Warriors The Next Chapter: Still Darkness - Book One (Completed)

Chapter Twenty

Shadowheart felt like a shadow among them as if he was destined to be an invisible warrior. The two RiverClan cats leading the way seemed oblivious to his presence, their conversation flowing without any acknowledgment of his existence.

"Did you see the catch Mothpaw made yesterday?" Feathertail meowed, her voice carrying over the rustling of leaves.

"Yeah, she caught a huge fish!" Blackclaw purred after her.

Shadowheart listened in silence, though he wished they would talk about someone he knew. All the names got jumbled in his head and he could barely focus as he continued to follow them down a small terrain. He lifted his muzzle and opened his jaws to taste the air. It was a pungent and foul smell, unlike anything he had encountered in the forest before. He wrinkled his nose in distaste, trying to identify the source of the odor.

"What's that smell?" He finally hissed, laying his ears flat against his head.

"It's the horseplace." Explained Feathertail, glancing over her shoulder as she continued around the fence line for a quick moment. "Just don't get too close. Their feet could kill us in a heartbeat." She added.

Shadowheart slightly widened his eyes in fear and tried not to make his swallowing sound so loud. "Oh, right." He rasped. 

"Come on, Shadowheart," Blackclaw halted and teased, his tone laced with amusement. "Don't tell me you're scared of a couple of oversized Twoleg beasts?"

Shadowheart bristled at the taunt, but he forced himself to maintain his cool. "I'm not scared," he retorted, his voice tinged with defiance. "Just cautious."

Feathertail rolled her eyes. "Let's save the banter for later." Her gaze flicked between the two toms. "We've got a border to patrol, remember? We're almost done."

With a grudging nod, Shadowheart fell into step behind his clanmates, the scent of the horseplace fading behind them as they continued their patrol along the WindClan border. Despite Blackclaw's teasing manner, Shadowheart felt a surge of unease as he passed by them, his ears alert. He could hear their soft, short purrs and the occasional stomp of their feet. He couldn't wait to a good distance from them. 

As they padded back into camp, the rest of the Clan was heading out for their patrols and hunts. All he wanted to was just to lie down and sleep. Ignoring the curious glances of his Clanmates, he made his way to the prisoner den. He curled up on the cold earth and let his mind wander with questions. Can I pretend to not exist except in RiverClan? He still felt like a shadow as if he was following his father once again. 

"Shadowheart," a soft voice broke through his dream.

Pulling him from his thoughts, he turned to see her standing at the entrance of the den. "Willowbreeze," he acknowledged. Relief washed over him at her unexpected visit. "Sorry for the jump, I was just lost in thought."

Willowbreeze sat next to him. "I just wanted to check on you." She meowed softly. "Did you enjoy your uh, "she paused for a moment then continued, "patrol?"

Shadowheart purred with amusement. He knew exactly what she was meant to say. "For a first, it was pretty good." He gently nudged her shoulder with his.

"Sorry, I know you've been on patrols before." She tried to explain. 

Shadowheart raised his tail to silence her. "It's alright." He interrupted, "It was a first for on this side of the river." He added with a purr.

Gratitude swelled within her. "Thank you, Shadowheart," she murmured, touched by his compassion. She turned to leave and Shadowheart quickly stepped in front of her.

"Wait, I don't want to lose you." He whispered, his eyes saddened. He wanted to know if she still loved him.

Willowbreeze tilted her head to the side with amusement. "You won't." She purred. "You're stuck with me."

Shadowheart's heart fluttered with relief as a warm sensation spread across his body. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He mewed, his voice tinged with comfort.

Willowbreeze's eyes softened as she gazed at him, a tender expression reflecting her affection. "I care about you, Shadowheart," she murmured, "no matter what challenges lie ahead, we'll face them together."

He pressed his forehead against hers. "Thank you." He whispered, his voice filled with gratitude. She then dipped her head and padded out of the den. She stopped in her tracks and looked back at him with confusion. "You're allowed to sleep in the warriors' den, you know?"

Shadowheart shuffled his paws in embarrassment. "Oh right." He mewed with a bit of sarcasm, "I knew that."

Willowbreeze playfully rolled her eyes and flicked her tail. "Come on, you can sleep next to me until we get you some moss."

Shadowheart followed silently and felt a surge of love wash over him. For the first time, he felt like he belonged. Even though the other RiverClan cats don't accept him, he at least had Willowbreeze.

As Shadowheart settled beside Willowbreeze, the familiar scent of her fur enveloped him like a comforting hushed tone. With a soft sigh, he closed his eyes, allowing the rhythmic sound of her breathing to lull him into a peaceful slumber.

He opened his eyes. Lush grass surrounded him, with large trees almost reaching to the silverpelt. Was he in StarClan? He lifted his muzzle and sniffed the air. He was in ThunderClan again. He searched around, hoping to find some of his old clanmates, but then he remembered how he shouldn't be seen.

"Shadowheart!" Shouted a familiar voice. It was a she-cat. He turned around to face her. She was happy to see him.

"Waterlily." He purred, glad that she was at least happy with him in his dreams. "I'm glad to see you aren't still mad at me." He added, looking down at his paws.

"Why would I be mad?" She tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Because I did something terrible." He replied, looking back up at her. Why was she confused?

"What terrible thing have you done this time? It can't be any worse than you sneaking out and seeing Willowbreeze." She mewed with a snort and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, wait what?" He shook his head to clear it. He was more confused now. "Where's Whitestorm?"

Waterlily tilted her head to the side. "You're being awfully cryptic." She mumbled. "He's out on patrol. Why?"

He was still alive. He widened his eyes in amazement. He was dreaming of his past. He then suddenly had a longing to be in ThunderClan once more. Though he loved Willowbreeze, he knew he would always be the outsider, no matter how hard he tried.