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

Chapter 15

 An entire moon passed. Greenleaf grew hot and dry, and Minnowpaw became desperately bored and lonely in the medicine den. Silverheart kept her company usually, but it seemed that Nightwhisper had his apprentice running around so much for various tasks that she was hardly around. The dark-pelted medicine cat himself didn't stay around Minnowpaw too long, and when he did his words were few and his gaze was distant. Tawnyclaw came to visit her as well, but as a senior warrior he was very busy. She'd only gotten to see Flamepelt twice, and her heart longed to spend time with her friend. Even Sorrelstream hadn't visited her. And Minnowpaw had yet to leave camp, let alone return to her apprentice duties. It seemed like her life had fallen apart.

Late one night, long before the pale light of dawn cracked the darkness of the forest, Minnowpaw tossed and turned in her nest, sleeping fitfully. Thunder cracked overhead and lightning pierced the sky as rain pelted the ground heavily. The air was thick with the still, wet heat of greenleaf. Minnowpaw jerked and twitched in her sleep as an unsettling dream took hold of her.

She was submerged in darkness, everything around her a pale blur. The stars of Silverpelt spiraled and swirled around her, leading to a point in the distance. Strange sounds came from the darkness, and she was frightened. Desperately, Minnowpaw felt her paws carrying her towards the end of the starry spiral. Sharp rocks and thorns scratched at her feet but she pressed on, the noise growing into the anguished yowls of countless cats. After a while, her paws skidded on stone and she came to a halt on the edge of a cliff, staring down into a small chasm below. The spiral of stars came down to rest on the silver body of a cat.

Muffled whispers sounded around Minnowpaw. What was this place? Why was she so frightened?

Can't stay here...

Not supposed to happen...

Send her back...

The whispers grew into a cacophony of indistinguishable voices, calling out and deafening her. Breathing hard, Minnowpaw turned and ran away, only to be met by the crushing darkness and piercing cries. She tried to call out for help, but her voice would not come. She was alone.

A booming crack of thunder lurched Minnowpaw out of sleep, and she bolted upright in her nest, gasping for air. "Silverheart!"

Soft rain drummed outside, and Minnowpaw gazed around her, comforted at the now-familiar walls of the medicine den. She was still in camp. But where had she been just now? It hadn't felt like a normal dream at all. And the fear she'd felt was very real, and still lingered.

Silverheart's head poked up from her own nest, her eyes nearly as frightened as Minnowpaw felt. "Minnowpaw?" she called softly. "Are you okay?" She stepped out, shaking her pelt.

Minnowpaw shook her head, trying to clear it. She couldn't stop hearing the rush of angry whispering, or the screams of terror. "I... I don't know," she said. "I had a strange dream."

"Me, too," Silverheart mewed softly.

Minnowpaw snapped her head up. "Did StarClan finally speak to you?" All this time, Minnowpaw had been so desperate for an explanation, but their warrior ancestors hadn't spoken at all. Had they finally broken their silence?

"I'm not sure," Silverheart said slowly. A dim shaft of light pierced the den; the sun was rising. "I... I was dreaming about that day by the river, but all I could see was the feverfew you were collecting. Why were we collecting feverfew?"

Minnowpaw cocked her head. Didn't Silverheart remember? "Cherryheart's kits caught fevers," she explained slowly, "so you ran out. You seemed really sure that you couldn't go without it."