Waging War Book 2: Gray Skies {COMPLETE}

Chapter 9

Sheer Mountain stood frozen in shock, unable to process what was happening. It felt as if her entire world had shattered in a few short moments. Just moments again she was hunting with the Clan cats and enjoying the sunny day. Then she came home. She walked into Tumbleweed's cavern to check in on her father when she saw Owlpaw.

The moment she saw the young she-cat she knew something was wrong. Her eyes were wide with pain and fear, her entire body was shaking and she looked horrified. Then Sheer Mountain had looked passed Owlpaw and saw her father's lifeless body. Sheer Mountain had been overcome by grief and shock and she had lost her cool.

She had so many questions about what happened, and perhaps she had take out some of her anger and shock on Owlpaw which caused her to sprint out of the den, leaving Sheer Mountain standing alone in shock.

She stared down at her father, her legs shaking. How could this happen? Sheer Mountain sat down and buried her muzzle into her father's pelt. "Why?" Sheer Mountain whimpered. "Why did you have to leave me?" He body shook. "You're my father, you always gave me all the answers, you always made me laugh, how can you just be...gone." Sheer Mountain lifted her head, sobbing. "How can I do this without you?"

She laid down next to her father. "How can I just say goodbye to you? You were always there for me. When my mother died, when I found those kits, everything. You taught me how to hunt, you taught me how to be brave. You taught me how to be a good mother." She breathed in the scent of her father, never wanting to forget it. "I don't want to say goodbye."

For a moment she was a kit again, hiding in the safety of her father's pelt. For so long it had been the two of them, after Star died it had just been her and her father. He protected her from everything that scared her, from viscous rouges to the nightmares that would plague her at night.

He would guide her when she was lost, and he would make her laugh whenever she was sad. When she brought home three half-dead kits, soaked to the bone, he made a nest for them and showed Sheer Mountain how to be a mother to them. How am I supposed to tell them? Sheer Mountain rested her chin on the top of Tumbleweed's head. "I don't want to do this without you. What do I do now? I feel so confused, am I supposed to go with the Clan cats? Or do I stay here, where my parents died. What do I do?" She wailed. "Father please, I need your answers. Tell me what to do." Her voice broke off. "What do I do?" She whispered.

"Sheer Mountain?" Sheer Mountain lifted her head weakly and saw the silhouette of a cat standing at the cave entrance. Sheer Mountain shakily rose to her paws and walked up to see Seedclaw looking in the cave. "Do you know why Owlpaw ran out of here?"

Sheer Mountain looked over her shoulder at Tumbleweed's body for a moment, preparing to speak the next set of words. "Yeah," She cleared her throat. "My father is dead. Owlpaw was...upset." And I didn't help. Now that Sheer Mountain had calmed down a little, she had realized just how cruel she had been to Owlpaw.

"I'm so sorry." Seedclaw dropped his head. "He was a wonderful cat, even in the short time I've known him, I knew that much."

Emotion choked Sheer Mountain's throat and she let out a shaky breath. "Where is Owlpaw?"

"She ran out of the cavern, Earthpelt went after her. None of us knew what was going on." Seedclaw explained. "So I came to check on you."

"I wasn't fair to her." Sheer Mountain admitted. "I need to apologize."

"She seemed rather hysterical." Seedclaw sighed. "I would let Earthpelt try and handle her first. I think you need to tell the kits what happened."

Sheer Mountain froze for a moment. "Are they awake?"

Seedclaw nodded. "They wanted to come see you but Leafdawn suspected something bad happened and she kept them back."