Facing A Forest of Shadows

Chapter Twenty-Two

The next morning was serene and peaceful. Pineheart had joined some of the Dockside cats in the middle of their camp to bask in the sunlight. Even though the walls that surrounded them were taller than trees, the sun still managed to shine down near the middle of the day.

As he was just preparing to close his eyes, he hear Cairn's voice as he approached. "Hello, Pineheart. Are you feeling rested today?" he asked kindly.

The sun had been warming his black pelt for so long, he almost didn't want to move. "Oh yes, it's so nice to relax," Pineheart purred.

"Your Clanmates also seem to finally be relaxing," Cairn commented. Pineheart glanced across the clearing to where he had last seen Brokensong. She was near one of the surrounding walls, rolling on her back in a sparse patch of grasses.

"It's been a good while before we've had the chance to just unwind," Pineheart explained, "we've faced so much hardship since we left."

"You know, I haven't heard the story yet of what made you leave. Would you mind coming with me to my den? We can have some privacy," Cairn meowed.

Inwardly, Pineheart wanted to say no. It was so far behind them now, he really didn't want to remember the events that had brought them here. But the kind nature of Cairn's voice, the caring glow in his eyes; Pineheart finally gave in. "Sure."

He followed the gentle leader back to his den; a shaggy elderberry bush that sprouted from a crack in the stone wall. As the leaves closed around them, Pineheart was pleased to find how spacious the bush was underneath.

Cairn turned towards his nest, sweeping his tail along the earthen floor below him. "I can spare some moss from my nest if you'd like to make yourself comfortable," Cairn offered.

"I'll be ok to stand," Pineheart insisted, "I wouldn't want you to ruin your nest."

"It's no bother to me," he chuckled, "but if you are sure... go ahead with the story of your journey."

Pineheart took a deep shuddering breath. An image of Blizzardstar stained his thoughts. "My father, Blizzardstar, was leader of our Clan," he began slowly.

"We had lived on our territory for many generations. We always faced hardship, but that's the life of a warrior. Nothing ever seemed impossible, especially with Blizzardstar to lead us."

He thought back to the morning he had spent with the elders in their den. He remembered asking Wildflight if his father really was as great as he used to be. His heart twisted with regret.

"I was having doubts that my father was still as strong to lead our Clan. He seemed to be too focused on taking care of me and Frostfeather."

Cairn raised his tail, the tip flicking faintly. "Didn't you have a mother to help him take care of you?" he asked.

"No, our mother died when we were newborns. Another she-cat, Foxstreak, helped to raise us. But she was never as protective as Blizzardstar was," he explained.

"Ah, I see. So after the death of your mother, Blizzardstar must have wanted to assure that you two would grow up well protected," Cairn spoke, "it's hard to lose a loved one."

"You didn't seem too upset that Juniper had been killed," Pineheart pointed out boldly.

Cairn laughed, his shoulders bobbing, "Of course I was upset," he mewed, "but death is a part of life. Juniper was such a kind, caring mate. She mothered Sun'ka and Blue as well as any mother could."

Pineheart nodded, "I wish I could feel the way you do. Even though life was peaceful, a sickness took hold of one of our elders. It was horrible. He turned savage out of nowhere and killed one of our apprentices!"

Cairn narrowed his eyes, "that sounds like a sickness that plagued these lands long ago. My mother had told me of a sickness that would turn any living thing into a rage induced monster. She called it rabies."

"That was probably it," Pineheart murmured, "after I killed the elder, I learned that Frostfeather was having dreams from our ancestors. She told Blizzardstar that we had to leave the forest."

"You killed the elder?" Cairn asked seriously, "that must have been hard. I'm sure you would have rather he live."

"Yes, I really didn't want to kill him," he said, "but after he killed Shimmerpaw I couldn't let him endanger anyone else."

"I would assume that Blizzardstar headed Frostfeather's warning, then. That's why you're here," Cairn guessed.

"Well, he didn't believe her at first. He wanted to go to the Fire Stone to share dreams with StarClan," Pineheart corrected him.

"What is StarClan?" Cairn couldn't help but interrupt.

"StarClan are our ancestors," Pineheart explained, "whenever a Clan cat dies, they go to StarClan where they can watch over us and help guide us when things get difficult."

"That sounds similar to what we believe," Cairn said, "when one of us passes, we are buried next to the Heart of the Sky. When we visit it in the Den of the Sky, we can hear the voices of our ancestors."

The Heart of the Sky, Pineheart thought in awe. "I bet Brokensong would love to see that," he meowed.

"Your medicine cat? Maybe I'll have to take her there sometime," he wondered aloud.

"Well, after Blizzardstar left with Frostfeather and Brokensong to go to the Fire Stone, a lone wolf attacked the camp. It was so angry and vicious, it killed so many of my Clanmates. Many that weren't killed, had been bitten or scratched," he continued, "after their meeting with StarClan, Blizzardstar knew that the wolf had brought this sickness into our camp."

He took a slow breath before carrying on. "He told us to leave. That he would carry on watching over them until it was their time to join StarClan. He must not have been alive for long. Frostfeather saw him and the other IceClan cats in a vision," his voice cracked with sadness as he mentioned his father.

"I'm sure your journey has not been easy," Cairn meowed slowly, "I can see in your eyes just how much you have suffered."

"I just don't want anyone else to die," Pineheart whimpered.

"You have no reason to worry," Cairn purred, "IceClan are safe here. We will not let anything happen to you."

Pineheart relaxed, feeling reassured by Cairn's calming voice. "Thank you," Pineheart mumbled.

Cairn nodded, "you are free to leave," he meowed.

With a hasty farewell, Pineheart turned and slid out from around the branches of the elderberry bush. He noticed Elkleap padding in through the entrance alleyway, close beside the orange body of Sun'ka.

The pure delight on the brown and black tom's face was enough to lift Pineheart's spirits. It looks like we are all happy here, maybe this is where we belong.