Cloverpaw's Shadow

Chapter 7

Cloverpaw couldn't remember much after blacking out. She wasn't sure if she was dead, or if she was on her way to Starclan.

"I know you can get through this. You're awesome and brave and strong. Please, Cloverpaw. Don't die on me." She heard a familiar voice whisper. She couldn't place it, but it gave her strength.

She still couldn't escape from the sucking darkness. It pulled at her, begging her down. Cloverpaw was almost tempted to follow it, into the soothing recesses of her mind.

But then. She remembered the voice, the voice begging her not to die. It had been Poolpaw, her best friend in the entire world. She wouldn't give up on her.

Struggling up, she pushed her way through the smothering blackness.

There was a light. She followed it, resisting the pull of the darkness. "Cloverpaw," A voice called.

Junipercloud was standing in the path of the light.

"What are you doing?" Cloverpaw demanded. "I need that."

Junipercloud rested her muzzle on Cloverpaw's head. "It is not your time yet. Thunderclan needs you. Poolpaw needs you. You have a whole life ahead of you. There will come a time, when you must follow the light. But for now, take this and pursue your destiny."

Cloverpaw felt a warmth spreading through her, filling up the empty space inside, making her stronger. Junipercloud faded away, and Cloverpaw blinked open her eyes to a world of darkness.

She took a deep breath, which rattled in her chest. She started to cough.

Needlenose shot up from his nest and rushed to her side. He pressed some soaked moss against her mouth, and she drank in the soothing water.

"Poolpaw?" She whispered hoarsely.

Poolpaw was there at her side in an instant. "Cloverpaw!"

Cloverpaw smiled. "I found my way back. The darkness isn't strong enough."

She settled again, closing her eyes. "Sleep well," Poolpaw whispered. "I'll see you soon."

***

Cloverpaw blinked open her eyes, surprised to see three other cats there. Birdflower, Finchstar, and Junipercloud.

She struggled up. Poolpaw nudged Needlenose with her paw and he made his way over to her with a bundle of herbs in his jaws. "Here, eat these," he said.

Cloverpaw licked them up and smiled gratefully. Birdflower rushed over to her, resting her muzzle against her daughters head.

Finchstar said something to Needlenose and slipped out of the den. She looked at Junipercloud, tilting her head a bit.

"What is she doing here?" Cloverpaw asked Needlenose.

 Needlenose blinked, a confused look on his face. "Huh?"

It was Cloverpaw's turn to be confused. "Junipercloud." She glanced back at the starry cat and watched as  she moved closer. "No one else can see or hear me, little one." She said.

Needlenose gave her a concerned look. "Are you alright?"

Cloverpaw nodded. Junipercloud sighed. "Tell him that you need tansy." She faded from view.

"Um," Cloverpaw cleared her throat. Needlenose glanced back at her.

"Do you... um... have any tansy?" She asked. Needlenose gave her another look. "Yes, we do. How did you know you needed it?"

Cloverpaw fidgeted. "I... um... can't tell you."

Needlenose sighed. He gave her a yellow bud and she thanked him.

"Sweet dreams," Junipercloud's voice whispered. Cloverpaw smiled and fell into a deep sleep.

***

One moon later

"I want Blossomtail, Blizzardclaw, Swallowfur, Ravenwhisper, Firefang, Sootfrost, and Greyfern. Stormpaw, Silverpaw, and Nettlepaw, you can come too." Finchstar paused, glancing at Cloverpaw, who was sitting at little ways to the side. "Do you think she can manage it?" He asked Needlenose.

Needlenose dipped his head. "She should be strong enough, so long as she doesn't get involved in any activity."

Finchstar nodded and leaped down from the Highrock. "Everyone, lets go."

Cloverpaw was excited. She hadn't been to the Gathering yet. She was supposed to go last moon, but her injury prevented her from doing anything more than sit and stretch. One of her back legs had broken, and Needlenose said it would be a long recovery.

She could walk, so long as she didn't put any weight on her leg. Still, she had a limp, and though she tried not to show it, it was pretty obvious.

They reached the gathering island. Cloverpaw marveled at the extent of water. She hadn't been to the lake yet, and the dark mass of trees in the middle of the water was covered in shadows. She followed her clan across the tree trunk stretching from land to the island. She placed her paws down firmly, trying her hardest not to slip.

Leaping down from the log, she found herself on a somewhat large island. The scents told her they were the last to arrive.

She trailed after her mentor, watching as Finchstar leaped up on one of the branches jutting out from the massive tree in the middle of the island. Then she forced herself to look at the gathered crowd.

Her mentor had told her there would be a lot of cats, and Cloverpaw would probably be overwhelmed. But this feeling that had settled in the pit of her stomach made her feel sick. She had never seen this many cats in her life!

"Good, now we can finally get started." The voice belonged to a husky dark grey tom. The leader of Shadowclan. Jaystar, if she remembered correctly.

Finchstar cleared his throat. "Birdflower had given birth to a litter of two kits," He said, starting the gathering.

Cloverpaw bit her tongue. Finchstar had said that he was not going to mention the other two kits that had died, but she still hated the fact that they died so early.

"There seems to be a badger lurking around Thunderclan territory, but its scent tells that it has crossed into Shadowclan's once or twice." He stepped back and Shadowclan's leader stepped up.

Cloverpaw listened intently to Jaystar's speech. He didn't seem bothered by the news of the badger. He reported two new apprentices, and mews of congratulations rippled around the clearing. Acornstar, leader of Windclan, went next. He reported an abundance of rabbits, and some new rogues that were taking shelter in a nearby old badger set.

The cats didn't get stirred up about this, as Cloverpaw thought they would. Instead, the clearing went silent as Riverclan's leader stepped up.

The emotion in the clearing felt tense. At first, Emberstar didn't report anything out of the ordinary. New kits, and a new warrior.

Then she said, "We found one of our cats dead on the shore by the lake. At first, we though he had drowned, but there were bite marks in his neck." She paused, as if waiting for something.

"What are you saying, Emberstar?" Jaystar asked impatiently.

She paused a little longer before declaring, "His body had Thunderclan scent all over it! And if I remember right, it was her scent!" To Cloverpaw's horror, she pointed her tail right at her.