Warrior Cats: Gossamer

Chapter 1

Myrtlekit's silver pelt felt heavy with ice. On the riverbank they trembled, body numb with cold. They fought to keep her eyes open, knowing deep down that if she fell asleep now then they wouldn't wake up. Unless I'm already dead?

The last thing Myrtlekit remembered was the pitch black current dragging her body through the river as if she were a piece of prey. Perhaps that was the transport to the afterlife. The place she was laying certainly looked heavenly.

The ground was smooth and white, glittering beneath a sky pale with dawn light. Flakes drifted from the air, dancing downwards silently as if the stars themselves were falling from the night to leave the sky empty, to make space for the sun.

And the air was crisp, cold, and still. There was no breeze to shake the trees, which were laden with the same strange fallen starlight that blanketed the land. There was no birdsong to indicate any life whatsoever, just the gurgling of the river flowing by. Myrtlekit was dizzy with exhaustion, but the icy water was unbearably cold and biting, and they knew she needed to move somewhere warmer. Mama won't be able to see me if I'm halfway in the river, Myrtlekit thought deliriously, hope flaring like a warm ember in their chest.

Their body felt like a lump of gristle when she shifted her weight, and their muscles screamed in protest as she forced their thin legs to heave herself up to standing. Myrtlekit found that it was hard to focus their eyes, she was trembling so much. Tentatively, she took a step forward. Then two, and more, until they were trudging their way up the pebbly riverbank that was hardened by a thin layer of ice. The cold bit at her numb paw pads, which felt hard as the rocks she was making her way over.

Myrtlekit stumbled up and into the cold starlight blanket, which rose up to meet their belly. Tears welled in her eyes as they forced their way through the freezing stuff, quietly sobbing in frustration as it began to clump into their long fur and slow her down more and more. They were dizzy with exhaustion by the time she made it to the middle of the snowy meadow, and the stars were falling more thickly than before.

As the sun crested the horizon, the whiteness began to burn Myrtlekit's eyes, dismay weighing her down with the stuff that clumped into her fur. I can't see anymore! They despaired. Her whiskers drooped with ice and made her muzzle hurt, and at this point she couldn't feel her nose, paws, or ears. The light was blinding, and their body was heavy, and they couldn't feel her limbs.

Defeat made Myrtlekit slump into the ground, and their eyes finally closed with exhaustion. As stars fell onto her pelt and began to build into a thicker and thicker layer, they began to feel warm. A blanket, Myrtlekit purred to themself. Warmth enveloped her. Silverstreak found me! They were delirious with joy, safe beneath the weight that was building on top of her body, and finally allowed herself to sleep.

•~*~•

"I'll mark the meadow, Rippleskip!" Tundrapad called, casting a glance towards the white and silver-striped deputy. He waved his plumy tail in acknowledgement.

Must've snowed a lot, the massive molly thought absentmindedly, padding along the pebbly riverbank that marked the edge of the boundary between FloodClan and MireClan territory. What a beautiful day! Tundrapad marveled at the snow that blanketed the world. The sight of it never got old; the way it coated the earth and glimmered like starlight. A purr rumbled in her throat as she skirted the meadow and thoroughly marked the border. I'm gonna jump in the snow once I'm done! I'll catch up to Rippleskip later!

As she circled the meadow back to where she started, Tundrapad whipped away from the river and flounced through the snow. It crunched deliciously beneath her massive white paws, and her curled gray tail wagged happily over her back. She felt like a kit again, mrrping with glee every time she hit the ground. With a startled shout, however, her paws caught on a new weight beneath the snow, and she tumbled over it.