Snowcloud's Wish

Chapter 6

Snowpaw only saw darkness. Everything was different now without sight. She sighed. She couldn't be a warrior, not only because she is blind, her right hind leg was burnt too, and it was crippled. If only! She thought. "Jayfeather," she called for the medicine cat. The gray tabby turned to her and asked, "What's wrong Snowpaw? Are you burns stinging or hurting again?" "No," Snowpaw replied. "Then what is it?" Jayfeather asked in a gruff voice. "What is it like being blind?" Silence hung the air, only interrupted by the scrabbling noise of the leaves when Jayfeather picked them up. "Well..." Jayfeather began. "It's all dark, you can't see anything, and you can only 'see' with you nose to scent and your ear to listen." Snowpaw murmured, "Thanks Jayfeather." Jayfeather replied with a grunt.

Snowpaw asked, "Can I walk?" Jayfeather meowed, "Yes. Try limping." "Thanks Jayfeather," Snowpaw gave a thankful mew. She tried to limp, but she couldn't. Every time she put weight on there, the pain throbbed. She sighed, but determination made her try over and over again. Finally, she was able to limp, but she was exhausted. She sank down in her nest and thought, I will try again! Jayfeather muttered, "Here, take these seeds. And slee-" "Jayfeather!" A sharp mew of a she-cat interrupted him. Snowpaw caught a sharp tang of herbs. Leafpool! She thought. 

Leafpool placed down the herbs she was carrying and meowed, "Jayfeather! Why didn't you let me see her?" Jayfeather muttered under his breath, "Because you will fuss over her like Cinderpaw." Leafpool meowed, "Let me see her." Snowpaw was surprised at the force in her voice. She heard footsteps as Jayfeather padded away, muttering ungratefully under his breath. Leafpool meowed, concern in her meow, "Snowpaw, do you feel fine?" Snowpaw nodded. "Yeah...I'm fine..." She murmured. Then winced at the sting of her burns. Leafpool asked, "What is hurting?" Snowpaw meowed, "My burns and my eyes." Leafpool padded away to fetch herbs. She felt a cool poultice plastered on her burns, cooling the stinging feeling down. 

Leafpool handed her a ball of moss. "Here," she murmured gently. "Drink this water." Snowpaw lapped at the moss, then licked up the seeds on Leafpool's paw pad. Her eyes grew sleepy, then she closed her eyes to sleep.

Snowpaw looked around. I can see! She thought, but her bubbling gleefulness disappeared as she thought, Oh dang it! I am only in StarClan, it's only a dream. Sighing, she walked around. A single star twinkled and floated down. A white and orange she-cat emerged from the forest next to the starry clearing. The white and orange she-cat meowed, "Hello Snowpaw. My name is Mapleshade, and I have come to offer you something." Snowpaw nodded. Mapleshade meowed, "DO you want me to help you train?" Snowpaw opened her mouth to reply, but Bluestar put her tail on Snowpaw's shoulder. "Mapleshade," She growled, narrowing her blue gaze into tiny slits. "I have come to take Snowpaw back to StarClan hunting grounds." Mapleshade narrowed her eyes. 

"T come with the permission of StarClan," Bluestar hissed softly through clenched teeth. "Go back to the dark forest." Mapleshade snarled, "Fine. You win this time. But I won't forget this in a hurry." Then, the tortoiseshell she-cat ran away, cursing insults to the stars. Bluestar meowed to Snowpaw, "Snowpaw, you must never ever talk to Mapleshade again." "Why?" Snowpaw tipped her head to one side, puzzled. "Because she is dangerous," Bluestar hissed. Snowpaw flinched at the rage in Bluestar's voice. "o-ok..." She stammered. Bluestar relaxed. "Good," She murmured. 

Snowpaw meowed, "Why am I here?" Bluestar meowed, "I have come to tell you that you should believe me." Snowpaw hissed, "I know!" Bluestar meowed, "Why are you frustrated?" Snowpaw snarled, "You think you can control and sweet-talk me just because you are a StarClan cat!" Bluestar looked shocked, then growled, "What do you want?" "I don't want to believe in my destiny!" She hissed. Then, startled by her voice, she crouched down and wept. Bluestar saw that this young cat was very stressed and sad, she must give up what she wanted most. Snowpaw's body trembled with emotion. Oh StarClan! Why, why must you give me this cruel fate? She thought. Then, with a flash of the stars, she was in the normal life, of her darkness and crippled leg again.