Looming Darkness

Chapter 4

Whispersong was lying beside Bumblefrost in the meadow, next to the river. The warm sun shone down on them, and Whispersong purred, closing her eyes.

Suddenly the warmth was gone from her pelt. Whispersong blinked opened her eyes.

Bumblefrost was getting to his paws, staring at her in a way very unlike him. Her heart skipped a beat. His usually-pale-green eyes were now black, soulless gaps. He hissed.

Whispersong yelled out, squeezing her eyes shut tight.

Her eyes flew open. It was dark around her. Her heart was pounding in fear, but she realized she was in the warriors' den, safely in DawnClan.

"Whispersong?"

Whispersong couldn't speak. Relief washed over her. It had been a dream. Only a dream. Her heart still pounded against her ribs, and her uncontrolled breathing was still uneven.

"Whispersong?" Whispersong turned. Sparrowtail was staring at her. "Are... are you alright?" she whispered.

Whispersong nodded weakly, still not able to form words.

"Do you want to take a walk with me?"

Whispersong slowly nodded, mind blank.

Sparrowtail got to her paws and wove around the sleeping cats around them. Echoheart raised her head, and Rayclaw stirred, but none of them questioned Sparrowtail or Whispersong.

Whispersong squeezed out of the den after Sparrowtail, the cold night air piercing her body. She let out a breath of shock, watching it swirl like fog in front of her.

"Let's go to the sunning-stones."

Whispersong nodded.

Sparrowtail sat down beside the silver rocks, staring sympathetically at Whispersong. Whispersong sat across from her. The grass was covered in frost, and it froze her paws, but she didn't notice it. Her mind was throbbing too hard to notice much else.

"What's wrong?"

Whispersong opened her mouth, but not words formulated in her mind.

"Are you okay?" There was silence, and Sparrowtail meowed, "I... I haven't seen you in so long."

"I... I know," Whispersong murmured. "I missed you..." Her meow was ragged, and hardly audible, but Sparrowtail smiled, meaning she'd understood her.

"I've missed you too."

There was another silence.

"So, what is bothering you? You were calling out in your sleep."

"I was?"

Sparrowtail nodded. "It wasn't too loud. I was already awake; but you were starting to wake other cats, so I woke you up."

Whispersong nodded. "I was... I just had a bad dream, I guess."

Sparrowtail blinked, and Whispersong shivered as a cold late-leaf-fall breeze blew past her. Why was she dreaming about Bumblefrost like that? Bumblefrost was certainly nothing like he'd been in her dream. Nothing. So why would she have dreamt about that? He'd never hurt her! Ever!

Maybe she was thinking subconsciously of what Aspenleaf had said about Bumblefrost breaking DawnClan's web of trust. Maybe.

"Do you trust Bumblefrost?" Whispersong asked, staring absently at the grass by Sparrowtail's paws.

"Me?" Sparrowtail asked. "Oh, I..." she sighed. "To be honest: not... not really."

Whispersong didn't answer. Of course Sparrowtail didn't trust him. No cat did. "Why not?"