Behind The Mask

Eight: Mourning

Violetpaw stifled a yawn, boredom moving around her like a breeze.
She stretched, arching her tail.
She'd been in the medicine den for three days now, and didn't know what else to do.

Flyingfeather let out a growl. "That Fernpaw....Hasn't returned yet! What could she be doing?"

"She probably went to spend some time out in the forest,"Violetpaw shrugged. "I'll go look for her."

"Fine,"The medicine cat hissed. "But only because I need her help.Hazelheart's kits, Beechkit and Oakkit, have come down with a stomach flu."

"I'll be back as soon as possible."
Violetpaw was more than willing to do something other than watch Flyingfeather sort herbs all day.
She wanted to feel the breeze in her ears, the grass under her paws and the birds flying overhead.

She made her way toward the exit of camp, but stopped when she heard her name being called.

Gorgepool hurried over to her, Eaglebreeze and Moonpaw trailing behind him. "You're finally out of the medicine den? Great! We can hunt now."he smiled.

"No- I'm just going out to look for Fernpaw.She's been missing for three days now."Violetpaw flattened her ears to her head.

Gorgepool nodded curtly, noticing her sour attitude. "We'll come, and once we find her, you will train with us."

Eaglebreeze and Moonpaw shared a look, as Violetpaw hissed in annoyance, leading the way out of the camp.

"Fine, but I don't like this,"Violetpaw scowled. "I work alone."

"I see that, but it doesn't usually work out."Gorgepool said coldly, gazing at the jagged scar across her snout.

"Come on, Gorgepool, you can't blame Violetpaw.Any apprentice would have done that."Moonpaw fluffed out her fur, picking up the pace to walk alongside Violetpaw.

"Thanks, Moonpaw, but really, it was irresponsible of me.I don't know what I was thinking."Violetpaw gave the apprentice a small smile.

"At least you learned something from it,"Eaglebreeze put in. "I'm sure Beepaw or Ashenpaw wouldn't.That's just toms though.Flamepaw, Flowerpaw and Featherpaw probably would learn."

"Totally."Moonpaw nodded. "Featherpaw is so mature, I doubt she'd even do it in the first place."

"Featherpaw, mature? Pfft-"Gorgepool scoffed.He seemed eager to argue with them for some reason.Violetpaw had never know him to act like this.

"Guys, I hear the stream, mabye we should check there?"Violetpaw meowed, stopping to angle her ears in the direction of the rushing water.

"I suppose."Gorgepool nodded, starting for the river.

Violetpaw sped ahead of him, Moonpaw hot on her tail.
She pushed through some ferns and nearly fell in the water, the only thing stopping her being Moonpaw, who latched onto Violetpaw's tail just in time.

"Whoops! Thank you."Violetpaw gasped, inching along the shore.
She peered down in the murky water, spotting trout and other fish slipping amongst the reeds and cattails.

"Gross."Moonpaw wrinkled her nose at the strong smell of fish and mud. "I can't imagine eating those."

"You'd probably get used to them."Violetpaw shrugged, continuing on.

Moonpaw glanced over onto the other side of the river, narrowing her eyes. "Those branches look broken, like something went that way.Should we cross here?"she nodded to a fallen tree that went across the water.

"Sure,"Violetpaw nodded. "We'll see what's over there.Just be careful, that's close to our border with CattailClan.

Violetpaw approached the tree, leaping onto it lightly.It groaned beneath her weight, and she shuffled along it.
She dug her claws in deeper as it shifted a bit, but kept going.
It rocked as Moonpaw got on behind her, clawing her way.When she got within jumping distance, Violetpaw pushed off with her hind legs, landing gracefully on the other end. Moonpaw landed heavily beside her, shaking out her fur.

"Let's follow the broken branches."Moonpaw took the lead.

As they pushed through some bushes, Moonpaw suddenly let out a loud gasp.
"V-Violetpaw....I think I've found F-Fernpaw..."she stuttered shakily.

Violetpaw shoved her aside, gazing down in horror at the sight before her.

The limp form of a beautiful brown she-cat lay there, her fur soaked and stuck to her skin.Her face was contorted to a look of pure terror and pain, and her side was a matter ball of bloody fur.A large hole in her side was the cause, seemingly put there by a sharp rock in the water.She must have just been washed up out of the water.

Fernpaw was dead.

"No! No, no, no, no, no! It can't be! She can't be dead!"Violetpaw screeched, backing up blindly. Her eyes glazed over in anger and she let out a shriek of mourning and loss. "Fernpaw!"

Moonpaw looked sadly down at the brown medicine cat apprentice. "She was so young...."

Squinting tears out of her eyes, Violetpaw turned and ran, shoving past a confused Gorgepool and a shocked Eaglebreeze. She took off back toward camp, wanting to curl up in the apprentice den forever.

"Fernpaw! Come back to me, my sweet, sweet friend...You shouldn't have died like this...."she choked out a sob.

As she entered the camp, everyone glanced at her with weird looks.
She ignored them all, rushing into the apprentice den and throwing herself in the corner.She then began to sob, paws pressed against her face.She ignored the sore feeling it gave her muzzle.

Flamepaw, Flowerpaw and Featherpaw sat in their nests, watching her with confused, round eyes.
Flowerpaw slowly made her way over to Violetpaw's side, nudging her neck with a paw. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"Do I look alright to you?!"Violetpaw snapped, then flinched away from her, eyes heartbroken. "Just.....leave..me..alone."

So they did. All three she-cats nodded slowly, getting up and leaving the den.

Silence surrounded Violetpaw, and her eyes drooped.She then realized how tired she was, and fell asleep quickly.

-

Violetpaw awoke in a starry clearing, the same one she'd gotten so used to seeing.The one Fernpaw would play in with her.

She squeezed her eyes tightly, drinking in the scents around her.

All she smelt was air, and nothing.

She turned in circles, watching desperately for familiar brown fur.

But she didn't see it.

"Fernpaw!?"she called.

No response.

"Fernpaw!? Come out and play with me!"she begged, voice laced with passion and longing.

No response except for the tree branches swaying.

"Shadow, I can't do this!"Violetpaw shrieked, collapsing on the ground.
"I can't!"

"Why'd you have to die?!"

"Why'd you let Cardinal kill you?!"

"Why'd you leave me!?"