
Once back at camp, her belly fur was stained with blood.
In the Medicine Den, she lay down, and Jayfeather cleaned the cut with a good licking.
"It's deep," he meowed to her, "But it's nothing I can't fix, although it will leave a scar."
She nodded. "I ... I saw ..."
His eyes lit up, and his blind gaze locked with hers, as if he could see her.
He seemed to be searching her.
Uncomfortable, she felt her neck fur bristle, and she decided to say nothing. "I saw my fathers body ..."
At least she didn't lie.
Nodding, his gaze went lifeless again, and he placed the poultice on her wound, then patted leaves along as well.
"You need to stay here until I say you can leave." he informed her, and she nodded.
Turning to leave and speak with the patrol and telling how she was, he stopped near then entrance.
Turning he seemed merely curious, his eyes questioning.
"How did you get such a cut?" he asked quietly.
"I ... don't know." She partially admitted and partially lied.
His gaze then grew ... thoughtful, serious, and ... dark.
He then padded out, leaving her to wonder what he was thinking of.