Warriors #3: Shifting Shadows

Chapter 18

Goldenshine's POV

I cringed back, startled as lightning flickered outside. Just below me, Swiftkit squealed loudly and nestled himself deeper into my belly.

I sighed, touching my nose to his small head. Poor darling... I thought, curling my tail tighter around my son. Your first thunderstorm. But I'm here to protect you.

Soon after talking to Mousewhisker, it had started pouring rain in the camp, thunder following soon enough. So, all of the cats in ThunderClan had taken shelter, us not being RiverClan cats even remotely. I had come to the nursery straight away to stay with Swiftkit, and I knew that I had already been away from him long enough. The sight of my son had warmed my heart as soon as I had laid eyes on him.

As Swiftkit then let out another distressed whimper, I bent my head down once again and lapped my tongue soothingly over his head.

Then suddenly, just as another flash of lightning appeared outside of the den, I heard a screech come from what sounded like far into the forest. My heart sank as I realized that it sounded like it was filled with agony and pain.

I stopped licking Swiftkit and lifted my head, my ears pricking with alarm. What in the name of StarClan...? A screech like that can't mean anything good...

I stood up quickly and looked around the nursery, suddenly feeling like I had to take action, for some reason.

Daisy seemed to immediately notice my distress. I clearly wasn't doing a good job of hiding my worries. "What's wrong, my dear?" The queen asked me calmly.

I didn't turn to face her, for I was staring at my destination - which was out of this nursery. "Daisy, can you watch Swiftkit for a bit?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Daisy nodding, but her head tilted with confusion and her blue eyes were wide. "Alright, Goldenshine" she meowed kindly, but there was a hint of concern in her voice. "Of course, I will."

Thank StarClan, I thought before briefly looking down at Swiftkit. I'm sorry, my love, I have to go for just a bit. But once I'm back I will not leave your side again. After briefly licking my son on the head in farewell, I pelted out of the den. I was almost instantly soaked as I became exposed out in the rain.

For just a moment as I crawled through the camp entrance, I was shielded from the rain, but large raindrops continued to land on my head once I was out.

I quickly paced through the dark forest, scanning my surroundings constantly. I was more paranoid that I had been in my entire life.

Besides the twitching of leaves as rain fell, everything was still. And besides the distant rumbling of thunder and the quiet pelting of rain, everything was quiet.

There aren't any patrols out at the moment, and I can't smell any other Clan... I realized. Who was out here?

I flicked my ears, my eyes narrowing. Where did that screech come from?

As I got deeper in the forest, my pawsteps suddenly seemed to be dragging with dread as the strong stench of blood flooded through my nose.

Oh, no... this can't be good at all, I thought nervously, trying to contain myself as I was suddenly overwhelmed with fear. I then very reluctantly started to follow the awful stench of blood. It led me on a specific path, but it still seemed to be spreading all over the forest. Some cat was definitely wounded, or worse, I then realized, taking a deep breath, bracing myself for some sort of gruesome sight ahead of me.