Stolen (Book 1 of the Outcast Quartet)

Chapter 21 (Whisppaw)

Dread roared through me as I took a step back, I was aware of a puddle of blood lapping at my paws but I didn’t turn around. My gaze was focused on the shadowy figure in front of me, a blood having splattered against his fur and his golden eyes gleamed with insanity. I didn’t want to die! I tensed as he slowly crouched and started towards me, stalking me like prey. Holding my breath, I closed my eyes and braced myself for a flash of searing pain.

            I shot out of my nest, moss flying everywhere and glanced around wildly. There was no blood, no crazed cat in front of me, just my sleeping clan mates curled up in their moss beds. Forcing my breathing to return back to normal, I sat back down. Petalpaw, who was sleeping nearby, stared at me thoughtfully. “A nightmare?” she whispered softly.

            “Yes,” I laid back down and she gave me a sympathetic smile.

            “Want to go for a walk?” she slowly sat up and looked at the den’s exit. “A walk is always nice after a nightmare.”
            “Yeah, a walk sounds nice,” standing up, I carefully wove around the sleeping learners before going out into the cool night. Petalpaw soon joined me and she fluffed out her pure white fur as a gentle but cold zephyr blew over us. “Leaf-bare is approaching,” I stated.

            “Ugh,” Petalpaw curled her lip. “I hate the snow.”

            “Maybe it won’t snow too much,” I suggested as we started for the camp exit. “Although I like how the snow looks on the tree branches.”

            “Only good thing about the icky white stuff is that it’s pretty and even that is questionable,” Petalpaw snorted.

            I rolled my eyes before playfully nipping at Petalpaw’s ear, with a huge grin I dashed off as my friend bolted after me. We wove through the trees, dodging each other’s blows before my paw got caught on a well hidden tree root and I went tumbling forward. “Whisppaw, are you okay!” Petalpaw gasped and she quickly ran up to my side, her pink eyes gleaming with concern.

            “Yeah I’m fine,” I pushed myself off the ground and shook forest debris out of my pelt. Glancing around, I gulped as I stared at the rushing river just inches from where I had landed. That had been a close one.

            “We’ve came pretty far,” Petalpaw turned her gaze towards the river. “Want to head back now?”

            “Yeah that would be nice,” I nodded and turned to leave when I felt the ground underneath me tremble. I froze, as I listened as large chunks of dirt splashed into the water. “It’s not very stable, we should be careful.”

            Nodding, Petalpaw slowly edged forward and a sigh of relief rushed out of her when her paws met more solid land. I started to follow her, when just like that the ground crumbled and I was plummeting rapidly towards the fast river. I let out a howl, before strong jaws clasped onto my scruff and halted my fall.

            “Whisppaw are you okay?” Petalpaw called over the loud roar of the river, I could hear the worry as well as the relief in her voice. But wait, that meant someone else had caught me. Who was the one who saved me? I wish I could get a better look, but I didn’t want to risk moving besides, I would find out once I was no longer hanging over a foaming river. I felt a tug as my savior slowly pulled me up, my fear of falling and drowning slowly edging away each time I was yanked closer to the ridge of solid ground.

            I was so close when soil cascaded around me and suddenly I was falling again. Twisting slightly in the air, I caught a glimpse of sandy-gray colored fur and stifled a gasp. Sandpaw? He was the one who tried to save me? I struck the water, its cold waves sucking me beneath the surface as I was whisked away.

            I paddled uselessly against the cold water, struggling to surface but its currents kept me under. My fur was drenched, heavy fur dragging me even farther down. Finally I breached the surface and greedily sucked in air before I was forced under again. I was lost in the murky water with no way of knowing which way was up and which was down. I had no land that I could climb onto, for the ground towered over the river, and I wasn’t fortunate enough to happen upon a log.

            I emerged from the depths again but the relief that ran through me was short lived when the back of my head slammed into a rock. I was briefly aware of the sharp pain that rushed through my head before I slipped out of consciousness.