Warriors: the forgotten hearts: trail of pain (book 1)

Chapter twenty four

The night that followed was surprisingly cool. Hawk had to fluff out his fur to avoid the chill that would often creep up his spine. He heard Honey coming back from the Healer's den, and the rustling of her laying down.

"How was he?" He heard Stone's deep voice ask. Only silence followed for a heartbeat after.

"His wounds were deep. And whatever was on the clan-cat's claws made them become infected quickly." He could heat the distress hidden in her voice. "I. . . I don't know what's going to happen."

Hawk felt a sickness in his stomach. This was partly his fault. If Talon didn't make it, that blood would be on his paws.

•

•

•

Rain made Hawk's pelt sag. Cats around camp scrambled to get under cover or to give the Healer's den some extra leaves for coverage.
Hawk wondered how things had went with Feather and Peak. If everything had worked or if the storm had prevented something.

Under a ledge was Neon and a Blizzard. Hawk cringed at the way the Former looked. His ribs could be seen through his raggedy, wet pelt. He wondered how much time Neon had left in this world, before he passed to the next.

"Hey, Hawk." Sagepaw touched his shoulder with her tail. "Whatcha doin?"

Hawk shrugged. "Thinking."

"That's dangerous." She purred. Hawk glanced at her, forcing himself to smile. Unfortunately, Sagepaw saw right through it. "What's wrong?"

"It's just. . . If Talon dies it's my fault." He confessed.

Sagepaw stared at him confused. "You didn't give him those wounds though."

Hawk shook his head, unable to communicate his feelings. He loved his sister, but sometimes she never seemed to understand him.

A loud crack of thunder interrupted his thoughts. He saw Sagepaw flinch. He felt sympathy for the smaller she-cat. He could remember faint memories of his kit-hood, when the rain and thunder would beat down on the roof of the nursery. Sagepaw never liked the thunder, rain, or lightening. Hawk, however, found it oddly soothing. They filled the silence when he was alone, and the tales from the elders of great storm cats made him feel like someone was there.

"Don't worry, Sagepaw." Hawk meowed to her. He wrapped his tail around her. "Remember the tales Lostear and Skyrain told? How Skyrain got her warrior name?"

Sagepaw nodded. "I remember. It was about the warrior Crackdawn right? The one that made the lightning strike down the cats of the Dark Forest?"

He nodded. "Yeah, that's the one." Hawk noticed Sagepaw begin to shiver. "Let's get you under some shelter." He meowed.

The two litermates padded over to where Neon and Blizzard sat. The former gladly greeted another visitor and moved over for Sagepaw. Hawk decided he would rather go and check on Talon instead of staying. On his way over however, he noticed a white blur going into the forest.

Curiosity pricked Hawk like a thorn in the forest. Swerving his direction, he followed the tracks of the white cat. His paws sunk with each step, and the rain beat down on his pelt making it hard to walk. He couldn't understand how the cat in front of him was so quick. The white pelt began to fade in front of him, either from the mud that may have gotten on them, or the rain that beat down harder.

Hawk blinked the water from his eyes and flicked his ears. He suddenly heard voices over the rain. Curiosity once again spiked his pelt harder then the cold rain. He went solely on the vague voices, since the rain clouded his other senses.
Hawk could soon hear the voices, but the words still seemed inaudible. That's when a small clearing came into view, and two cats were visible.