Lost Hope: Book 1: The New Star

Chapter 18

The crisp evening air ruffled Starfur's golden fur. Laughter filled the air as she sat beside Darkmoon. The two cats were chatting and sharing jokes, happy in each other's company.

      "I wish it could be like this every night," Darkmoon meowed, his voice taking on a more serious note. Starfur murmured in agreement.

      "We could run away," Darkmoon whispered. "We could have our own territory." He turned to look at her, his usually narrowed blue eyes wide and shining. "Our own kits."

      Starfur sighed. That did sound nice, didn't it? To run away away from the Clans, and the code. They wouldn't have to worry about anyone but themselves. Starfur let the vision of it all fill her mind and warm her heart. But she quickly snapped out of it and back to reality.

      "If Dandelionpaw was a full medicine cat, then I wouldn't be leaving EchoClan medicine cat-less," she muttered half to herself.

      "Yes." Darkmoon leaned closer. "After Dandelionpaw is trained, and BrookClan isn't a threat, than we wouldn't have to feel guilty about leaving."

      Starfur was nodding. "We might have to make some evidence indicating our death, otherwise our Clan would go on looking for us when there's no point," she said, her ideas blurting out as soon as she thought them.

      "They'll be sad, but it would be worth it," Darkmoon murmured, edging closer to her. "If it meant I could spend the rest of my life with you." He entwined his dark gray tail with her golden one.

      Starfur closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder. He gave her an affectionate lick on the head. Together, they watched the sun sink lower, and lower. The sky's colors shifted from yellow, to orange, to pink, to blue, and finally black, stars glittering against it's darkness.

"We should be getting to our dens," Starfur whispered. Darkmoon nodded and began leading the way back to camp. They passed a clump of yarrow and Starfur snatched it up.

Glarespot was on guard duty and he tilted his head questioningly at them. Starfur raised a paw and pointed toward the herbs in her jaws. "Some herbs are best gathered by night," she mumbled around the leaves. Glarespot seemed to understand.

Darkmoon and Starfur parted ways and headed to their respective dens. She padddd through the lichen and laid the herbs by the wall, promising herself to sort them in the morning. She curled up in her nest, her thoughts filled of a dark gray warrior who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

***

Blood. Blood was everywhere.

Screeching cats filed her ears. They were all around her, claws raking across their opponents pelts. Starfur dodged out of the way, panic flaring in her chest as she watched the battle.

Their coats were matted with sticky blood, so it was hard for Starfur to recognize any of the cats, but she finally made out some of her Clanmates, and some BrookClan cats she'd seen at Gatherings.

This is horrible! she thought, swerving around more cats. Her head whipped around, trying to find one cat in particular. And then, she found him.

Her breath caught in her throat and she almost choked. A dark gray warrior was sprawled on the ground, his pelt soaked by a vicious wound on his neck. Starfur crouched beside him, her whole body shaking.

As Starfur buried her muzzle in his fur, she heard voices echoing around her.

"Blood will spill. . . ."

"The echoes to the brooks. . . ."

"Find the two brave enough. . . ."

Starfur shut her eyes tight and let out a mournful yowl. All sense of danger seemed to leave her body as the battle raged around her. All she could think about was the burning grief of losing him.

Starfur jolted awake. Her breathing was fast, like she had just been underwater. It had felt like it. She had barely been able to breathe as she took in the sight. It was a dream, she told herself fiercely.

But she still couldn't shake her grief. He's alive and well in his nest, he has to be. When her breathing had slowed she closed her eyes again, but didn't sleep. She couldn't go back there.

As the sun rose, Starfur was able to relax a little. Spotting the yarrow she'd collected last night, she stepped over to the pile and began sorting through the leaves, throwing the wilted ones into a separate pile.

When she was done, she could hear cats chatting happily, despite the threat from BrookClan. Hopefully it won't be a threat for long, Starfur thought as she put the yarrow in her stores. And then, we can run away.