Through the Dark

Chapter One

A slice of moonlight shone in the sky, just enough to illuminate the MoonClan camp straight ahead. 

Almost there. 

Almost there. 

Almost. There. 

Heart pounding, paws aching, Silverlight tore through the undergrowth blocking her way - she knew it would make a clear pathway for the foxes that were chasing her, but once she got to her destination, she would be safe. 

Safe.

With the word echoing in her head, the longing in her heart pulsed with every step that brought her closer to this safe place. 

Five more foxtails left. Just five more. 

She was panting hard now. She was slowing down. 

Four...three... 

Exhausted, she forced her to drag herself and her swollen belly a few more steps. 

Two... 

Her belly was convulsing. Convulsing badly. 

One more left. One more left. You can do it, Silverlight. One. More. Left. 

She pushed forward, only to crash down onto the ground. 

Her tail was trapped between a fox's claws. 

"Help!" she shrieked, ignoring the terrible thumping in her belly. "Helpppp!" 

Silverlight couldn't express her relief when she caught a flash of the familiar light brown pelt of her friend, Emberleaf, as she pounced onto the attacking fox. Two more cats were behind her, clawing viciously at the dark red pelt. 

The fox that was pinning Silverlight down let go of her, and she scrambled away, exhausted. Her tail was scratched and blood was trickling from it, forming a scarlet pool around her paws. 

Emberleaf called to the two other cats, "Archtail, Rainpaw, you drive the two foxes away." She turned to Silverlight, but didn't meet her gaze. "Come back to the camp with me, Silverlight." 

Slowly, Silverlight trudged behind Emberleaf. Her paws were still aching, but her lungs were slowly getting back the air they needed, and her rapid panting had slowed to a normal breathing. 

Once they reached the MoonClan camp, Emberleaf trotted off to leader's den, which was in a narrow crack between a pile of rocks at the edge of the camp, to see the MoonClan leader, whoever that might've changed to be in the moons that Silverlight was gone. 

A few heartbeats later, Emberleaf and a dark brown tom slid out of the den and padded toward Silverlight. Now closer, Silverlight could see that the dark brown tom was Darkfur - or, now, Darkstar - a sore rival of hers ever since before she left the Clan.  

She grimaced. Now that he was leader, would he welcome her back? Even after she broke the warrior code? 

Silverlight's heart was pounding in her throat as they neared. Would he snarl at her like all the times before she left? Would he yell at her about her large, pregnant belly and humiliate her in front of the whole Clan? Would he immediately drive her out of the territory? 

But all Darkstar did was curtly mew, "Hello, Silverlight." 

Silverlight swallowed the lump in her throat, forced her trembling legs to stay steady, and muttered, "Hi." 

His gaze briefly dropped down to glance at Silverlight's swollen belly, then looked at Emberleaf. "You go have a rest in your den. You've done enough for today." Once she bounded away, Darkstar then turned around and made for the prey pile at the opposite end of the camp from the entrance. "Come with me," he called over his shoulder. "We need to talk."