Lostheart and Moonfur broke through the trees as they followed after Thistleprick, the sun barely shining behind the heavy veil of gray clouds. Ahead in the grass, Lostheart could see where Browneyes stood near a small group of three cats, who were watching them as they neared closer.
"Dark!" The female of the three exclaimed, her eyes wide in surprise. The two males merely blinked, it had been so long since they had seen her. Browneyes turned towards his clanmates, glad to see their presence.
"These cats say they've come from the mountains, looking for you." he meowed, turning toward Moonfur. "This is our deputy, Lostheart." Browneyes meowed to the strangers. Moonfur and Lostheart stared at the newcomers, but their expressions differed. Moonfur's seemed to be one of shock and disbelief, but Lostheart's was unreadable; her eyes were narrowed watching the small group of cats.
The graying tom at the front of the group met her gaze and the cats behind him looked on in shock. Her eyes. 'What a cruel expression...' Besides the overall disturbing nature of the she-cat, what surprised them most was that she was just like Dark. The tom blinked, finally turning to Moonfur, remembering the message he was sent to carry.
"We have searched a long time for you, Dark. I didn't believe we would ever find you..." He mewed slowly, trying to find the right words to begin.
"I actually go by Moonfur now." Moonfur remarked softly. The tribe cats appeared surprised by her words, but the gray tom dipped his head nonetheless. "But...why are you here, Breeze?"
"I made a promise." Breeze meowed, voice suddenly becoming low and despondent. "Ice, made me promise that I would find you, to tell you..."
Moonfur's eyes suddenly widened and Lostheart watched as Moonfur took a step forward, her body beginning to stiffen. The pale she-cat searched Breeze's eyes for any hints as to what he was about to say.
"Dark, Ice of Harsh Winter passed on to the Tribe of Endless Hunting..."
Moonfur froze completely, her entire being appeared to visually shatter at that moment. Her mouth hung slightly open, and Lostheart could see the beginnings of her paws beginning to shake. "Wh-what?" she breathed.
'No this can't be, he was a strong tom! No, I won't believe it. They're lying!' Moonfur thought frantically.
"He died of sickness, but in his final breath, he asked me to find you. To tell you something important." Breeze managed. "It was recently, that a group of cats re-visited us from the neighboring forests. Ice was always thinking of you, and knowing of your journey to find your father, he was always sure to ask around."
Moonfur remained unresponsive, too in shock to say anything.
"These cats, well, they knew of your father."
This seemed to catch Moonfur's attention, if even by a little bit, and her eyes widened slightly, her ears pricked up trying to catch every word the grey tom was about to say.
"Mudclaw, a dark mottled tom with amber eyes." he began. "-Was crushed by a falling tree in the presence of a storm." He said the last words slowly, as if trying to ease the news into Moonfur, rather than hitting her with it.
Thistleprick and Browneyes remained equally confused, but said nothing, knowing it wasn't their place to speak. Lostheart, on the other hand, could see Moonfur's heart shatter in her eyes. The black she-cat couldn't help the pained feeling that struck her own heart.
"..I'm sorry Dark. We all knew how important this was to you, especially Ice. He waited for you every day never once believing you were gone." Breeze's expression took on a new, somber tone. "Ice wanted you to know, but not so you would despair. He wanted you to be able to end your quest, and above all, to tell you that he wanted nothing more than for you to enjoy your life, and to find happiness..." Breeze's face remained downcast, and the tom seemed to have trouble finishing his statement. "...The message he told me to deliver, was that he loves you. They were his last and final words."
Saying nothing more, Breeze turned back toward the cliffs, making his way back on the long journey home. The two remaining cats sent sympathetic glances at Moonfur and quickly ran to catch up to Breeze as the group left DarkClan territory.
Moonfur's teeth were gritted tightly together, and the she-cat refused to look up from the earth. Thistleprick and Browneyes were both frozen in shock, while Lostheart watched from beside them. "Moonfur-" Browneyes began tentatively.
"Leave me alone!" she hissed, running off into the fields. Browneyes and Thistleprick both blinked and looked towards Lostheart for what to do. The black she-cat watched Moonfur's pale retreating form, a certain kind of sadness hidden in her eyes. "Let her go." Lostheart meowed.
Moonfur rushed through the trees running as far away as she could from the place where she found out her mate and father were dead. Tears stung at her eyes threatening to overflow. She didn't care, she let them come. Her heart ached in her chest as she felt it crumble beneath the weight of the news.
'No, no, no.! If I had only waited with him! He would have been there with me when the Clan cats came, then I wouldn't of had to go on this stupid mission in the first place! Now he's gone forever!' Moonfur collapsed near the river that ran beside the border of Darkclan territory. She laid there sobbing, a steady river tears flowing from her multicolored eyes.
The forest was alive around her. Birds chirped, cats wandered their territories, fish swam in the river, none had a care in the world. Here, the pale she-cat had her world snatched from beneath her paws. Moonfur thought of her father, the tom had been bitter and unloving to her, but he was still her father and had a responsibility as such.
'I never completed my quest, Ice, I let you down. I know how much you wanted this for me. I'm..I'm so sorry.' Her voice was weak as she mumbled her words to a clear blue sky.
"It was a day like this when I left you," Moonfur mused, thinking of Ice, who she hoped was watching her. She sniffed as the memory began to playback in her head.
The day was clear as two cats emerged from behind a waterfall. A pale she-cat with a dark grey crest on the side of her chest padded beside a pure white tom with grey socks and a grey tail tip. The rocks of the mountains were warm under their pads as they trotted up a ridge to a secluded spot in the mountains. This had always been their place, the Tribe knew this and when the two cats were there, they attempted to keep their distance.
"Beautiful day," the white tom remarked. His blue eyes glancing up at the sky and then at the she-cat who padded with alongside him.
"Yes, I suppose it is." Her answer was short and curt. The tom looked at her, she had been acting strange for a few sunrises now. Her head was pointing straight, not even sparing him a glance.
"Dark," The tom began slowly, concern dripping off his words, "Please tell me what's wrong. You haven't been yourself lately." His heart ached to see her like this. Dark didn't reply until they were sat in their place, which overlooked the forests below.
"Ice, I… I have to go," Dark began slowly.
The tom named Ice just stared at her in confusion, "Go where? We just got here."
"No, not like that. I mean I have to go find my father."
"You have never mentioned this was bothering you before." Ice said turning his head to Dark.
"It has been bothering me for a while, actually, I just haven't said anything. I just feel like now that I have grown I need to find him and prove him of my strength and that I am not just some kit. I want him to love me, and I want to forgive him." Dark said somberly, she and Ice both knew what it meant if she went on this journey.
Ice stared out into the forests below and thought silently, Dark watching him anxiously for a response.
"I think you should, if it is going to put your mind at ease go find Mudclaw. Dark, I want you to know that I am coming with you though. There isn't any way that I would let you of all cats go alone. I love you too much." He looked at Dark, his eyes showing nothing but concern and love for his mate. Dark couldn't help but relax. He had that effect on her.
"Ice, you can't come with me, as much as I want you to." Dark meowed, standing up and padding to the edge of the cliff that looked out into the forests and grasslands down below, "You didn't know my father and this quest is something that I must do alone." She glanced back at the white male, who still sat there watching her every move, taking in his reaction. His face was calm, but his eyes showed hurt. Dark's chest tightened.
'I'm not helping the situation. How can I get him to stop worrying about me? I'll be fine, I know I will, but he won't believe me.' Dark thought sadly.
"Okay, but Dark, please come back. I can't lose you." His eyes pleaded with the pale she-cat, in hopes of a confirmation from her.
Dark moved close to him and put her nose on the tip of his. She gazed into his deep blue eyes, while he gazed into her multi-colored grey eyes. "Ice, I could never leave you. I will always return. No matter what, no matter how long. You are my world. The only one who understands, me. I love you more than words could speak."
Ice purred in response and the couple left to tell Stoneteller of Dark's news. The old tom allowed for the venture, but asked that Dark return safely one day.
The following sunrise Dark departed, Ice watching after her. "I'll be waiting for you!" he called. "Don't ever forget! I love you..."
The memory faded from Moonfur's mind, and her heart now lay broken within her chest.
'My quest was for nothing…. My father died and I never got to prove to him what I wanted. I should have been there with Ice, I never should have left the Tribe of Rushing Water in the first place. We could have raised kits together, had a family.' Moonfur scolded herself for even leaving the Tribe and even more for thinking that these cats she was with now could ever be the family that she dreamed of having with Ice, he was the only one who had ever cared for her besides her mother, and he wasn't here. 'Why did I stay here, what was there to gain? I broke my promise to Stoneteller, and to Ice. So, why?' No answer came to her mind.
'I never proved myself to my father either. He died thinking I was just a pathetic kit...one he didn't even have time for'. Fresh tears streamed down Moonfur's cheeks, as she thought of him sending her off with Shiver. 'I am strong, Dad! Look at me now!'
As she thought of her father and her mate, Moonfur began to feel the incredible sensation of loneliness beginning to take over her soul, her heart had shattered, and now it felt like her soul was dying too.
'I am alone. There really is no fight left within me...' Moonfur's eyes were dull and downcast as she stared at her reflection in the rushing water, the familiar separate gazes watching her back. 'Ice and Mudclaw are gone...'
'It's all gone...What do I have now?' her thoughts whispered as she stared into the water, as if expecting her reflection to answer her. 'My entire life...all I've ever wanted...'
'What do I have now?' she repeated.
Slowly, Moonfur rose to her paws, eyes never leaving the water as she stood at the edge of the bank. 'We'll see each other again.' The sound of rushing water never stopped as Moonfur closed her eyes, and leapt into the river. The current pulled her along, and as she drifted further down, shaded eyes slowly opened, staring at the light shining through the water's surface.
'I wonder if mother will be happy to see me...maybe, the four of us can watch the moon together...' Moonfur's paws drifted above her, her body in complete weightlessness. Slowly, her eyes fell and her vision began to blur, her body slowing down. The light above her seemed to drift further and further away, and a feeling of cold moved throughout her body as she released all the strength she had left, and let the river drag her under.
'Yeah...that sounds nice...'
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Moon and I did a collab on this chapter, so we hope you enjoyed it. Leave questions/comments/thoughts in reviews. I will try to update soon.
Lost Out
-A lot of different music helped with this chapter, mainly instrumental. But if you haven't, you should check out the song 'Hymn for the Missing' by RED.