Chapter 3

"Willowpaw!" the shout tore them from sleep . Willowpaw gasped "Fa?" she whispered and rushed up , hugging her father as fiercely as he hugged her .

Akin sighed in dismay , Willowpaw already had a mate . he turned and ran . Just before he reached the trees , he heard Willowpaw shout and what she yelled stopped him in his tracks

"Akin!"

Willowpaw yelled "Akin!" and tried to run after him , but her father grabbed the fur around her upper chest and pulled her back . She yelped as it came loose and almost fell . She saw Akin turn as she re-tied it just in time . She pulled loose from her Fa's grip and ran over . She pointed at her father and said to Akin "Fa!"

"Is he your Fa?" she nodded . He gasped and knelt , Saying "Spirit Walker" . Fa ignored him , yanking his cub behind him , Snarled for her to "STAY!" then said in Tailless "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY DAUGHTER!"

Akin staggered back as the spirit walker yanked Willowpaw behind him , snarled something to her in Wolf , the said "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY DAUGHTER!" as whipped out his knife .

"Sir , I've done nothing to her . I found her in this cave , talked to her and when she fell asleep , guarded her until she fell asleep too . She was wary of me at first , but she calmed down . She trusts me ." he said as Willowpaw nodded frantically .

"Of course she was wary of you , she should be , look at her ." as Willowpaw looked down sadly . He did and gasped . All over the girl's body , the parts not covered by the scant furs she wore was riddled with scars . "She was attacked?"

"Yes , by her mother's clan before they knew that she was their bone kin ."

Fa looked over , realized something . "Willowpaw?" he asked . She backed up , stumbled and fell . He father caught her just before she hit the ground and gently lowered her the rest of the way . She felt sick and light headed . She whimpered what she felt to her father and he immediately sprung into action , producing two soft hides from his pack , Spread it on the ground and gently moved her onto it . Then he laid the other one over her and said to Akin " go to the river and get me some water ."

"What is it?" he asked

"She has fever."

As Akin ran off , Torak lent over his daughter and kissed her forehead .

As he lent over , Willowpaw noticed as strange tattoo she had never seen before . Fa said in wolf .
" Sleep , my cub , I wil protect you ." And so she did , but her dreams were filled with images of her father's strange tattoo .