Paws in Talons: The Chosen Five

26: Claustrophobia

The next morning..
Twilight stared at a rock's crevice. As she did, images of the battle flickered through her head.
She slightly shuddered, remembering the dragons that flew in and- surprisingly - attacked the king and his dragons.
She gazed around the cave, until her eyes locked onto a piece of wood.
Why is that here? Her mind asked as curiosity flooded through her. She cautiously approached the piece of wood.
She saw a letters carved into the wood piece.

"It's a note." Her mind instantly flashed.

She squinted her eye. Nothing could hold her sudden gasp of shock as she read,

"I'm leaving to be a loner. Someone else can talk to Moonrise for me. - Midnight."

"Melody would need to hear this.." Her thought murmured.

Still, she partially couldn't believe Midnight would decide to become a loner.
Her eyes drifted towards the others. Midnight- probably evidently- was already gone.
She limped towards the others, and nudged them. "Wake up! There's something you all should see!"
Melody, who was pressed up against Raven, twitched her ears before raising her head. Her purple eyes were wide with worry.
"What? What is it?" She asks.
"What..." Raven grumbled, not wanting to wake up. She wearily rose her grey head.
Twilight looked at the wood piece. Now, she would have to break the news.
"Midnight," She whispered, "He left."
Melody instantly got up, swaying her tail as a "Sorry!" to Raven.
"W-what?" She murmured, tears brimming in her eyes. It was surprising that she still cared about that wolf who had changed for the worse.
Her eyes locked on the wood, and she slowly walked over to it, each step slower then the last. Then she read it, and cried out in shock.
Twilight felt hopeless, helpless...she couldn't describe it.
Raven darted over, her faint green eyes wide, "What?" She asked, still waking up.
"How could he- how could he leave! I loved him, and... and he loved me! We were oh so close. If I had only said something.." Melody murmured, her voice shaking as much as her body.
Blizter blinked. His expression was unreadable. His eyes were glittering with hostility.
She crumbled to the ground, sobbing.
Raven pressed herself against her friend, "It wasn't your fault... Midnight is just strange,"
"But I trusted him..." Melody murmured, lifting her head.
"I knew I couldn't trust that wolf." Blizter snarled, but Twilight could sense some grief at the edge of his hostile tone.
Twilight tore her gaze away. Out of all things that Midnight would do, this is one she least expected.
"There's something you need to know, Twilight." Blizter whispered to her, "It's about your father- Windracer."
Twilight took one glance at Melody and Raven, then turned to Blizter. "What is it?" She asked. It can't be anything bad... right?

"Blazer discovered this before the Pack meeting- the pack meeting when SunRay announced the prophecy. He knows one of Windracer's weaknesses... because Windracer is affected by claustrophobia."

"First it was my siblings that left- and I know that they're still there! Now Midnight is gone- and he'll never come back.." Melody said, in the background, a new hostility rising in her voice.
Raven murmured something to her that was not audible. Melody raised her head, her eyes full of confidence and.. something else. Then they walked outside to enjoy the morning.

The word flashed through her mind. "Claustrophobia. Claustrophobia. Claustrophobia."
She never knew.. she had never known that her father was affected by claustrophobia.

"If Blazer knew that... does that mean that... the dragons know it too? They'll know how to trap my father- the Alpha..."