Warriors: The Fall of the Clans: Sunlight

Chapter 11

Foxpaw glanced at the others uneasily, wading through the water and trying to stay calm. He tried to catch a glimpse of her shimmering silver fur, desperate for any little piece.

He could see nothing.

"Why isn't this water shallow?!" He asked angrily, getting no response. Everyone else was searching too. He looked down at the blue depths. The same trickling fear slinked I to his mind, but he focused. He had to.

Just like before.

Just like.

Before.

Just.

Like.

Before.

Foxpaw took in a breath, and dove into the water. It stung his eyes but he forced them to stay open, glancing around wildly across the murky landscape. Dawnpaw, Dawnpaw, Dawnpaw.

He swam deeper, glad he'd practiced holding his breath so long. Foxpaw swam and swam, but not a single glimpse of Dawnpaw.

He was about to go back up as his lungs began to feel crushed, and then there she was.

Drifting through the water, silver fur muddy and moving with the current. Foxpaw didn't think. He swam towards her, grabbed her scruff, and began dragging them both upwards. He felt like he was fighting this cursed water.

It threw him off, but he had to. One paw after another, Foxpaw dragged them upwards. His muscles strained and ached, but he wouldn't stop. Air. Air. Air. He was close to the top when he began to tire, but broke in one last burst of energy and bobbed his head up, gasping for air. Foxpaw couldn't see, but he could smell. He followed the musty trail of land, and his Clanmates. He swam more, struggling to keep his and Dawnpaw's heads out of the water.

Foxpaw kept swimming and swimming until he heard a shout and then felt earth under his pads. He felt the soft crumbly feeling of being on land. He dragged Dawnpaw onto the land, coughing up water and falling to the ground, his muscles screaming for rest.

Foxpaw fell, and everything blurred out.

He watched as they dragged Dawnpaw away. He saw some cat put a pulpy substance into his mouth, making him swallow.

He felt stronger as a small amount of time passed. But maybe it was minutes, or hours. His mind woke up, bit by bit. Foxpaw suddenly jerked upwards, his eyes wide and frenzied.

His surroundings had changed.

Foxpaw stared and stared. Moss nests, a den. Herbs. Lots of herbs.

The medicine den.

Foxpaw felt some cat nudge him and turned. "Oh." He said. "Hi, Reedpaw." His voice cracked from a lack of use. She didn't comment on it. "How is Dawnpaw?" Reedpaw looked away. "She's..." Reedpaw sighed. Foxpaw let puzzled. "Yeah?" He prompted, whilst glancing around, looking for a silver-furred apprentice lying in a nest.

The nests were all empty.

Foxpaw felt like he'd been hit by a Monster. "She's gone, isn't she?" He said numbly. Reedpaw pitifully nodded. "She...She drowned. I'm sorry..." But the words went over Foxpaw's head.

Annoying, caring, indignant and easily angered Dawnpaw. The she-cat he'd known for such a long time. The kit who vowed revenge. The kit who he saved from dying.

Why couldn't I save her this time?

She'd never be able to get her revenge.

She'd never be able to argue with him.

She'd never be able to live.

Foxpaw felt numb.

He remembered Reedpaw was still there. "How are you feeling?" She asked, now observing him analytically. "Fine." He said. He felt no pain or anything. But the hurt, it was more emotional. It hurt worse than that horrifying day before he'd joined the Clan...

Foxpaw got up and left the den before Reedpaw could stop him. Before Losteye could return and make him stay.

He headed towards the apprentice den. Only Moonpaw was there. She was lying in a nest - not her own - and staring blankly out at the den's side. She looked like how he felt right now. "Hi Moonpaw." He said quietly. She didn't reply. Foxpaw walked closer and prodddd her shoulder. She slowly looked over, Moonpaw's expression cloudy. "Foxpaw...?" He nodded. Foxpaw then realized whose nest she was in.

It was Dawnpaw's.

"You okay?" He asked awkwardly.

"No." She replied.

"Me neither."

Foxpaw left the den, and instead of looking for the others, looking for Streamfeather or Stormpaw, he found himself looking for Tigerpaw. The tabby tom was eating a trout - rather smugly - near the nursery.

Foxpaw padded towards him. "Teach me again." He said quickly, not bothering with a greeting. Tigerpaw blinked, chewing slowly. "Foxpaw. Are you sure?" He nodded automatically. Tigerpaw swallowed. "Okay. But help me finish this trout first." Tigerpaw flicked his tail to the spot beside him. Foxpaw impatiently bit into the trout. He didn't have time for this, this mundane task.

"Where's Icepaw?" He asked, not wanting to create an awkward silence. Tigerpaw shrugged. "I think she's speaking to Heronflight." Tigerpaw chewed another piece of trout. Foxpaw forced himself to chew. "I heard Cloudsky might be going to the nursery." Tigerpaw mewed. Foxpaw blinked. "What? But then I'll need a mentor..." Tigerpaw shrugged. "You'll probably get Skynose then." Foxpaw shook his head. "No. Too many memories." He muttered.

Tigerpaw didn't push it. When he finally finished the trout, he flicked his tail towards Foxpaw. "Let's go." But he was already up and moving.

Once they reached the little trees near the ThunderClan border with RiverClan, Tigerpaw sat down. "Look, Foxpaw, when you first came here, you were an obnoxious and annoying but funny little guy. Ever since you became an apprentice...you've changed. Why?" Foxpaw blinked. "I don't know. I didn't think I'd changed. I've just wanted...to forget, I guess." Tigerpaw nodded. "Okay. Just don't push away all your friends while you're at it, yeah?"

He turned towards the tree. "Okay. For this, try putting a bit more power into your front legs, while practicing a regular jump. Mid-jump, get your claws unsheathed and ready to hit the bark, okay?" Foxpaw visualized the instructions, then nodded.

He backed up, concentrating solely on the target. He tensed his front legs, flexing and getting ready, and then he leaped, turning mid-air, flipping. Foxpaw focused on the target. He unsheathed his claws, and then he wasn't in the air anymore.

He was sideways. Up a tree.

Tigerpaw laughed. "Nice!"

Foxpaw laughed too.

"Certainly a good squirrel, aren't you?"

He stopped laughing.

In the branches above him, far from Tigerpaw's view, was a blue-grey tom with blue eyes. Foxpaw stared at him. "What?" The tom grinned. "Are you RiverClan?" Foxpaw nodded. "Then sorry, but I'm here to kill you."