Facing A Forest of Shadows

Chapter Seventeen

Frostfeather watched in dismay as Pineheart and Elkleap reappeared from the foliage. They were both burdened by bloodied bodies, almost unrecognizable beneath the gore.

"What happened!" Brokensong demanded, her tail flicking back and fourth.

Pineheart gently rested Smallfire's corpse on the ground. He took a deep breath before speaking, "Dewdrop tried to convince Smallfire to attack me," Pineheart meowed, "but he attacked her instead."

I knew I was right about her, Frostfeather thought angrily, what a foxheart!

"So did Dewdrop kill Smallfire?" Lionpaw whimpered, peeking around Meadowshine's tortoiseshell fur to look at her dead Clanmate.

Pineheart shuffled his paws, "not exactly..." he mumbled, "Smallfire told me that he had been infected. He showed me a bite on his chest that he had gotten back in the old camp from one of the wolves."

Brokensong quickly padded forward to inspect the orange and white tom. She lifted his foreleg, exposing the angry red bite mark in his chest.

"He... he told me I had to kill him. He didn't want to lose control and kill anyone," he sobbed.

Frostfeather padded closer to her brother, feeling grief pulse through her body. "I can't believe Smallfire was infected... I thought we left that all behind us, back at the camp."

Elkleap bent down, letting Dewdrop's body flop to the ground. "Before we leave, we should hold a burial. It's what Smallfire deserves," he meowed solemnly.

The others murmured their agreement, still too stricken from shock to speak. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Frostfeather breathed into his ear.

He leaned into her, his limbs as stiff as tree trunks. How much more will we have to bear?

~~~~~

The IceClan cats stood in a ragged circle around the shallow grave they had dug. "It's not perfect, but it'll be enough to send Smallfire on his way to StarClan," Brokensong meowed.

The tall grasses of the meadow stood like sentries as the Clan cats mourned their fallen comrade. Slowly, Elkleap nudged the deceased tom until he nestled snuggly into his final resting place. They stood, gripped in an ice-like silence, as Brokensong started to recite the traditional farewell to all warriors on their journey to StarClan.

"Smallfire was a young, noble warrior. He served his Clan well; embarking on this trek despite the fact he had fallen ill at the start. We will never forget his sacrifice."

Sootsplash pulled Meadowshine closer to his side, his gaze dark as he looked down at Smallfire in his grave.

"May he find peace amongst the stars," she finished, bowing her head. Elkleap began to shift the dirt over his pelt, letting the earth take hold of his physical form.

"I still can't believe this happened," Frostfeather mewed, "but I'm glad it wasn't you instead." She leaned into Pineheart, relishing the warmth of his ebony fur.

"I guess I'm glad too. But I don't think I'll ever get the taste of his blood out of my mouth..." he choked, his pelt shuddering from the thought.

The patrol bowed their heads as the final pawful of dirt was placed on the tiny grave. After several moments, Brokensong rose her voice to address the group, "we shouldn't delay in continuing our journey. We took the time to put Smallfire to rest, but now we should head out."

No one argued. Their earlier elation at StarClan's message had all but evaporated to be replaced with a stone-like grief.

Frostfeather glanced at the sky, noticing that it was already past sunhigh. "It'll be easy to follow the path with the sun in front of us," she commented.

Pineheart grunted, his face blank like an emotionless slab. The patrol started to slowly pad away, casting sad glances back at the mound of dirt that hid their Clanmate from view.

Elkleap took the lead, making sure to take note of the sun's position before they padded onward. So much heartache and grief, are we even going to know how it feels to be happy after all of this?

Without Smallfire at his side, Pineheart clung to Frostfeather's side. She wished that he would confide in her, but knew better than to push the subject.

After some time, the Clan cats eventually left the grassy meadow behind. Ahead of them, a vast system of forests and swamps stretched into the distance. Dusk had settled, replacing the calm blue sky.

"What if we get lost and can't find the sun?" Meadowshine asked fretfully as they embarked beneath the shadowy trees. Frostfeather felt her pelt shiver as the darkness engulfed the patrol.

"Well then we would have someone climb a tree and look for which way the sun is setting," Brokensong answered matter-of-factly.

"These woods seem spooky..." Lionpaw squeaked, her tail curling down to come between her legs.

"Don't worry, we will protect you," Sootsplash reassured her. Frostfeather was surprised to find that even his white pelt was spiked with unease.

"We should probably try and rest for the night and continue in the morning," Elkleap offered just as Frostfeather's jaws opened with a massive yawn.

A lone owl hooted from somewhere nearby, sending shivers down Frostfeather's spine. This forest had a very sinister vibe. "I don't think we should stay here long..." she meowed, "we should leave as soon as there's enough light to see."

The ground squished under their paws as they trekked further into the darkness. Tendrils of fern and ivy stretched across their path, threatening to trip any cat who wasn't watching their paws.

Finally, they neared a suitable resting place. A massive bush, heavy with berries, lay in their sights. Underneath it's branches was enough room for every cat to curl up and get some sleep.

Elkleap warily sniffed at the branches, his tail flicking. "I can smell fox," he meowed, "maybe I'll just keep watch until dawn. I'm not that tired anyways."

Brokensong touched her nose to his cheek before squeezing under the leafy branches. Lionpaw and Meadowshine were quick to follow, with Sootsplash right behind them.

Pineheart seemed reluctant to enter but after a moment he ducked his head and slid inside. Frostfeather took a deep breath, turning towards Elkleap. He had taken up position near the edge of the bush, sitting alert as he gazed into the darkness.

"Thanks, you know... for everything," She meowed softly, "I think everyone was expecting me to take charge on this journey. I just don't have it in me, to lead like my father."

Elkleap blinked, turning to look at her. "Blizzardstar was a wise, noble leader. He wouldn't expect you to be something you're not. I don't think anyone here would, either."

Frostfeather purred, feeling gratitude like sunlight on her fur. "Goodnight, Elkleap," she whispered as she turned and vanished into the depths of the berry bush.