The Abandoned Warrior

Chapter 40

            Snowfeather headed back from the gathering in silence, not sure what to say or what to do. She was expecting kits! She wasn't sure if she should be excited or worried. How could she care for them? What would Lionstripe say?

            "I've got to tell Mistyfall," she whispered.
            The full moon still shined overhead as cats made their way through the snowy forest back to camp. Snowfeather lagged behind Cloudfoot, the thought of her unborn kits still running through her head.
            What if Wavestorm was just lying? She never did like Snowfeather. Maybe that was it. It would be a good idea to check with Mistyfall first though.
            Coming back into camp, Snowfeather rushed to the medicine cat den first before greeting Lionstripe. Seeing no cat inside the den except Mistyfall, Snowfeather padded in.
            "Mistyfall," she spoke.
            The older gray she-cat turned her head. "Is everything alright, Snowfeather?"
            Snowfeather looked at her paws and shuffled them awkwardly. "Um, I think I might be expecting kits. Could you tell me if it's true or not?" Snowfeather asked.
            Mistyfall eyed Snowfeather's stomach, lightly touching it with her tail. "You are," Mistyfall told her. "Your stomach is a bit bigger than before. I'm surprised I didn't notice it earlier. Congratulations. Have you told any other cats?"
            Snowfeather shook her head. "I think I'll tell Lionstripe tomorrow. Please promise you won't tell any cat, Mistyfall?"
            Mistyfall nodded. "I promise."
            "When will they be due?" Snowfeather asked.
            "A moon or so. By the next gathering, you should be ready to give birth or close to giving birth," Mistyfall told her.
            Snowfeather padded out of the den, running into Lionstripe moments later. His eyes widened.
            "Snowfeather, where did you go?!"
            "Oh, well, I got a thorn stuck in my pad on the way here, so I was just getting it pulled out by Mistyfall," Snowfeather explained, hoping he would buy her story.
            "Oh," he replied. "Are you alright now?"
            Snowfeather nodded. "Fine. Can we go to sleep now?" she asked.
            Lionstripe nodded, escorting her to the warriors den to rest. She rested her head next to Lionstripe's listening to his soft breathing as he fell asleep.
            Snowfeather couldn't sleep though. She kept thinking of what she would tell him, how she would tell him she was expecting his kits.
            She got up, padding out of the den. She stood outside, staring at the stars up  above. She wondered if her mother was looking down on her now as she stared at them.
            "If you can hear me, Mother," she whispered, "Please give me the strength and hope to tell Lionstripe. Allow me to be a good mother like you, and him, a good father."
            Beginning to get tired, she padded back inside, resting down next to Lionstripe again. She let out a loud yawn then closed her eyes, falling asleep.

Snowfeather opened her eyes, realizing she was no longer in the warriors den. She was in StarClan, no doubt. She stood in a forest, a large cave standing ahead.
            Snowfeather turned, hoping to spot a cat, but she spotted no one.
            "Hello?" she called, padding through the forest. She didn't dare enter the cave, only peeking her head through. She then turned, continuing through the forest as she looked for some cat.
            Hearing a noise, she turned, seeing a glowing white figure. Her mother! Her mother gracefully walked towards the cave, and Snowfeather called after her.
            "Mother!" she shouted.
            Her mother did not turn her head but instead began walking to the cave. Seeing a light, Snowfeather realized the cave had begun to light up now. Following her mother inside, Snowfeather recognized the figures of several other StarClan cats.
            Where was she? What did this dream even mean?
            She walked up to the shining light, feeling energy move through her as she moved towards it. Suddenly, she became full of power, feeling electricity run through her paws. Her eyes suddenly turned a bright blue that shined through the light of the cave and all those of the StarClan cats. She suddenly felt herself growing weak, and she fainted on the cave floor.

Snowfeather opened her eyes back in the den, feeling weak and tired. Her whole body was cold, and she felt a force pulling at her, almost like it wanted her to leave. She tried to pull back, though each time she did, she felt weaker.
            She realized she was in mist form, and every time she attempted to turn back into a cat, she failed, growing colder and weaker, the force growing stronger.
            "Lionstripe," she whispered.
            She watched as the tom slowly opened his green eyes. "Snowfeather? You're in mist form."
            "I know," she told him. "Look, something's not right. I can't change back into a cat," she said, the force pulling at her once more. She began to float away from the warriors den, Lionstripe following her. "I don't know where I'm going. I'll come back, I promise," she said, letting the force take her.
            She heard Lionstripe cry out, only for her to plunge into darkness.