Chapter 7

“No!” Spiralpaw yowled as the screeching bright red monster slammed into Swirlpaw. The gray-and-white tabby skidded across the path and lay limp and unmoving in the grass.

Spiralpaw rushed over to her, her heart pounding. “Swirlpaw!” she wailed as she reached her friend’s body. She had a brief, Is this how Pinepaw felt when Nimblepaw died? before grief overtook her. She crouched beside Swirlpaw’s unmoving form, thinking about everything her friend had done for them. She nearly wanted to yowl at Pinepaw that it was all his fault.

Pinepaw stood frozen, staring at Swirlpaw, while Skypaw padded over and put a paw gently on Swirlpaw’s chest. “She’s still breathing,” Skypaw murmured softly to Spiralpaw. “Let’s take her away from the Thunderpath.”

“But–” Spiralpaw’s voice broke. “But we have no medicine cat.”

Skypaw rested her tail on her shoulder, her eyes shining with sympathy. “She’ll be okay,” she promised. “She only got hit by a monster.”

“Only!” Spiralpaw screeched. “That could have cost her life!” She whirled around to snap at Pinepaw, but he had moved next to Skypaw.

“Come help us carry her,” he mewed.

Spiralpaw took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Swirlpaw will live. She has to. But she couldn’t bring herself to believe it. She padded over to the other side of Swirlpaw and grabbed her scruff and lifted her up. She thought she felt the tabby jerk.

Skypaw grabbed the other side and together they carefully pulled Swirlpaw onto Pinepaw’s back. The ShadowClan tom grunted with the weight, and Skypaw pressed against his side to support him. Spiralpaw instinctively stood on his other side.

They padded slowly into the forest. None of them spoke until they came to a space between several hanging branches. A tree stump supported them. “This will make a nice den,” Skypaw murmured.

Pinepaw crouched down and Skypaw gently slid Swirlpaw off his back. Spiralpaw watched as her friends dragged the limp cat into the den. She stood outside, staring at the dark green leaves of the forest. She waited as Skypaw and Pinepaw discussed what to do in the den and didn’t try to make out the words. Their voices were just a quiet buzz in the background.

Spiralpaw ignored Pinepaw as he slid out of the den to look for herbs. He glanced at her in surprise, then disappeared into the forest.

It wasn’t long before Spiralpaw’s legs gave away, and she sat down on the grassy forest floor. Pinepaw came padding back with a bundle of herbs in his jaws. Spiralpaw threw a sharp look at him, but he was padding into the den and facing away from her. Spiralpaw pressed back a growl of frustration.

As rain started to fall, Spiralpaw stood up and shook out her pelt. She didn’t even know what she was doing here. She didn’t even feel any emotions. She didn’t even worry about Swirlpaw.

I’ll just hunt, she decided absentmindedly, and bounded away into the dark forest. She immediately scented mouse and dropped into a hunting crouch.

 

It was already nightfall by the time Spiralpaw padded into the den with three mice dangling from her jaws. It was surprisingly cold, and she wanted to curl up in the nest Skypaw or Pinepaw had made for her.

Skypaw and Pinepaw were crouched over Swirlpaw. Skypaw looked up in surprise when Spiralpaw entered the den. “Oh,” she mewed. “Hi, Spiralpaw. Thanks for the prey.”

Spiralpaw dropped the mice onto the ground and crouched down to eat. The juicy taste of the blood finally stirred up a pang of grief. She missed the taste of the mouse Swirlpaw had caught for her earlier today.

Skypaw and Pinepaw padded over to eat. “They’re wet,” Pinepaw complained.

“It’s raining outside,” Spiralpaw told him. “What do you expect?” Somehow talking with Pinepaw made her feel better, happier.

Spiralpaw finished her mouse in several large bites and padded over to her nest. It was a large pile of leaves, and it didn’t look too comfortable, but Spiralpaw sighed and curled up anyway.

She jumped back out in surprise.

The nest was so warm, like the greenleaf sunshine. Where she stood, the ground was cold and hard. Spiralpaw put a paw in her nest. It blazed under her pads.

She turned to ask Skypaw and Pinepaw why it was so hot, but they were already sleeping in their nests. Spiralpaw hesitated, then climbed into her nest and closed her eyes.

She fell asleep, wrapped in its warmth.

 

“Spiralpaw.”

Spiralpaw opened her eyes and found herself standing in long, green grass. A pale gray cat was standing in front of her. Clouds swirled around them.

“Heatherfur!” Spiralpaw gasped. “You’ve come!”

Heatherfur gazed at her warmly. “You mustn’t fear,” she mewed. “Swirlpaw will survive.”

Spiralpaw felt warm relief seep through her body, and then suddenly remembered about her nest. She opened her mouth to ask Heatherfur why it was so warm, but the StarClan cat was already speaking.

“Follow the warmth, Spiralpaw,” she meowed. “It will lead you where you need to be.”

What does that mean? Spiralpaw wondered as the dream faded. Heatherfur’s last words flew past her in the wind.

“Follow the warmth!”