Warriors: The Chosen Warrior: Final Darkness (Book 6)

Chapter 23

It was almost like just after she and Rainshine had fused their spirits, how she was floating in pitch-blackness. But it was different because of the fact that instead of her senses returning to her gradually and one by one, they all rushed forward concurrently: the sound of gentle breathing of resting cats; the feeling of soft moss and crinkly ferns beneath her; the sharp scent of a mixture of herbs assaulting her nostrils with only one breath.

Leafsong yanked open her eyes as much as she could, for they felt as if tiny claws clung to her lids that made them feel heavy. The first short moments of her vision were blurry as she subconsciously fought to relearn how to use her eyes. As everything eventually became as focused as they could in the dimness of the den, she could make out the dark shape of Jayfeather lying on the far side of the cavern, his paws tucked beneath him and eyes closed as he rested. In the corner of her vision, she noticed an even darker figure beside her, the only reason it being visible in the first place being the soft light that filtered through the lichen overhanging the den's entrance. The she-cat lifted her head not even a whisker-length from where it rested in the fresh nest she had been set in before she was forced to return it to its original position. A sigh hissed out of her at the effort the little movement had demanded.

But it was enough to get keen Jayfeather's attention. The gray tabby jumped up from his position from across the den and quickly padded over to Leafsong. The sudden sound of his paw pads pattering across the stone roused the black tom, and in the next heartbeat the two were stood in front of the weak she-cat.

"You're awake!" the black warrior spoke first, his amber eyes glowing as he faced the den entrance. His mouth opened to say more before he quickly snapped it shut. Instead of talking, he reached down to her and rubbed his muzzle along her cheek, purring lovingly. He then sat back and looked pointedly at Jayfeather, his mouth clenched, paws shifting restlessly, and tail quivering.

"How are you feeling, Leafsong?" the medicine cat asked gently, ignoring the other's behavior.

She smiled as she croaked out, "Like my spirit was ripped from my body and stitched back into it."

Her response gained smiles from both toms, the more surprising one being Jayfeather. "Sounds like you still have some of your mind, at least," the tabby meowed. "But I want to test your memory more, just in case. I mean, we've never had anything like this happen before, or at least to a cat who wasn't granted nine lives."

"I understand," Leafsong accepted.

"Good. How about... where are you right now?"

"The medicine cats' den in ThunderClan's camp."

"Very specific. Sounding good so far. Who's the current leader of ThunderClan?"

"Firestar."

"Simple as that. What about...."

"What's my name?" the black tom interjected as Jayfeather paused to think.

"Featherstep."

The tom froze, and Leafsong could see his heart sink in his eyes, his breath stopping.

"Oh, Darkflight," she snorted, "you're the last cat I would forget about."

"You mouse-heart!" Darkflight growled playfully as he came forward to brush cheeks with her again. He licked her ear before sitting down again, his eyes now glistening with affection and amusement to match that of Leafsong's.

"Yeah, your mind seems perfectly fine to me," Jayfeather purred with a swish of his tail. He turned to Darkflight. "Could you go fetch her something to eat? Get her something small; I don't want her to each too much right away, because I don't know how her body would react to it with what it's been through."