Rise From Darkness {COMPLETE}

Timberstar's Journey -Chapter 9-

"Does this hurt?" Roseheart question as she gently applied pressure to Timbertail's chest. He winced a bit, feeling a dull ache from where he had broken a rib.

"A little? But it's bearable." He replied. "I can move around pretty easily."

"Good." Roseheart nodded. "I think it's mostly healed, with just some bruising. Still, don't go around pushing yourself but if you want to try hunting you can."

"Thank you, Roseheart." He dipped his head respectfully to his medicine cat and rose to his paws. His injures may have healed, but the ache in his heart from the death of his sister had not. In his nightmares all he could see was Rootscratch's body as well as the horrid cries of the coyotes that took her life.

Rootscratch had been buried along with Wheatwhisker and Ashfeather, but it felt wrong, just as it had when they buried Shorttail when he died to greencough. He wished they could've been buried in Clan territory but instead she was buried here, where the Clans would never return to once they had left.

Due to the discretion of the medicine cats the journey had been halted completely to allowed the injured cats to recover, and most of them had with the exception of Shadowstar who was still recovering from the twice fatal wound he had received. Timbertail knew they needed to keep going, but he couldn't deny the apprehension he felt in his heart.

Leaving Rootscratch's body behind, the unknown of when they would finally reach a new home. He wanted his nine lives, he felt like his Clan was protecting him when it should've been the other way around. For the first time since earning his warrior name, Timbertail felt weak and exposed, like a kit lost in an open field and deadly hawks circling over head, threatening to end it all at any moment.

He knew that he had a backup plan, that Larkclaw would take his place if anything happened to him but he knew that didn't stop his Clanmates from trying to protect him, and that mindset cost him his sister.

"Timbertail?" A nervous voice spoke and Timbertail was forced from his melancholic thoughts. His vision returned and he saw Heatherwind approaching. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay." He replied, not wanting to worry his mate.

She let out a quiet sigh. "I know you're not." Timbertail should've known that lying to her was near impossible. "I'm worried about you..." She stepped closer and touched his muzzle to his and in that instant, Timbertail felt himself crumbling again but he refused to falter in front of his Clanmates. "Let's get some fresh air." She urged him out of the barn and the cool, evening air washed over him.

The two of them walked to the side of the barn and sat in the shelter of a few bushes. "Talk to me...you've been so distant ever since the battle. I know you miss your sister...but it feels like more."

Heatherwind began rasping her tongue over his pelt, and he instantly felt his body begin to relax. "I'm worried that my Clanmates are so willing to sacrifice themselves for me..." He mewed, his voice aching. "I don't want to be protected...I'm their leader, I am supposed to protect them."

Heatherwind listened, her eyes gentle and patent. "I know it must be hard...I could never imagine being in the spot you are in." She nuzzled him, pushing her pelt against his. "But you need to see this through their perspective. They just lost Jaggedstar, who willingly stepped down from his position and we are venturing into a terrifying journey with no known end with a leader who doesn't have nine lives. This Clan believes in you, they all respect you and want you to become leader, they want to make sure that you make it to get those nine lives."

"But I've already decided what will happen if I don't, I chose Larkclaw to take my place." He reminded her.

"And I know Larkclaw would be a wonderful leader." She replied. "But right now...they want to fight for you. Look at it this way...if you had been in Rootscratch's position...and Jaggedstar had been in yours, with one life left, would you have sacrificed yourself to save him?"