The Apprentice's Curse (A Shrouded Path book 1) {COMPLETE}

Chapter 13

 Everything was dark. There was no light, no sound, no tastes or smells. There was only a great emptiness, and overwhelming throes of pain. They gripped Minnowpaw's body tight, like an entire Clan of enemy warriors bearing down on her, but she could not fight them. She couldn't move, or call for help, or reach out her claws to attack. She was helpless, defenseless against the pain that wracked her body.

Suddenly the pain eased, and Minnowpaw's eyes half-opened to see a very faint light shining high above her. Is this StarClan? She wondered. Am I dead? But if this was StarClan, were there no warrior ancestors to greet her? Minnowpaw knew she'd gone over the gorge; she'd felt it. The sickening realization that no cat could survive such a fall hit her hard. But now she felt alone, trapped in the darkness. She was immobile, with only dull pain to remind her that she even existed.

Minnowpaw gazed at the light overhead. It was dim, and so far away, like the moon. Gasping, Minnowpaw realized it was the moon! Was she outside? Could she see the moon if she was in StarClan? Summoning all her strength, Minnowpaw sat up, the movement sending waves upon waves of pain through her body, and her breath was taken from her.

As she fought for breath, her senses returned. First her sight; she was in the RiverClan camp! It was night, and she was surrounded by her Clanmates, looks of terror, shock, grief, and confusion lighting each of their faces. Her hearing came next, slowly, and she heard gasps and muffled whispers and mutters. She couldn't make anything out completely. Then her smell came to her, bringing with it the scents of night, of water, and the unmistakable reek of death.

"Minnowpaw!" came a frightened yowl. A face appeared in front of her; it was Silverheart. "Minnowpaw," the medicine cat apprentice repeated, the word hardly more than a breath. "No, no... that isn't right, you're..."

Minnowpaw couldn't think clearly; her thoughts were all an incoherent jumble, and her skull felt like it was splitting in two. And she couldn't get that stench out of her nose!

"Minnowpaw," another cat spoke her name, his voice clouded with grief. Minnowpaw managed to turn her head and came face-to-face with Tawnyclaw. His eyes held countless emotions Minnowpaw had never seen from him, which confused her. What was happening?

As the voices around her became clearer, Minnowpaw was able to make out distinct voices. "What happened?" Maplenose was muttering.

"How is that possible?" Pebblenose meowed.

"It isn't," Birchclaw breathed in response.

Minnowpaw shook her head feebly, trying to clear it, but the motion just made her hurt worse. Her entire body was throbbing. Her scruff was sore, as if she'd been dragged for countless pawsteps. "What's going on?" she mumbled to Tawnyclaw, her words slurred. She hung her head and wretched onto the ground, throwing up mouthfuls of water. What in StarClan's name had happened to her?

She was able to meet Tawnyclaw's gaze again. "Minnowpaw," her mentor choked out. "What..." his mew was cut off by a small sob. "You were dead," he finished, his words barely audible.

Dead? The word hit Minnowpaw like a falling tree. She wasn't dead! How could she be, if she were in camp with her Clanmates now? And yet the putrid smell of death still surrounded her. "How--" she tried to speak, but suddenly the world began to spin and blackness overcame her.

_______

Minnowpaw's eyes opened slowly. Her pain was gone, replaced by warmth and grogginess. Her eyelids were as heavy as stones but she managed to lift them a fraction. Her nose was met by the warm, pleasant smell of herbs and berries. How had she gotten to the medicine den? She was vaguely aware of another cat near her, and she caught a glimpse of a speckled silver pelt. She lifted her head. "Silverheart?" she croaked, her throat dry.

Immediately Silverheart was up. "Minnowpaw!" she meowed. "You're awake! Oh, thank StarClan!" She appeared in front of Minnowpaw. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"

Minnowpaw's mouth and throat felt like sand. "I'm thirsty," she rasped.

"Okay, let me get you some moss!" In an instant, Silverheart returned with a ball of moss dripping with water. Minnowpaw lapped at it gratefully, rejoicing as the cool wetness rehydrated her body. She licked it dry and collapsed back on the ground again. Her body felt too heavy to move.

Silverheart was watching her with wild, concerned eyes, staying a tail-length away. She looked afraid. "What happened?" she managed to say.

Silverheart's expression changed to one of confusion. Her ears twitched. "You don't know?" she said softly.

Minnowpaw shook her head. "Know what?"

"Minnowpaw," Silverheart breathed, "you died."

You were dead... Tawnyclaw's words came back to Minnowpaw.

"Died?" she echoed. "How? When?"

Silverheart sat, tail curling around her paws. "In the river," she mewed. "You fell in. Don't you remember?"

Blurred images came to Minnowpaw's mind; Silverheart and Tawnyclaw, the overflowing river, the wisps of feverfew clinging to the bank beneath the waves. "We were collecting herbs," Minnowpaw said. "I remember that. I went into the river to collect them for you. You said you needed them badly."

Silverheart was shaking her head. "I never should have let you get those herbs," she said, her voice low. "It was too dangerous. The river was too strong."

Minnowpaw struggled to sit upright. "But what do you mean, 'I died?'" she said. "I'm not dead; I'm right here."

"But you weren't," Silverheart choked on a sob. "Minnowpaw, you went over the gorge. I saw you fall."

Minnowpaw didn't believe what she was hearing. "If I went over the gorge," she countered, "then how did I get back?" Was this some kind of cruel prank her Clan was playing on her? Or a weird dream?

"Tawnyclaw," Silverheart whispered. "I've never heard him sound like that."

"Sound like what?"

"When you went over, he screamed. He called your name to StarClan; he was so scared." Silverheart looked frightened. "He climbed down the gorge to get you, Minnowpaw. But it didn't matter, because you didn't survive the fall. You were dead, Minnowpaw," Silverheart sobbed again. "Tawnyclaw brought your body back to camp. He was so devastated. He laid your body out and I put herbs around you myself. We were just about to sit vigil for you when you..." she hesitated. "When you woke up," she finished.

Minnowpaw struggled for several long moments to process what Silverheart was telling her. It was so hard to remember anything. She wracked her brain harder, and suddenly everything came flooding back to her. She remembered being determined to get the last of the feverfew, slipping on a rock, tumbling down the river. She remembered the choking sensation of swallowing water, desperation as she fought for air, and she remembered fading. Suddenly her breaths were coming in gasps, and she felt her stomach clench. With no warning, she leaned over and vomited again.

"Here," Silverheart meowed, and pushed a piece of birch bark towards Minnowpaw. On top of it were some strange-looking leaves and a few tiny black seeds. "The herbs will ease your stomach and your pain, and the poppy seeds will help you sleep."

Minnowpaw recognized one of the herbs; it was the feverfew she'd collected. "What's that for?" she asked.

"You have a fever," Silverheart stated. "Can't you tell? You're burning up!"

Minnowpaw couldn't tell. She knew she felt warm, but she was feeling so many other sensations that it was hard to distinguish one from the next. She just wanted to sleep. So she lapped up the herbs and let the poppy seeds carry her away into slumber.