Warrior Cats: In the Shadows

Chapter 15

   The third island was in sight by sunhigh, although it wore them out, all the swimming made Shadepaw and Echodusk stronger and faster. But Echodusk was still a little slower, which surprised Shadepaw, because he remembered her being so swift until after they reached the third island on the way to the seventh island.

   His heart thumped against his chest as he remembered how many cats he killed on the seventh island. Was that the monster he was becoming? No, he's not a monster. They were only in his way.

   The sun was only slightly father down from the middle of the sky when their paws reached ground. Grace was sitting there, his grim expression greeting them. Fresh scars brushed his back, Shadepaw realized they were the scars he had given him.

   "Why are you here again?" Grace growled.

   Shadepaw hung his head low, "I'm sorry I attacked you last time."

   Grace's gaze softened, "My temper has nothing to do about that."

   Shadepaw looked back as he saw Echodusk pad up and sit down, her eyes shown with excitement. 

   "Come, we have bad news," Grace's eyes went grim again.

   Echodusk's heart sank, what dangerous news could be lurking on this fine island?

   The trio padded over to where Crag and Hiss sat next to a rise in the ground, as if a hole was dug and they out the dirt back in it. A decent sized boulder rested on the northern side of the small rise.

   Shadepaw looked around, and his heart seemed to sink down into his tail. Eagle wasn't here...

   Echodusk dropped into a crouch next to the grave, "No.. Tell me this isn't hers!"

   Grace's gaze dropped to the ground, "I'm afraid I can't tell you that."

   Hiss looked up, his stubbed tail twitching, as if he still had a tail, "She had to leave us, her age came to her, and she got really sick."

   Crag - head down still - murmured, "We had no herbs to help her, and we didn't have any knowledge of herbs anyway."

   Shadepaw was grief stricken when he saw tears stream down Echodusk's cheeks, "She was like a mother to me," she mumbled.

   Grace looked sympathetically at her, "The last words she said, was for us to tell you, that she loved you."

   Echodusk inched closer to the grave, "She always helped me through hard times, I would've never made it through without her," She sniffed, "Eagle said she would never leave me."

   "And she never has," Grace murmured, "Her spirit lives on in us, and she will always be next to you, Echodusk."

   The silver tabby she-cat looked up, "I want her solid form back though, so I'm sure she's here."

   "There's nothing we can do," Crag crept into a crouch and touched his muzzle to the grave, "Eagle, thanks for talking sense into me when I seem to lose control of my own self."

   Hiss, seeing what Crag was doing, dropped into a crouch and also touched his muzzle, "You were always our strength, to keep us going, even through your temper," His mouth curved up a little on the side in sympathy.

   Grace did the same, "You helped me take care of these cats, you always knew what was best, thank you Eagle."

   Echodusk looked at Shadepaw, she intended to be last. Shadepaw nodded, he didn't know Eagle well, but he would have to do his best.

   "Eagle, I didn't know you well, but you were wise, and strong with your heart." 

   Everyone looked at Echodusk sympathetically, and she dipped her muzzle to the grave, "You were like a mother to me, without you I wouldn't be here to rest upon your spirit. You always kept me going, through the storms, and through the plains. I pray that you live on happily in StarClan."

   Shadepaw's mind immediately wandered off, StarClan.. what's that again? Isn't it just a bunch of dead cats? Pssh, who has time for that? They never helped me in the first place. But he didn't say anything

---

Silence crept over the island until the moon rose and Echodusk padded up to Shadepaw.

   "You ready to carry on?"

   Shadepaw looked at her, "Yes, we should probably get going."

   Echodusk shuffled her paws, "I meant you."

   "Yeah, me, I'm ready to go. Aren't you?" His blue eyes shook with wonder as he peered at his best friend.

   Echodusk looked at the water, "I'm not going, Shadepaw."

   Shadepaw's heart seemed to explode, his eyes narrowed into anger, his claws slid in and out. What did she say?!

   "What do you mean?!" He turned sharply at her, neck fur bristling.

   Echodusk twitched her tail and Crag padded up to her sympathetically.

   "I can't go on, it's not good for the.. the.." She swallowed.

   This only angered Shadepaw more, "The what?!"

   Crag finished the sentence for Echodusk ;

   "The kits."