Spiraltail was standing in front of the Spirit Tree as though she had been turned to stone. Her eyes were wide and her pupils had turned to slits as if she didn't believe her brother was truly gone.
Russetfire was shaking, and not only because of the cold night breeze.
"He's gone," Spiraltail muttered disbelievingly. "Darkclaw... What will Stripedfur say?"
Russetfire felt Firpaw's tail touch her shoulder sympathetically. Spiraltail couldn't see him anymore.
"I'm sorry, Russetfire. I didn't want to leave him there," Firpaw told her.
"But you did," Russetfire hissed.
"You could've died," Firpaw pointed out. Russetfire felt the same guilt that was swarming in Firpaw's mind, and the same sadness that was destroying Spiraltail.
Russetfire couldn't speak. It felt as though something was blocking her voice. She wanted to scream and sob. She even considered running away back to ThunderClan's camp.
"I'm sorry," Firpaw repeated.
Spiraltail sat in front of the Tree, silently weeping with her head facing downward toward the tangled roots of the Spirit Tree.
"We can't even give him a proper burial," Spiraltail mumbled.
"Tell her that she can mourn him when you return to ThunderClan," Firpaw said, regret flooding his voice.
"He walks with StarClan now," Russetfire said, walking toward Spiraltail. She awkwardly rested her tail on the blue-grey she-cat's shoulder in an attempt to soothe her. "We must return to ThunderClan, Spiraltail. They need us back, and we still have to find Tigerfur."
Spiraltail let out a shuddering sigh. She slowly rose from her spot next to the Spirit Tree and followed Russetfire back to ThunderClan.
"I'll take you back so you can rest," Russetfire said to Spiraltail. "I'll ask the others not to bother you."
Spiraltail said nothing the whole way back. She merely kept her head down, allowing Russetfire to guide her back.
When the she-cats returned, the sky was blocked out by clouds. Rain began to fall not long before they arrived at camp. Some cats poked their heads out to see who had returned.
One of the cats, Russetfire noticed, was Fernstar.
"Where is Darkclaw?" asked Stripedfur, the youngest of all of Grayfur's kits. The younger tabby she-cat looked behind her worriedly. "He did return with you, didn't he?"
"Spiraltail, you should go and rest," Russetfire told her. "Dry yourself in my den and wait for me to return."
Spiraltail slunk gloomily over to the medicine den, leaving Stripedfur and Russetfire to talk alone.
"Where is he?" Stripedfur repeated.
"Darkclaw..." Russetfire's voice cracked and she restarted the explanation. "Darkclaw didn't make it."
Stripedfur's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
When Russetfire didn't reply, she said again, more seriously, "Where is my brother, Russetfire?"
"There is this tree," Russetfire said, dropping her voice to a whisper so only Firpaw and Stripedfur would hear. "It is- It was the only connection left to StarClan. We went there for answers and to find a way out of the Lake, but Darkclaw got lost and one of the Dark Forest cats... I'm so sorry, Stripedfur."
Grief tore at Russetfire like an eagle tearing through a vole. She didn't know why. She was a medicine cat. She couldn't have kits or a mate even if she wanted to.
Stripedfur looked lost. Despair and denial seemed to be eating at the younger she-cat worse than Russetfire.
It's understandable, Russetfire reminded herself. Darkclaw was her brother. He was a good cat...
Finally, Stripedfur seemed to gather up what strength she could and nodded. "I... Thank you for letting me know."
Before Russetfire could respond, Stripedfur got up and walked back into camp.
"We should find Tigerfur," Russetfire said to Firpaw. Her brother nodded and they wandered through the wet, damp forest.
YOU ARE READING
Warriors | A Prophecy Reborn: Book 4. (Hidden In Darkness)
FanfictionThe cats of ThunderClan and the refugees of RiverClan and WindClan are being watched. Nobody has heard from ShadowClan since visiting the Clans' Refuge while Russetfire is now being pressured by both the dead and the living. However, enemies lurk wi...
