When she’d finally entered her den to sleep after a long day of organizing extra patrols, she saw that both Eveningstorm and Quiethawk had already settled in for the night, the hollow echoing only with the sound of breath as their pelts rose and fell gently. A tender smile touched her features at the sight of them. Long ago, it was hard for her not to think of herself as weak for feeling so strongly for another, but now she found strength in her vulnerability for them. Her bond with those she loved truly gave her something meaningful to fight for, and at the end of the day, she could momentarily forget about being clan leader and just breathe. Careful not to wake either of them, she slowly stepped around them and curled around her mate. It wasn’t long after she closed her tired eyes, pressing her nose into Eveningstorm’s thick fur, that she began to fall into a dream. Opening her eyes, she found that she was now lying on damp grass. The forest floor beneath her was soaked with rain, the dead leaves slimy and rotten underpaw. Trees leaned over her, their leaves blocking out the sun, and ferns crowded around her. Where was she?
It was bitterly cold. With a shuddering breath, she forced herself to sit up and take a closer look at her surroundings. Was she dreaming of Shadowclan territory? No, this place was much darker than the soft, shadowy pine forests of Shadowclan territory. The trees here were void of life with long limbs guarding the darkness below, blotting out any sunlight. They twisted up in all angles, like the despairing limbs of the damned begging for forgiveness, wet moss dangling from their rotten boughs. Wails of despair soon crept into the relative silence, and even the darkness itself felt as though it had began to glare at her with baleful eyes, silently urging her to leave. Wherever she was, it was truly a hair-raising place. Then, with a sudden jolt of realization, her mind caught up with what she was seeing.
Before she had time to react, however, she nearly jumped out of her skin when a familiar voice called out to her, her golden eyes lighting up with recognition. “Tinyflame!” she breathed in relief, excited to see her little friend again. It felt like a lifetime since they’d seen each other. The small, ginger warrior’s fur was still the same color of flame she’d always known, though her pelt and eyes now glittered with starlight. With a hard swipe, she dashed away the tears that snuck down her cheeks, not wanting to make things heavy.
Slowly, she nodded and followed Tinyflame, the air becoming noticeably warmer as they walked. It was much easier to breathe here, too. Sitting down, she sighed. “I’m going to assume it isn’t good news,” she smiled, her easygoing tone at odds with the worry in her gaze.